All About Good Coffee

Espresso

The technical definition for espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee. For those who appreciate a finely pulled espresso the definition is pure bliss.

Espresso originated in Italy in the early part of the 20th century. It wasn’t until the later part of the century that it became the beverage it is known as today. In the beginning espresso was created using steam pressure; however, the spring piston lever allowed for more commercialization and the espresso of today was born.

Characteristics

A truly good espresso pull (brew) has defining characteristics that are unique to an espresso. The consistency is much thicker than coffee due to the high amount of dissolved solids. The chemical components that make up an espresso quickly degrade and so it is served in small two ounce servings known as shots.

The most defining trait of an espresso is the crema. The crema is the top layer of reddish-brown foam that seems to float on top of the liquid. This element of is made up of proteins, sugar and vegetable oils. The flavors in an espresso are highly concentrated which is why it is the foundation for other coffee drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes.

How to Brew

Brewing or pulling an espresso is not difficult but it does take practice to perfect. An espresso machine is required in order to obtain enough steam pressure to make the beverage. People who enjoy espresso will often visit coffee shops just to watch a good barista (Italian for bartender) pull espresso, much like watching an artistic performance.

First, the barista will fill a metal filter basket with the proper amount of finely ground coffee. There is not a bean that is specifically known as an espresso bean; however, the higher quality the coffee bean, the better the espresso will be. Typically, one-fourth to one-third of an ounce of coffee makes a single shot.

The coffee is then tamped down with a large amount of pressure. The goal being to compress the coffee into a tightly formed, smooth-topped puck of coffee. The filter basket is then placed back onto the espresso machine.

When the machine starts, it forces pressurized water through the filter and the resulting output is the espresso.

Factoring Agents

There are many factors that can affect an espresso pull, which is what makes a good barista an art form to watch. If the coffee is not tamped down properly the resulting espresso will not be of good quality. The crema is dependent on the amount of steam pressure used to force the water through the grinds. Some machines have a manual control that allows the barista to control this force and others are on a timer.

Espresso is a common drink in many parts of Europe while in North America it is more often used as a foundation for other coffee based drinks or to give a cup of coffee some added umph. No matter where espresso is pulled, there is as much pleasure in watching a barista pull it as there is in the couple of minutes it takes to drink it.

-Katya Coen