Espresso
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Wikipedia-Article "Espresso"
- This article is about a coffee beverage. For the 3D application engine, see Espresso3d. For the Italian magazine see L'Espresso.
(Caffè) espresso (Italian) is a strong, flavorful coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee beans.
Espresso differs from drip-brewed coffee with its thick, concentrated consistency and robust flavor. Due to its potency, straight espresso (served without sweetener or milk, analogous to black coffee) is considered by some to be an acquired taste, and it is served in small amounts called shots in the United States. Many coffee aficionados order their "single" or "double" (one or two shots in a ceramic cup) with a glass of cold water to clear the palate. Because espresso reacts quickly to oxygen, it should be consumed immediately after brewing.
Espresso is considered the default coffee in Southern Europe, notably Italy, Portugal and France. Ordering a coffee (un caffè in Italian) means ordering an espresso; this confuses foreigners in Italy and Italians abroad alike. What is considered plain coffee in the United States is normally not brewed in Italy. A similar alternative, an espresso mixed with hot water, is known as caffè americano. The phrase 'American Coffee' (spoken in English) is widely understood. It is rarely ordered by Italians.
Espresso is also the foundation for other drinks, such as lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and mochas. A key component in the flavor of espresso is crema, a golden foam composed of emulsified oils, proteins, and sugars, which floats on the surface of the espresso itself.
Espresso is frequently mispronounced/mis-spelled as expresso in the UK and US. The term espresso refers to the brewing method and combines all 3 meanings of the word express. 1.a coffee made expressly for one person, 2.with the flavours expressed from coffee grounds under pressure and 3.a coffee made at express speed.
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Variations
- Lungo (long): More water (about double) is let through the ground coffee, yielding a weaker taste 40ml.
- Ristretto (restricted): With less water, yielding a stronger taste 10-20ml.
- Doppio (double): Two shots of espresso in one cup.
- Corretto (corrected): Some sort of liquor added.
- Americano (American): Diluted with hot water, similar to drip-brew coffee.
- Macchiato (marked): steamed milk is put into the cup first, and the shots are added on top.
- Con panna (with cream): With cream on top
- Affogato (drowned): Served over ice cream
- Cubano (Cuban): Sugar is added to the espresso grounds during brewing for a sweet taste.
- Red Eye is a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso in it.
- Black Eye is a cup of coffee with two shots of espresso in it.
- Dead Eye is a cup of coffee with three shots of espresso in it.
- Shot in the Dark is an alternate name for a Red Eye.
Coffee beans for espresso
Espresso is made from coffee beans that have been roasted, finely ground, and quickly processed into a 1- to 2-ounce single serving cup of coffee. To process the roasted coffee beans into a cup of espresso, generally, a pump-driven espresso machine is used. Coffee beans for espresso are often a blend of coffee beans from various countries (and sometimes species) of coffee plants. The two most popular species of coffee plants are Arabica (Coffee Arabica) and Robusta (Coffea canephora). Higher-grade coffee blends often only include coffee from the Arabica plant species, using this as a marketing tactic. Arabica trees require more care in growing and are therefore usually more expensive. Arabica beans are generally considered to be superior to Robusta beans, mostly because top-quality Arabica beans have a much better aroma and much better acidity (brightness or sparkle in the cup). However, higher-grade Robusta beans are often included in espresso blends for espresso, to aid the production of "crema" especially in countries where espresso is the default coffee beverage: France, Italy, and Spain. The grind for espresso is generally achieved using a burr grinder, a type of grinder that uses two flat or conical burrs to grind the coffee to a fine, even powder without heating it. However, the beans are not ground very finely, as in Turkish coffee, because the resulting powder could block coffee flow and impede crema formation.
Brewing process
The process of making espresso can be seen as an art form, and people who have perfected the technique are referred to as baristas, masters of several nuances that can affect the final product. High-end espresso machines, which can cost $3,000 to $5,000 or more, are too expensive for most consumers.
The act of producing a shot of espresso is colloquially termed "pulling" a shot. The term derives from lever-style espresso machines that require pulling a long handle to produce a shot. To pull a single shot of espresso, a metal filter known as a portafilter basket is filled with between 6.5 grams and 10 grams (for a single shot) of properly ground roasted coffee beans. The espresso is then tamped, or compressed with approximately 30 lbf (130 N) of force into a densely packed puck of espresso. The portafilter (or group handle) is finally inserted up into the grouphead on the espresso machine and locked into place. When the machine is turned on, a pressurized stream of hot water at 90 +/-5 °C (200 +/-5 °F) and approximately 900 kPa (130 PSI) is forced through the grouphead and down through the ground coffee in the portafilter. Water cooler than the ideal temperature zone causes sourness; hotter than the ideal zone causes bitterness. High-quality espresso machines are designed to carefully control the temperature of the brewhead to within a few degrees of the ideal.
Some individuals (and almost all accomplished baristas) prefer to pour right into a pre-warmed demitasse, a small cup used for espresso. Espresso is a fleeting beverage, and the flavour will begin to degrade immediately. It is also a fragile beverage, which is damaged through transferring from one container to another.
Time is a critical element in pulling a good shot. The ideal shot will be produced in 25 +/-5 seconds of extraction with a molasses-like flow. Varying the fineness of the grind, the amount of pressure used to tamp the grinds, and the pressure of the espresso machine itself can be used to bring the extraction time into this ideal zone.
Espresso was invented in Italy, where it is said that four Ms are key to a good espresso: miscela (blend), macinazione (grind), macchina (machine), and mano (hand).
Moka espresso pot
Sometimes misnamed "espresso", very strong coffee may also be brewed on a stove in a three-chambered metal pot, known as a moka, caffettiera, macchinetta or percolator. The bottom chamber contains the water, the middle chamber the ground coffee beans and the top chamber holds the resulting coffee. When the pot is heated on a stove, the pressure from the steam in the bottom pot causes the water to be forced up through a tube in the center, pushed through the ground coffee, and finally collected in the top pot. However, this process does not produce sufficient pressure to make a true espresso, resulting in a lack of crema and none of the characteristic taste.
See also
- Coffee
- Espresso machine
- Ristretto
- Lungo
- Cappuccino
- Espresso con panna
- Latte
- Cortado
- Mocha
- Caffè
- Coffeehouse
- Demitasse
- Drip brew
External links
- Coffee Geek - Everything for home coffee enthusiasts
- 20 Factors to make perfect espresso
- Home-Barista.com - Resource for serious home espresso fanantics
- TooMuchCoffee - The European Coffee and Espresso Resource
- How an espresso machine works
- How to make espresso. How to make espresso coffee at home with domestic equipment.
- Neapolitan Espresso How to make real Neapolitan espresso with a moka.