Not many home espresso machines can brew quality shots. This one was pulled from the Breville Barista Express.
Tyler Lizenby/CNETIf you over-extract, you run the risk of leaching out unpleasant flavors (bitterness) after the good. On the opposite end of the scale, under-extracted brews tend to have undeveloped flavors. Lacking sugars and other caramelized organic chemicals, these shots will taste sour, weak and watery.
Unlike a cup of drip coffee, barista-quality espresso should be concentrated. Excellent drip typically has a TDS percentage of 1.3% or 1.4%, great espresso has a much higher percentage. The Breville Barista Express, for example, produced shots with TDS percentages as high as 12.4%.
The shots I pulled were balanced, with an extraction of 18.6%. The test coffee beans I use are the same variety I employ for standard coffee makers -- Costco Kirkland Colombian. It's a medium-dark roast suitable for brewing espresso as well.
Lastly, I try my hand at milk frothing with each coffee machine equipped with a steam wand. I record the overall experience with the steam wand, whether the process is a snap, a tricky chore or somewhere in between.
Source: cnet.com