The Basics Of Espresso Coffee Beans
We were giving away short espressos to promote the opening of our espresso bar and roastery back in the late 80's and quite honestly, there were no takers.
People still weren't too sure what espresso was.
After all wasn't it really thick, strong and bitter?A solid 'No Thanks' and then a distinct recoil factor ensued and as we tried to entice customers into this murky new territory.
Meanwhile the Italians were busy dropping into their favorite coffee bar several times a day to chat and put back an espresso:ristretto (short and dense), a macchiato (short with a dollop of milk) or a crema (ristretto and steamed milk), I would chalk up my early experience with espresso as less than successful.
What is espresso exactly? The principle of making espresso coffee is several centuries old.
However in 1947, Gaggia patented the invention of a spring piston assembly that allowed water pressures up to 60lb for making espresso.
No longer was espresso easily burned and no one's ever looked back.
What does this really mean? Espresso is a beverage made in an espresso machine by quickly forcing hot water through finely ground, compressed coffee under steam pressure one cup at a time.
The difference is the pressure that is applied to the hot water; regular drip coffee is brewed by gravity, water seeping through the grinds.
What else is involved? For one, it just might involve more than pouring in the water, guessing the amount of ground coffee in the filter, pressing "on" and going for your shower.
More likely it involves i) the coffee and roast levelii) the grind and grinder iii) steaming milk and perhaps the addition of spices or brandy.
i) The Coffee and Roast Level While you can use any coffee to prepare espresso, regional preferences abound and in our area, darker roasts tend to prevail.
Very light roasts, those with no visible oils on the surface, are often acidic and somewhat thin, lacking substantive body.
Medium roasts which exhibit a dark chocolate color but again no oil will produce richer tasting espresso with less acid.
Darker roasts and even darker espresso roasts border on black and produce oily surfaced beans, decreased acidity and bitterness in the cup.
It is easier to mask imperfections with a darker roast because the flavor of the roast will mask any errors in extraction or in the cleanliness of the machine.
You may find that your preferred roast is a combination of origins and roast levels, and I would suggest you try some single varietals, for instance an Ethiopia medium or light roast, and then add something a bit darker with a natural acidic tendency, like a high-grown Mexican.
Sometimes I really like to mix in something really heavy like a Sumatran.
Experiment and learn, plus it's fun.
ii) The Grind and Grinder There are so many variables to pulling that perfect espresso - temperature, water quality, tamping and so on that it's easy to overlook the critical role of the grinder.
The goal is to provide a uniform sized grind so that all parts are equally exposed to the water being pulled through it.
A burr grinder with dull blades produces irregular pieces; when the water comes in contact with these pieces it doesn't hit the coffee with the same consistency, over saturating some and leaving the larger pieces 'unwashed'.
The whole idea of pushing water through the coffee puck is to draw it through evenly.
The full flavor you are expecting will be released when the surface area of the coffee grinds is maximized, thereby avoiding bitterness and acids.
An espresso infusion should pull between 20-25 seconds.
Dull blades, inconsistent grinds and burning the coffee with too fast a motor speed are your three worst enemies.
Ask your specialty roaster to grind your beans if you aren't ready to invest in a good grinder.
And keep your coffee stored at room temperature, airtight and drink it within a week.
iii) Steaming Milk Because espresso is a short drink, if you add unheated milk, your coffee will immediately be cold.
Anyway, espresso coffee and steamed milk are delicious!We suggest using cold milk in a cold stainless steel frothing jug and inserting the steam wand far enough into the milk that it doesn't fly out.
Keep one hand on the nozzle as the milk can surprise you by heating up too quickly and then you'll want to turn the nozzle off in a big hurry.
What I like to do is keep the nozzle just beneath the surface of the milk until it has foamed up about 10% higher, then keep the wand against the side of the container and slowly sink it to the bottom.
Steam will appear off the milk and indicate your milk is hot enough.
I put my hand against the jug and if it's "boa constrictor" hot - ie, you pull away fast - then it's hot enough to add to your coffee.
If you can keep your hand there comfortably for 3 seconds, try steaming a short while longer.
