Espresso

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Espresso appears dark brown with a red/brown-colored foam, called crema and is served in small portions.


Espresso (Italian) is a flavorful coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee. Espresso and the modern espresso machine was developed and popularized in Italy from the beginning of the 20th century to the postwar period.

The qualitative definition of espresso includes a viscous, honey-like consistency, a higher amount of dissolved solids than drip coffee per relative volume, and is served in small amounts known as single or double shots (occasionally triple or more shots may be ordered). Espresso is chemically complex and volatile, with many of its chemical components degrading from oxidation or loss of temperature. A distinguishing factor of properly brewed espresso is the presence of crema, a reddish-brown foam which floats on the surface of the espresso. It is composed of oils, proteins and sugars. Crema has elements of both emulsion and foam colloid.

Espresso is also the foundation for other drinks, such as lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and mochas.

Naming Variations

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
3. a coffee made at express speed.

Ordering a coffee in Italy (un caffè) 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, as is the commonly used term 'Long Black'. It is rarely ordered by Italians.

Espresso

  • Caffè Espresso: the formal Italian term. In most countries, espresso is used solely.
  • Ristretto (restricted): With less water, yielding a stronger taste 10-20ml.
  • Lungo (long): More water (about double) is let through the ground coffee, yielding a weaker taste 40ml.
  • Doppio (double): Two shots of espresso in one cup.
  • Expresso: a common French variation which is sometimes colloquially used in English speaking countries.

Milk

  • Macchiato (marked): steamed milk is put into the cup first, and the shots are added on top.
  • Con panna (with cream): With whipped cream on top.
  • Cappuccino: traditionally, a drink of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 microfoam.
  • Latte: an espresso based drink with a volume of milk, from 6-12oz (180-360mL)total volume, with less foam than a cappuccino.
  • Cortado: espresso "cut" (from the Spanish and Portuguese cortar) with a small amount of warm milk to reduce the acidity.
  • Mocha: normally, a latte blended with chocolate.
  • Affogato (drowned): Served over ice cream.

Americano

  • Americano (American): Diluted with hot water, similar to drip-brew coffee.
  • Cafè Tobio: Two shots of espresso with an equal amount of American Coffee.
  • Red Eye: a cup of American coffee with a shot of espresso in it. Also known as Shot in the Dark or Depth Charge.
  • Black Eye: a cup of American coffee with two shots of espresso in it. Also known as Slingblade.
  • Dead Eye: a cup of American coffee with three shots of espresso in it.

Other

  • Corretto (corrected): Some sort of liquor added.
  • Cubano (Cuban): Sugar is added to the espresso grounds during brewing for a sweet taste.

Popularity

Espresso is the most popular type of coffee in Argentina and southern Europe, notably Italy, Portugal and Spain, and is also popular throughout Europe and the Americas.

With the rise of coffee chains such as Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, and others, coffee drinks rose in popularity in non-traditional markets. Americans learned that there were many different styles of coffee other than the ordinary "cup of Joe". Hanging out at a coffee bar sipping little cups of espresso became hip and trendy. The influence of Starbucks has widely diverted from the Italian style of coffee, by adding syrups, whipped cream, flavour extracts, soy milk and different spices to their drinks. Long and complicated drink orders became the punchline of many jokes aimed at making fun of how finicky and obsessive coffee drinkers can be.

Home espresso machines have also increased in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso. They can be found in department stores, online vendors and specialty stores. The internet has facilitated the spread of information about rarer coffee drinks and can dispel (or promote) many myths on how to properly brew espresso.

Brewing process

A professional operator of such a machine is called a barista. The knowledge required in making the finest espresso is considered to be a craft, similar to artisan baking.

The act of producing a shot of espresso is colloquially termed "pulling" a shot, deriving from lever-style espresso machines that required pulling a long handle to produce a shot. To pull a shot of espresso, a metal filter-basket is filled with either 7-10 grams or 12-18 grams of ground coffee for a single shot (30mL) or double shot (60mL), respectively. 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) holds the filter-basket and is locked under the grouphead's diffusion block. When the brew process is begins, pressurized water at 90±5°C (200±9°F) and approximately 900 kPa (130 PSI) is forced into the grouphead and through the ground coffee in the portafilter. Water cooler than the ideal zone causes sourness; hotter than the ideal zone causes bitterness. High-quality espresso machines control the temperature of the brew water within a few degrees of the ideal.

This process produces a rich, almost syrupy beverage by extracting and emulsifying the oils in the ground coffee. An ideal double shot of espresso should take 20-25 seconds to arrive, timed from when the machine's pump is first turned on. Varying the fineness of the grind, the amount of pressure used to tamp the grinds, or the pump pressure itself can be used to bring the extraction time into this ideal zone. Most prefer to pull espresso shots directly right into a pre-heated demitasse or shot glass, to maintain the ideal temperature of the espresso.

A recent North American brewing trend came with the invention of the bottomless portafilter, that is, a portafilter without the bottom half, exposing the basket and causing the espresso to not contact metal during the extraction process. The bottomless portafilter serves as a tool to analyze evenness of grind distribution and tamping, as more volume of espresso will flow from low-density areas of the coffee puck. Some claim to prefer the taste, citing the portafilter preserves crema.


Types of Espresso Machines

See also

External links

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