A good, fragrant Espresso is not easy to prepare, and because we want you to enjoy the best coffee around, we have put together some guidelines to help make an authentic Espresso using an Espresso Coffee machine. One thing that is important to remember is to have a good machine, and good, fresh ground coffee. jmdist recommends Segafredo Zanetti's Espresso Casa for a fragrant coffee with a velvety top, or Segafredo Intermezzo for a pure, straight coffee.

1. Water

Ideally, only mineral water should be used in a coffee machine, but if your machine is connected to a water supply, ensure it has a lime-scale filter on it. In any event, every 2 months you should service your machine by using the appropriate anti-limescale sachets for espresso machines.

2. Amount

For every Espresso measure you should use 7 grams. Most machines come with measuring cups which should equate to 7 grams.

3. Levelling

A good barista strikes the filter holder on a work-top or against the inside of the hand. This distributes the ground coffee evenly, and therefore ensuring consistency when the water is pumped through. A tamper should then be used to level out the coffee – which is fundamental in making a good Espresso.

4. Timing

The coffee has to come out of the nozzle in a continuous and even stream – if the coffee comes out too quickly, press it down with more intensity; if it comes out too slowly, then maybe it is pressed down too much.

5. Maintenance

Each time you use the coffee machine, clean away the coffee remains from the filter in order to avoid coffee build-up, which will affect the taste of coffee you make in the future. Also, once a month you should let water flow through an empty water filter, just as if you were making a coffee.