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It has been quite some time since espresso first appeared. It is the pride of Italians and, at the same time, a cultural asset that Italian coffee has brought to the world. In nature, it feels similar to the contribution Ethiopian varieties have made to specialty coffee.
Italian coffee spread from Italy to the world and became a status-defining presence. Without espresso, there would be no development of Italian coffee. That is because espresso is also hailed as the base of coffee, such as the cappuccino, latte, and mocha at Front Street Coffee. These coffees have always been representative of Italian coffee and are also a manifestation of culture. Next, in this article, Front Street Coffee will explain the extraction ratios related to Italian coffee.
Single and Double Espresso Ratios
Espresso is very important because it can directly affect the quality of a cup of coffee. A suitable coffee-to-water ratio is the key to making good espresso. Therefore, Front Street Coffee will briefly explain the ratios for making espresso and how to achieve a suitable coffee-to-water ratio through adjustment.
Espresso is divided into single and double doses. Traditionally, a single dose uses 8-9 grams of coffee grounds and extracts 25-35 milliliters of espresso in 30 seconds. The coffee-to-water ratio for a single dose is 1:1. This is the traditional ratio and also the one that has been used for the longest time. A single espresso has a rich aroma, and for most people it is very difficult to drink. An important step for the dose weight is weighing: place the portafilter on the scale and tare it to zero, then weigh about 9 g of coffee grounds. Extracting 25-35 g of espresso liquid within 25-35 s is considered a suitable coffee-to-water ratio. A single espresso is the commonly used dose for cappuccino, with equal proportions of milk, espresso, and milk foam. Depending on the cup size, the traditional ratio is 1:1:1.
A double espresso is, of course, double the amount based on a single dose. A dose of 18-20 g, also within the same 25-35 s, extracting 55-65 g of espresso liquid is considered a suitable coffee-to-water ratio, with a ratio of 1:1. The same operation lies in taring the scale to zero. Double espresso is the main amount used to make lattes and Americanos. In taste, it is richer and heavier than a single dose because milk and water are added, diluting the concentration in exchange for a rich, smooth, and silky mouthfeel. A single dose would make the coffee flavor insufficient, so double espresso should depend on the cup capacity.
As for how to determine how much coffee powder to use, the above are the traditional single and double Italian coffee doses. Coffee filter baskets come in different specifications, and a single basket can hold as much as 14 g. This is adjusted according to the baseline in the basket. There is a recessed powder line in the basket, which is the baseline that regulates the dose. The amount of powder filled can be adjusted according to the baseline. Exceeding the baseline means too much, and it may also be caused by grinding that is too coarse, resulting in larger gaps between particles.
Using weighing can accurately achieve a reasonable coffee-to-water ratio. The grind size of espresso is as fine as flour. The grinding setting is usually adjusted between the smallest numbers on an espresso grinder, 1-1.5. It is mainly adjusted by dose and extraction time, which is an accurate method.
What Coffee Beans Are Used for Espresso
In addition, using different Italian coffee beans to make espresso will also present different coffee flavors. For example, the Italian coffee beans used in Front Street Coffee are a blend of Honduras Sherry coffee and Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee. When added to milk, they highlight rich chocolate, caramel, and tipsy flavors.
Because espresso machines have a very distinctive characteristic, which is that they amplify the original flavors of coffee beans, and lightly roasted coffee beans themselves have relatively prominent acidity. If extracted with an espresso machine, the acidity will be even more obvious, so they are not suitable for making espresso.
So what coffee beans should be used to make a latte? Generally speaking, the coffee beans used to make a latte must be suitable for an espresso machine, so coffee that is too lightly roasted is not suitable for making a latte. The darker the roasted coffee beans, the stronger the coffee flavor in the latte (caramel, bitterness). The lighter the coffee beans, the more obvious the milk flavor in the latte. Therefore, the roast level should be chosen to be moderate so that the coffee and milk are better compatible.
Next, Front Street Coffee will recommend the following four Italian coffee beans for everyone to choose from.
Front Street Coffee Sunflower Warm Sun Blend
Flavor:Noticeable fruit acidity, a faint berry aroma, wine aroma, rich chocolate flavor, and a clear sweet aftertaste.
Recipe:Honduras Sherry : Yirga Red Cherry = 7:3
For this blend, Front Street uses Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry and Honduras Sherry. Front Street's design concept for this blended bean is that it can be used for both espresso and pour-over. When used to make espresso, the flavor it releases has an obvious fermented wine aroma. On the palate, the acidity of citrus and berries immediately emerges, with the aroma of whiskey, and the finish is dark chocolate.
