As coffee culture sweeps across the country, coffee shops are gradually popping up on every street and alley, with espresso—known for its speed and convenience—being especially popular. A rich and aromatic espresso gives rise to all kinds of popular espresso-based drinks. Today, Front Street Coffee will talk about the characteristics of espresso, the "soul" of coffee shops.

The Main Characteristics of Espresso

Espresso, also known as Espresso, is a coffee liquid extracted by Italians using a pressure-based coffee machine at high temperature and quickly, with a layer of golden foam floating on the surface. Each shop uses different espresso beans and different extraction recipes, so the flavor will vary, but a standard cup of espresso will have the following two characteristics.

Cream

When we order an espresso at a coffee shop and the barista brings it over right after extraction, we can see a thick layer of golden foam floating on top, which we call Crema.

Coffee beans produce a large amount of gas during roasting. Water dissolves the carbon dioxide in them under high pressure, but as the brewed coffee liquid gradually returns to normal atmospheric pressure, the liquid can no longer trap all the gas components, so countless tiny bubbles emerge from the liquid. These bubbles remain on the surface of the coffee liquid, looking like a stable layer of "foam." A rich and dense Crema means the coffee beans used for the espresso are freshly roasted. Since the gas inside coffee beans is continuously released over time, the longer it has been since the roast date, the lower the carbon dioxide content, and the less foam there will be during extraction.

If a cup of espresso has no Crema on top, it is very likely that the coffee beans have been stored too long, or perhaps the espresso was made and left for too long without being drunk, so the foam disappeared. The darker the color of the Crema, the richer the flavor usually is. Because coffee beans undergo the Maillard reaction at high temperatures, darker-roasted coffee beans produce a darker foam layer and a more mellow taste.

High Concentration

The extraction of a single espresso requires releasing a large amount of soluble substances in just a few dozen seconds, so the coffee grounds need to be ground very finely and evenly. After passing through near-boiling hot water and a high pressure of 9 atmospheres, the concentration of espresso is very high, all flavors are doubled and concentrated, and the first sip presents a strong mouthfeel. After swallowing, various aromas remain in the mouth with a lasting aftertaste. Therefore, many coffee shops serve a cup of water alongside a strong espresso.

How to Make Espresso

Many coffee enthusiasts unknowingly equip their homes with all kinds of coffee gear, and friends who are obsessed with espresso even stock up on espresso machines, ready to extract it themselves. Here at Front Street, using our shop's espresso production as a reference, we will briefly explain how to make an Espresso.

The coffee machine at Front Street's shop is the commercial single-group "Lelit Bianca," which can adjust extraction by changing pressure, with a maximum pressure of 11 bar. A home coffee machine only needs to reach 9 bar of pressure to satisfy the functions of extraction and milk frothing, paired with an espresso grinder.

Front Street uses the capacity of a double basket, with a dose of about 18–20 grams; Front Street uses 20 grams of coffee grounds for production. Usually the ratio of coffee grounds to coffee liquid is between 1:1.5 and 1:2.5. Front Street's extraction ratio is 1:2, meaning 20 grams of coffee grounds extract 40 grams of coffee liquid. The time is related to the flow rate of the coffee grounds. Generally, a single extraction time is controlled at 20–35 seconds, because within 20 seconds the coffee usually tastes thin, while exceeding 35 seconds easily leads to over-extraction and a burnt, bitter taste. Front Street's espresso mostly falls within the range of 28–30 seconds.

Front Street first wipes the basket dry, turns on the grinder, grinds the amount for a double shot of coffee grounds, places it on an electronic scale to adjust up or down until it reaches 20 grams. Then use a tool to distribute the grounds evenly, and tamp the coffee puck firmly to ensure more stable extraction. Then turn on the extraction switch to release water, wetting the brew head while rinsing away the coffee grounds stuck on it. Gently and slowly lock the portafilter onto the brew head, and start the extraction. When the electronic scale shows that 40 grams of coffee liquid has been extracted, at about 30 seconds, you can pull down the extraction switch. Pour the coffee liquid into an Espresso cup and enjoy.

The taste and mouthfeel of Espresso are related to the coffee beans used. The espresso produced at Front Street's shop uses Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun Blend. It is made from Honduras Sherry coffee and Ethiopia natural Red Cherry in a 7:3 blend. Made into Espresso, it has rich crema, a very obvious whiskey aroma, vanilla cookies and berry acidity on the palate, a solid flavor, and after drinking, the whole mouth is filled with various aromas.

Espresso can also be diluted with water, which is the common Americano on the menu, full of fresh fragrance. Adding milk makes a latte, presenting the sweet and delicious taste of chocolate and cream.

Espresso Blend Coffee Bean Recommendations

In addition to the Warm Sun Blend with a whiskey aroma profile, Front Street's bean list also has three cost-effective espresso blend coffee beans for everyone to choose from. The extracted espresso mainly presents nutty notes, and because each blend uses a different ratio, each has subtle differences.

1. Classic Full-Bodied Type — Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee Beans

Robusta washed coffee beans (10%) + Colombia washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazil semi-washed coffee (60%)

The resulting espresso has rich golden crema and nutty aroma. When tasting, there is a roasted coffee bitterness, but it is accompanied more by a creamy, full mouthfeel. After swallowing, the bitterness fades away, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.

2. Slightly Acidic and Full-Bodied Type — Front Street Black Cocoa Blend Coffee Beans

Yunnan washed small-bean coffee (30%) + Brazil semi-washed coffee beans (70%)

Yunnan small-bean coffee brings a soft acidity, paired with the mellow aroma of Brazil Cerrado coffee. The espresso has the taste of caramel, nuts, and a soft plum acidity.

3. Balanced and Aromatic Type — Front Street Specialty Blend Coffee Beans

Colombia washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazil semi-washed coffee beans (70%)

By adding Colombia coffee to the nutty notes of classic Brazilian coffee, the espresso presents dark chocolate flavor, caramel sweetness, and a full roasted aroma.

Finally, if you want the extracted espresso to present the various flavors described by Front Street, Front Street recommends choosing freshly roasted coffee beans. After roasting, coffee beans need a 7–10 day degassing stage, then enter the peak flavor period with full aroma. At this time, the extracted espresso is more stable. To ensure that everyone can drink freshly roasted coffee beans when ordering, the coffee beans shipped by Front Street are freshly roasted within 5 days, so that when you receive them they are still at the stage of rich aroma.

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