In the espresso coffee system, there exists a soulful core, and that is espresso. Drinks like lattes, Americanos, and cappuccinos are all espresso-based coffee beverages. Next, Front Street Coffee will guide everyone to get to know espresso.
What is espresso?
The English name for espresso is "Espresso," which is a concentrated coffee extracted by a pressurized coffee machine, about one ounce. It is very popular in Italy. Espresso sounds similar to "Express" in English, and Espresso also has the attribute of being fast and quick. Extracting a shot of espresso takes only 30 seconds. In Italy, customers lean on the bar to order an espresso. When the barista hands it to the customer, the customer drinks it in one or two sips, pays, and leaves, all within 2 minutes.
What is the crema in espresso? When the coffee machine extracts espresso, the coffee is ground extremely fine and extracted under a pressure of up to 9 bars. When hot water passes through the coffee puck, the carbon dioxide in the coffee grounds, due to the high pressure, becomes supersaturated in the water, and the carbon dioxide cannot be released, directly integrating into the coffee liquid. The high pressure also forces the oils contained in the coffee to separate from the coffee puck, which are then carried out by the hot water.
After the coffee extraction is complete, as the coffee liquid flows out of the machine, the atmospheric pressure returns to normal. The carbon dioxide still remaining in the coffee liquid is ready to return to the air, but it encounters the oils in the coffee liquid. The oils trap the carbon dioxide that is trying to return to the air. This golden layer of crema is the soul of the entire espresso.
How to make espresso?
Step 1: Clean the portafilter basket
Before extracting espresso, remove the portafilter and clean the coffee basket with a dedicated cloth to ensure the basket is clean and free of water stains.Step 2: Grind the coffee beans and dose
Turn on the coffee grinder and start grinding the coffee beans. Before dosing the coffee grounds, place the portafilter on an electronic scale and tare it to zero. After dosing the coffee grounds, place it on the scale to ensure consistent coffee ground weight each time. When dosing, pay attention to where the coffee grounds fall into the portafilter, ensuring they are evenly distributed across all areas of the portafilter.
Step 3: Distribute the grounds
After dosing the coffee grounds, use your finger or a distribution tool to level the grounds, aiming to ensure even distribution and avoid density inconsistencies during tamping.
After distribution, tamp the grounds. When tamping, keep the direction perpendicular to the basket and apply moderate force—not too light, not too heavy. Too light will make the coffee puck loose, while too heavy will make the puck too dense, making it difficult for water to pass through, leading to over-extraction.
Step 5: Attach the portafilter and extract the espresso
Gently attach the portafilter to the coffee machine, avoiding knocking it against the machine. Excess knocking can cause cracks in the coffee puck, leading to channeling, under-extraction, and uneven extraction. Immediately after attaching the portafilter, turn on the extraction switch to start extracting the espresso. At the same time, use an electronic scale to measure the weight of the espresso liquid, and constantly monitor the extraction time and the color and state of the coffee liquid.
Front Street Coffee's espresso extraction parameters for reference: 20 grams of coffee grounds extracted to 40 grams of coffee liquid, in 25-30 seconds
Step 6: Extraction complete, clean the basket
Knock the puck out into the knock box, clean with a dedicated cloth, and finally reattach the portafilter to the coffee machine.
Flavor characteristics of espresso
Aroma:When discussing food, we emphasize "appearance, aroma, and taste," meaning the first impression of presentation is important, and the first impression of aroma is an even more crucial "entry ticket" that determines whether you want to try it. The aroma of coffee is also an important impression that attracts people to drink coffee.The aroma of espresso spreads over a relatively small area, and you generally need to bring your nose close. Traditional espresso has a rich creamy, nutty aroma that makes you imagine an almond cream cake. If a slightly lighter roasted SOE is used, the aroma is even lighter and more overflowing, emitting an enticing floral and fruity fragrance.
Mouthfeel:This is the most attractive aspect of espresso. The crema of espresso is the soul of the entire espresso and also makes the espresso rich and smooth. Therefore, when tasting espresso, unlike the small sips of pour-over coffee, you need to take a big gulp, letting the espresso and oils coat your tongue and mouth for a silky experience. Traditional espresso has a mouthfeel similar to cream and honey. SOE, on the other hand, has a relatively thinner mouthfeel.
Taste:The taste of traditional espresso generally presents as burnt and bitter, which is something many people cannot accept. If Front Street Coffee were to describe the flavor expression of espresso, it could be described as "a sudden glimpse of hope in the dark." Even though when drinking espresso, we might describe it as having nutty, dark chocolate, and caramel flavors—which translates to "a colorful bitterness"—as you swallow the coffee liquid, the coffee remaining in your mouth reveals a lasting sweetness and aroma. This is the aftertaste, and it is also an important category in espresso tasting.
Of course, the flavor expression of espresso is closely related to the coffee beans used. For example, Front Street Coffee currently uses its own blend, Sunflower Warmth espresso beans, which produces an espresso with flavors of vanilla cream, sherry wine, caramel, and chocolate.
The correct way to drink espresso
1. First, take a sip of ice water to clean your palate.
2. Stir with a spoon or swirl the cup to even out the espresso.3. Pick up the cup and feel the coffee's aroma.
4. Take a big sip of coffee, and rub your tongue against the roof of your mouth to feel the mouthfeel of the espresso. Generally, a cup of espresso is finished in about 2-3 sips.5. After swallowing the coffee, close your mouth and exhale to feel the aroma and aftertaste of the espresso.
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