Front Street Coffee Front Street Specialty Blend
Flavor:Soft and slightly sour, lightly sweet, with a nutty sweet aftertaste. The overall impression is not too stimulating, peaceful, and the body is medium.
Recipe:Colombia : Brazil = 3:7
For this blend, Front Street uses Brazil and Colombia. It tastes of a faint roasted grassy aroma, light and slightly bitter, smooth and pleasant, with a finish that makes one feel comfortable. This is because coffee beans from Colombia's Huila region have a pleasant acidity, an aromatic smell, moderate acidity, and rich sweetness that is very
intriguing, while coffee beans from Brazil's Cerrado region have a comfortable bittersweet taste and are extremely smooth on the palate. So the combination is simply wonderful.
Front Street Coffee Front Street Commercial Blend
Flavor: caramel sweetness, nutty and cocoa-like, dark chocolate flavors, balanced acidity and sweetness, slightly bittersweet, with a lasting finish.
Recipe: Colombia : Brazil : Robusta = 3:6:1
For this blend, Front Street uses coffee beans from Brazil and Colombia plus 10% Robusta coffee beans. The taste is classic. Front Street believes that this blend tastes of rich crema and mouthfeel, caramel sweetness, and also has nutty and cocoa-like, dark chocolate flavors, balanced acidity and sweetness, slightly bittersweet, with a lasting finish. This Front Street Commercial Blend, like Front Street Coffee Front Street Specialty Blend, uses a ratio of Colombian and Brazilian coffee beans. The difference is that Robusta is also added, which provides rich crema and makes the coffee taste fuller.
Front Street Coffee Front Street Black Cocoa Blend
Flavor: with soft fruit acidity, caramel sweetness, nutty and dark chocolate flavors, smooth and viscous, but the taste is on the lighter side.
Recipe: Yunnan : Brazil = 3:7
For this blend, Front Street uses Brazil and Yunnan. Front Street believes it tastes of soft fruit acidity and caramel sweetness, as well as nutty and dark chocolate flavors, smooth and viscous, but the taste is on the lighter side. This is because Yunnan's natural conditions are very similar to Colombia's: high altitude and a large temperature difference between day and night. Its flavor is of the mellow-aromatic type, with moderate acidity, a rich and full-bodied taste, uniform beans, high oil content, and fruity aroma. Its quality and mouthfeel are similar to Colombian coffee. However, the taste is still slightly lighter than Colombian coffee, while coffee beans from Brazil's Cerrado region have a comfortable bittersweet taste and are extremely smooth on the palate. Therefore, the flavor of these two coffee beans mixed together is also good, and this Front Street Black Cocoa Blend coffee bean is very cost-effective, suitable for espresso beginners and small coffee shops.
The Ratio of Milk to Coffee in Italian Coffee
Just now, Front Street Coffee also mentioned that the Italian coffees commonly seen on the market are made from espresso and milk in different ratios. So exactly what ratio of espresso to milk is needed to perfectly combine into a cup of milk coffee? Next, Front Street Coffee will use making mocha coffee as an example to explain.
Latte Coffee Recipe Ratio
The latte recipe used by Front Street is 1:6.5, that is, 40 g of espresso mixed with 260 g of steamed milk.
The espresso extraction plan used by Front Street is 20 g of coffee grounds extracting 40 g of espresso liquid in 27 seconds, as the base for latte coffee.
Next is steaming the milk foam. First, we need a steam wand. General semi-automatic coffee machines are equipped with a steam wand. Second, we need a container for milk, such as a milk pitcher or latte art pitcher (professional tools will get twice the result with half the effort).
Finally, there is the choice of milk. Whether it is room-temperature milk or low-temperature milk, whole milk or skim milk, all can be steamed into milk foam. But if you want the milk's texture, taste, and stability to be better and longer-lasting, Front Street still recommends using low-temperature refrigerated whole fresh milk.
Next is integration and latte art. After extracting the espresso and steaming the milk, you can carefully integrate them to complete the latte coffee. Integration is also a very important part of making latte coffee. Good integration can make the latte coffee taste smooth and comfortable, without any miscellaneous sensations. After good integration comes what we often call pouring latte art. Then a cup of latte coffee is complete.
Front Street Coffee's recipe latte flavor:Smooth mouthfeel, lasting chocolate taste, mixed with a pleasant wine flavor, lasting finish, and obvious sweetness.
The above is the related content compiled by Front Street Coffee on how to extract espresso. We hope it can help coffee lovers who want to learn about related content, so that in the future they can also make milk coffee that satisfies them.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
