Finding the ?espresso
potential,? or the level of perfection in any given shot of
espresso is often like being on a quest for the holy grail. You
know it's out there, you just can't see it. Or in the case of
espresso, taste it.
Knowing if you've found the ultimate Italian espresso coffee
begins with knowing about espresso.
How can you tell if you've found something if you don't know
what it should be like?
So, let's begin at the beginning.
What is an Italian espresso?
Italian espresso coffee is a beverage prepared with
approximately one-and-a-half ounces of very finely ground
coffee beans, which are dark roasted and oily in appearance.
This coffee is produced with an espresso machine which ?forces?
the brewing process using very hot water under high
pressure.
The result is a bitter-sweet coffee with a topping of crema,
or froth.
Main characteristics of espresso
Because espresso is forced, this process produces a specific
feel, taste, aroma and density. Espresso coffee is ground to a
very fine level and brewed very quickly, for only about 25
seconds.
The main difference between espresso and regular coffee is
how the bean is roasted. While espresso beans comes from a
variety of coffee plants, they are roasted to produce a very
dark coffee. Also, the coffee beans have a rich, oily
appearance.
Then, coffee beans geared for the Italian espresso are
ground finely. The finer the grind, the slower the coffee is
released when forced. Before this happens, the espresso grind
is packed very tightly into a metallic filtered basket. All of
this tight packing and forced brewing results in a coffee that
is dark in color and very thick with a layer of crema or foam
on the top.
Espresso is brewed quickly to avoid over-extraction of the
coffee bean. The espresso machine is designed to produce a
quick coffee and this results in a more intense flavor and
aroma because it is never over-extracted or over-brewed.
Also, because espresso coffee beans are dark roasted they
contain less caffeine than regular coffee beans.
A brief history of Italian espresso
It was an Italian businessman who, back in 1903, wanted to
brew coffee faster and developed his fast coffee machine. He
found that his coffee brewing process produced a much better
tasting coffee, with a thick feel and a luscious crema topping.
And so, the espresso coffee was born.
When it comes to finding the perfect Italian espresso coffee
you need to delve into this world's fascinating secrets. You
should come to learn everything from the Macinadosatore, which
refers to the espresso dose, to the Macinazione, which refers
to the correct method of grinding the coffee for the perfect
espresso, and Latte art, the technique used to texture the milk
into perfection and to create patterns on it.