Who said, "In space, no one can hear you steam".
People still weren't too sure what espresso was.
After all wasn't it really thick, strong and bitter?A solid 'No Thanks' and then a distinct recoil factor ensued and as we tried to entice customers into this murky new territory.
Meanwhile the Italians were busy dropping into their favorite coffee bar several times a day to chat and put back an espresso:ristretto (short and dense), a macchiato (short with a dollop of milk) or a crema (ristretto and steamed milk), I would chalk up my early experience with espresso as less than successful.
What is espresso exactly? The principle of making espresso coffee is several centuries old.
However in 1947, Gaggia patented the invention of a spring piston assembly that allowed water pressures up to 60lb for making espresso.
No longer was espresso easily burned and no one's ever looked back.
What does this really mean? Espresso is a beverage made in an espresso machine by quickly forcing hot water through finely ground, compressed coffee under steam pressure one cup at a time.
The difference is the pressure that is applied to the hot water; regular drip coffee is brewed by gravity, water seeping through the grinds.
What else is involved? For one, it just might involve more than pouring in the water, guessing the amount of ground coffee in the filter, pressing "on" and going for your shower.
More likely it involves i) the coffee and roast levelii) the grind and grinder iii) steaming milk and perhaps the addition of spices or brandy.
i) The Coffee and Roast Level While you can use any coffee to prepare espresso, regional preferences abound and in our area, darker roasts tend to prevail.
Very light roasts, those with no visible oils on the surface, are often acidic and somewhat thin, lacking substantive body.
Medium roasts which exhibit a dark chocolate color but again no oil will produce richer tasting espresso with less acid.
Darker roasts and even darker espresso roasts border on black and produce oily surfaced beans, decreased acidity and bitterness in the cup.
It is easier to mask imperfections with a darker roast because the flavor of the roast will mask any errors in extraction or in the cleanliness of the machine.
You may find that your preferred roast is a combination of origins and roast levels, and I would suggest you try some single varietals, for instance an Ethiopia medium or light roast, and then add something a bit darker with a natural acidic tendency, like a high-grown Mexican.
Sometimes I really like to mix in something really heavy like a Sumatran.
Experiment and learn, plus it's fun.
ii) The Grind and Grinder There are so many variables to pulling that perfect espresso - temperature, water quality, tamping and so on that it's easy to overlook the critical role of the grinder.
The goal is to provide a uniform sized grind so that all parts are equally exposed to the water being pulled through it.
A burr grinder with dull blades produces irregular pieces; when the water comes in contact with these pieces it doesn't hit the coffee with the same consistency, over saturating some and leaving the larger pieces 'unwashed'.
The whole idea of pushing water through the coffee puck is to draw it through evenly.
The full flavor you are expecting will be released when the surface area of the coffee grinds is maximized, thereby avoiding bitterness and acids.
An espresso infusion should pull between 20-25 seconds.
Dull blades, inconsistent grinds and burning the coffee with too fast a motor speed are your three worst enemies.
Ask your specialty roaster to grind your beans if you aren't ready to invest in a good grinder.
And keep your coffee stored at room temperature, airtight and drink it within a week.
iii) Steaming Milk Because espresso is a short drink, if you add unheated milk, your coffee will immediately be cold.
Anyway, espresso coffee and steamed milk are delicious!We suggest using cold milk in a cold stainless steel frothing jug and inserting the steam wand far enough into the milk that it doesn't fly out.
Keep one hand on the nozzle as the milk can surprise you by heating up too quickly and then you'll want to turn the nozzle off in a big hurry.
What I like to do is keep the nozzle just beneath the surface of the milk until it has foamed up about 10% higher, then keep the wand against the side of the container and slowly sink it to the bottom.
Steam will appear off the milk and indicate your milk is hot enough.
I put my hand against the jug and if it's "boa constrictor" hot - ie, you pull away fast - then it's hot enough to add to your coffee.
If you can keep your hand there comfortably for 3 seconds, try steaming a short while longer.
Who said, "In space, no one can hear you steam".