Coffee Association of America Standards and the Ice Water Question in Espresso Tasting

The glass of ice water served alongside espresso is not meant for diluting the shot. Espresso is concentrated and strong in mouthfeel, so the water clears the palate between sips and lets the flavors register more clearly. Pouring the shot into the water is a common first-timer mistake. Sip the espresso on its own, then use the water to reset before the next taste.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America once defined espresso as 9 to 10 bar of pressure, 7 to 9 grams of grounds, water at 88 to 92 degrees Celsius, a 22 to 28 second extraction, and a final yield of 45 milliliters. Every variable, from grind size and dose to yield, shifts the flavor. Front Street's Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee beans follow this framework in production.

Espresso may seem simple, but in truth it hides a great deal of knowledge. From extraction pressure, water temperature, and dose to yield, every variable affects the final flavor expression. Many first-timers are puzzled when the barista serves them a glass of ice water—what exactly is that water for? Starting from Front Street Coffee's production practices, this article systematically sorts out the golden rules of espresso extraction, analyzes the effects of grind size, extraction pressure, dose, and yield on flavor, introduces in detail the recipe and flavor characteristics of Front Street's Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee beans, and finally shares the proper way to drink espresso, helping coffee lovers truly understand this cup of rich, full-bodied coffee.

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Whenever the cold season arrives, quite a few customers walk into Front Street's store and immediately order a steaming hot latte. After tasting that rich, boozy aroma in Front Street's latte, they can't help but want to try espresso directly. Watching the Front Street barista go through the whole process, they clearly ordered only one espresso yet are given an extra glass of ice water, and can't help but wonder: how exactly should espresso be drunk? There is already coffee in the cup, so why does the barista also serve a glass of ice water?

Front Street has also encountered some customers who pour the espresso straight into the ice water. Espresso is characterized by concentrated flavor and a strong mouthfeel, and some people may not be used to it at first, so they mistakenly think that glass of ice water is meant to dilute the espresso.

The process of making espresso does not look complicated—dose the grounds, distribute, tamp, lock onto the group head and start extraction, and finally you get a cup of aromatic, golden, thick liquid. However, to make a near-perfect espresso requires long-accumulated skill and experience.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) once gave this definition for making espresso: 9 to 10 bar of pressure, 7 to 9 grams of coffee grounds, a water temperature of 88 to 92 degrees Celsius, an extraction time of 22 to 28 seconds, ultimately yielding 45 milliliters of espresso liquid.

With the advancement of the third wave of coffee, the roasting trend for coffee beans has leaned toward lighter roasts, and the manufacturing processes of espresso machines have continuously upgraded. Today, the extraction parameters for espresso have changed significantly: 9 to 10 bar of pressure, 18 grams of coffee grounds, a water temperature of 92 to 94 degrees Celsius, an extraction time of 25 to 27 seconds, extracting 30 grams of espresso liquid. It is clear that the unit of measurement for yield has changed from milliliters to grams, further improving precision.

When actually extracting espresso, many variables need to be considered comprehensively, including the ambient temperature and humidity, the roast level of the coffee beans, freshness, grind size, extraction pressure and time, and so on.

Every day before official service, Front Street repeatedly adjusts these parameters to ensure the stable quality of the espresso it produces.

When adjusting parameters, Front Street mainly focuses on grind size, extraction pressure, dose, and yield.

【Grind Size】The finer the grind, the larger the contact area between coffee particles and water, and the more flavor substances are extracted, but grinding too fine will bring over-extracted flavors; the reverse is also true.

【Extraction Pressure】Early espresso machines had extraction pressure close to atmospheric pressure. When pressure is insufficient, there is less crema, the flavor is weak, and the body is thin; when pressure is too high, it over-damages the coffee structure and brings out flavor substances that are not needed, easily producing bitterness.

【Dose】The amount of coffee grounds is usually determined by the capacity of the filter basket. Using too little easily leads to under-extraction; using too much makes it impossible to lock the portafilter onto the group head, making brewing impossible at all.

【Yield】Generally speaking, the extraction ratio is close to 1:2. After extraction begins, as time passes, the earlier stage has a richer flavor and mouthfeel, while the later stage gradually becomes thinner.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s espresso extraction parameters

Grinder: Galileo Q18

Grind size: 2.1

Coffee machine: Faema E98

Pressure: 9±2 bar

Temperature: 90～96 degrees Celsius

Dose: 19.5 grams

Yield: 35 grams

The espresso extracted according to the above parameters has a rich whiskey aroma on entry, with clearly distinguishable vanilla and cream flavors, accompanied by berry-like acidity, a long-lasting dark chocolate finish, and a viscous, smooth mouthfeel.

Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee beans

Region: Honduras & Ethiopia

Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas, local native species

Processing method: washed & natural

The key reason this Front Street espresso blend bean can present such a rich boozy aroma is that it contains 70% Honduras Sherry coffee beans. After fine washed processing, Honduras Sherry coffee beans are placed into sherry whiskey barrels for low-temperature fermentation over dozens of days, allowing the sweet sherry whiskey aroma to gradually seep into the green coffee beans, and are then spread out in a shaded place to dry, avoiding direct sunlight that would raise the temperature and cause the boozy aroma to dissipate or even produce undesirable fermented flavors. The other 30% is Ethiopian natural red cherry, using the most primitive and traditional natural processing method, giving the coffee beans a longer finish and more prominent sweet-and-sour notes.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s pour-over coffee bean list also includes these two single-origin coffee beans, Honduras Sherry and Ethiopian natural red cherry. Front Street reminds you here: do not think about buying two single-origin beans and blending them at home yourself to make espresso. Because the extraction methods differ, the flavor expression differs, and even the roast level is different. To avoid waste from unused coffee beans, when developing this espresso blend bean, Front Street already customized the blend plan to meet the needs of being suitable for both espresso and pour-over.

Next, Front Street will talk with everyone about how espresso should be drunk.

When Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) serves espresso, it usually comes with a small spoon and a glass of ice water. Before drinking, take a sip of ice water to cleanse the palate, then use the small spoon to gently push aside the golden layer of crema on the surface and observe the quality of the espresso, then take a sip and let the coffee linger briefly in the mouth to feel its flavor and mouthfeel. Rinse your mouth with ice water before each sip of coffee, so you can fully experience how the flavor of espresso changes at different temperatures. Of course, if you personally prefer, you can also use the small spoon to stir the entire cup of espresso evenly before drinking.

If you want to use this espresso blend bean to make pour-over coffee, Front Street recommends using a KONO dripper, a water temperature of 87 degrees Celsius, and a medium-coarse grind size.

Dripper: KONO dripper

Water temperature: 87 degrees Celsius

Dose: 15 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: 70% passing rate on Chinese standard No. 20 sieve

Pour water in a "の" shape to completely wet the coffee grounds, let it bloom for 30 seconds, then pour from the center point in a small stream and slowly circle to 125 grams in stages. When the water level in the dripper drops to the point where the coffee bed is about to be exposed, continue gently and slowly circling and pouring to 225 grams, then stop. The total extraction time is about 2 minutes.

After Front Street's Sunflower Warm Sun blend bean is extracted by pour-over, it also has a rich whiskey aroma on entry, berry acidity, obvious vanilla and cream notes, and a full-bodied mouthfeel.

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