Espresso is the essence of Italian coffee culture and the soul cornerstone of cafés worldwide. From the birth of the first espresso machine in 1884 to the revolution brought by the lever-style machine in 1948 with its crema, espresso has continuously evolved. This article will guide you through the flavor characteristics of Espresso, three extraction types (Ristretto, Normale, Lungo), and the roasting orientation of traditional Italian beans. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will share recommendations for a classic blend and Strawberry Candy espresso, and explain in detail how to use Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend to extract a rich and aromatic Italian espresso, including key parameters such as dose, grind setting, and extraction time.

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee)

Italian coffee has had a profound impact on the evolution of the global coffee market, and espresso has become almost a standard beverage in every café. For example, Front Street locations serve classics like Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, and Flat White, and many cafés also add various ingredients to create more innovative specialty drinks. Today, Front Street will take everyone to experience the unique charm of Italian coffee culture.

The word "Espresso" in Italian carries the meaning of "fast." From the moment it is made to when it is handed to the customer, Espresso takes only a few short minutes, and Italians named it after the word "Express" (fast).

A cup of espresso mainly relies on steam pressure to push hot water through coffee grounds, extracting a small, rich, and aromatic dark coffee liquid covered with golden foam on top. We may not often see it directly on café menus, but everyday Americanos, Lattes, and Cappuccinos all depend on it; it can be said to be the soul of a coffee shop.

Early coffee was all brewed by immersion, which not only required finely ground coffee beans but also slow extraction, requiring at least ten minutes of waiting. In 1884, Italian Angelo Moriondo designed the first espresso machine, equipped with two independent brewing boilers, 1.5 bar pressure, and steam. The extracted coffee liquid was relatively viscous, with a richer mouthfeel than drip coffee. As coffee machines continued to improve, factors such as water temperature and pressure were better controlled.

In 1948, a café owner in Milan, Achille Gaggia, invented a lever-driven coffee machine that could produce what we now call crema through high pressure. From then on, crema was regarded as one of the indicators of espresso quality, and espresso also came to specifically refer to a highly concentrated coffee with rich crema made through pressurized extraction.

Theoretically, the fresher the beans, the darker the roast, and the greater and more stable the equipment pressure, the better the coffee crema will present. Because Italians prefer strong coffee with a rich, rounded mouthfeel, they are accustomed to roasting coffee beans very dark, and even adding Robusta coffee beans to make the espresso crema richer, the coffee aroma more concentrated, and the taste more intense. So beginners can buy Front Street. The Front Street Classic Blend is designed to recreate this style, adding Vietnamese Robusta on the basis of "Manba" to further enrich the crema.

Today, however, consumers are beginning to pursue more diverse flavor variations, and many coffee beans with a fresh taste are also being used in espresso. If you want coffee that is not so bitter, choose Front Street Strawberry Candy espresso. This is an espresso recipe launched specifically for friends who like floral and fruity aromas. It combines three major origins: Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ethiopia, with aromas of roses, citrus, grapes, and dried blueberries. Made into an Americano, it has a sweet flavor like fruit gummies, with rich layers while still being very easy to drink.

When a customer orders, "Give me an Espresso," the barista at Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will begin preparing it, and two minutes later will serve the customer a glass of ice water, a small spoon, and a small cup of rich coffee liquid with a golden-brown layer of crema. Before drinking espresso, take a sip of plain water to rinse the mouth and also help calibrate the sense of taste. Use the prepared metal spoon to gently stir and blend the coffee liquid. The first sip brings the dense Cream (crema) and a full roasted aroma. Next comes the warm coffee liquid, where you can feel rich flavors of nuts, chocolate, berries, and wine. Take another sip of plain water midway to slowly feel the sweet aftertaste in the mouth.

In fact, espresso is not limited to the regular "Espresso" type. According to the extraction method and the specific coffee-to-liquid ratio, espresso can be divided into three different types: Ristretto (short extraction), Normale (normal), and Lungo (long extraction), all of which are concentrated liquids quickly extracted by an espresso machine.

Ristretto usually refers to an extra-concentrated espresso, also called a refined extra-concentrated coffee. Compared with the common Espresso, Ristretto is more niche. The Flat White we often see is made with Ristretto as its base. Ristretto has the meaning of "restricted." We can understand it as "restricting" the extraction amount of coffee, taking only the front and middle portions of the espresso, thereby increasing the coffee's concentration.

For example, Front Street's Espresso extraction plan is to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid from 20 grams of coffee grounds, with a coffee-to-liquid ratio of 1:2 and a time of 30 seconds. Extracting Ristretto means extracting only 70% of the Espresso, that is, extracting 28 grams of coffee liquid from 20 grams of coffee grounds, and the time will naturally be shortened accordingly. In addition, you can also make the grind finer so that the flow rate becomes slower and the coffee liquid becomes more concentrated. Since each coffee shop will make different adjustments according to the coffee beans used and the specific flavor and mouthfeel the barista wants to present.

Normale is the most common and most popular espresso. It is actually what is generally meant by Espresso. At present, most shops mainly serve Normale, but do not emphasize it much. According to gold cup standards, Normale's extraction yield is between 18% and 22%, and its concentration range is 8% to 12%.

Lungo is coffee made with twice as much water as the normal amount. "Lungo" means "long, extended" in Italian, and it is also called a "stretched espresso," that is, extending the extraction time, thereby lowering the coffee's concentration and making it milder to drink. After many adjustments and tastings, Front Street's final extraction plan is to control Lungo's coffee-to-liquid ratio at 1:5. That is, using 20 grams of coffee grounds, extending the extraction time to 42 seconds, and extracting 100 grams of coffee liquid.

Next, let us take Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend, an espresso coffee bean recommended by many baristas at Front Street, as the extraction subject, and explain in detail how to make a rich and aromatic Italian espresso.

Front Street uses the capacity of a double basket, with a dose of about 18 to 20 grams; for service, Front Street uses 20 grams of coffee grounds. Front Street's extraction ratio is 1:2, that is, 20 grams of coffee grounds extract 40 grams of coffee liquid. Time is related to the flow rate of the coffee grounds. Generally, a single extraction duration is controlled at 20 to 35 seconds, because within 20 seconds the coffee taste tends to be thin, while over 35 seconds it is easy to over-extract and produce a burnt bitter taste. Front Street's espresso mostly falls within the range of 28 to 30 seconds.

Before extraction, first wipe the basket dry, turn on the grinder, grind the amount for a double shot of coffee grounds, place it on an electronic scale, and adjust until it reaches 20 grams. Then use a distribution tool to level the coffee grounds, and press the tamper vertically downward with force to tamp the coffee puck firmly, ensuring more stable coffee extraction.

Then turn on the extraction switch and let water run for 1 to 2 seconds to wet the brew head, which can also carry away stuck coffee grounds. Place an electronic scale under the cup that will receive the Espresso, and tare the weight to 0. During extraction, place it together under the brew head.

Gently lock the portafilter onto the brew head and start the extraction switch. Observe the changes in the extracted liquid. When the electronic scale shows that 40 grams of coffee liquid has been extracted, at about 30 seconds, turn off the extraction switch. Brewing parameters will change subtly according to daily air humidity and the condition of the coffee beans, so it is necessary to adjust the coffee dose, grind setting, and extraction amount up or down.

The extracted Espresso can be drunk directly. Paired with a glass of plain water to rinse the mouth, you can taste the dense crema foam and the rich mouthfeel of the coffee liquid below. If you cannot accept the strong bitterness, you can also add water or milk according to your preference to dilute and soften the intense taste.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.