Espresso

Use finely ground coffee and an espresso machine: aim for about 18 g of coffee in the basket and 36 g of espresso in the cup, extracted in roughly 25–30 seconds. Use fresh water and a firm, even tamp; a bitter or very fast shot usually needs a grind adjustment.

Grind it fine, around the texture of table salt, but not so fine that the shot drips slowly or tastes harsh. Espresso grind needs to be adjusted for the machine and beans: if the shot runs through too quickly, grind finer; if it barely flows, grind coarser.

Start with cold milk in a metal jug. Add a little air at the surface, then keep the steam wand just below the surface to create a smooth, glossy texture; stop when the jug feels too hot to hold comfortably, before the milk boils.

Keep whole beans in an airtight, opaque container in a cool, dry cupboard, away from the cooker and direct sunlight. Grind them just before brewing; avoid storing beans in the fridge, where moisture and food odours can affect them.

Espresso is a small, concentrated coffee served without milk. A cortado has a more generous amount of warm milk to soften it, while a macchiato is espresso marked with just a little milk or foam.

Yes: a shot adds a deep coffee flavour to tiramisu, chocolate cakes, brownies and coffee buttercream. Let it cool before adding it to a mixture, and use it sparingly in savoury sauces so its bitterness does not overwhelm the other flavours.

A single espresso is usually about 25–30 ml and contains roughly 60–75 mg of caffeine, though the amount varies with the beans and extraction. A double shot is typically around twice that amount.

Espresso is more concentrated by volume, but a mug of filter coffee often contains more caffeine overall because it is much larger. A single espresso is usually about 25–30 ml, whereas filter coffee is commonly served in a mug.