ESPRESSO
The first, and still the ultimate,
single-cup coffee
To many, the difference between
regular coffee and espresso is a mystery. Is it the bean itself? The roasting of
the bean? The grinding of the bean? The machine? The dainty little cup that
people sip it out of? Well, yes. Kind of. But let’s start from the beginning.
THE MACHINE
At the beginning of the 20th century an Italian by the name of Luigi Bezzera developed a machine that used the air
pressure resulting from trapped steam to force water through ground coffee
(this, as opposed to gravity doing the work). The strainers used in Bezzera’s
machine were of the single cup variety, similar in size and concept to the
strainers of today’s espresso makers -- the little metal cups that hold
tamped-down grounds and screw tight into their receptacles.
In 1948, another Italian came up
with an improvement on his countryman’s design. In Achille Gaggia’s version of
the espresso maker, a spring-powered piston pushed water through the coffee
harder and faster than the steam-created pressure had. This new spring-loaded
system achieved a pressure that is still considered ideal -- about nine
atmospheres, or nine times the pressure created by the earth’s atmosphere.
Today, automated buttons and
flashing lights have replaced the original pump-piston inventions, though some
baristas still prefer the latter as they give the operator maximum control over
the result.
And of course, in today’s flurry of
“double foam, extra hot, nonfat lattes” (and assorted variations) no discussion
of espresso is complete without a mention of the milk frother. For, though
espresso itself does not involve milk, its offspring (the lattes, the
cappuccinos, the au-la its), wouldn’t exist without it. Pleasingly for the
efficiency-minded, the milk frother actually utilizes the steam that is created
during the brewing of the espresso grounds, and produces delicious steamed milk
with a customizable temperature and froth.
THE BEANS
Although espresso would be nowhere
without the machine, the real thing has to start with the beans. Beans destined
for Espresso are usually an assortment of a few varieties blended for a balance
in sweetness, aroma, and smoothness. Once the perfect blend is achieved, the
beans are roasted to a fairly dark color, though not dark enough to produce an
overly-bitter brew. Actually, if the beans are blended well, some people think a
light roasting may produce a superior cup. Finally, a burr grinder is used (it
is far more consistent than electric blade grinders, and faster) to grind the
beans into a fine coffee powder. The size of the grinds and the darkness of the
roast will effect the extraction process; if your espresso maker errs to either
side of the 23-28 second ideal range, you may want to adjust the size of your
grinds: the darker the roast, the faster the extraction time; the finer the
grounds, the slower the extraction time. Too confusing? Buy good espresso beans
from your favorite specialty coffee roaster (May we suggest GMCR’s
Dark Magic Espresso Blend? Our
Fair Trade Organic Espresso?), assume that they’ve been blended and
roasted appropriately, and grind the beans into something that resembles dark
brown table salt and is fine enough to adhere to your skin when you touch it.
CHOOSING YOUR EQUIPMENT
As with all aspects of coffee
creation, getting a handle on your own taste, habits, and budget is the most
important step. GMCR offers a range of options which range from simple and
less-expensive to top-of-the-line Ferrari-style.
Jura Avantegarde S9 Espresso Maker
THE DRINK
Ok, so how is espresso really
different from coffee? Is it just dark dense beans brewed in a fancy way? Yes.
But it’s the fancy stuff that makes the product a separate beast all together.
What the high heat and pressure of an espresso machine does is emulsify
insoluble oils in ground coffee, oils that, in regular coffee makers, do not get
extracted. The oils are formed into microscopic droplets and suspended in liquid
coffee concentrate, thus forming the top third of a well-made cup of espresso,
or the “crema.” Once this luxurious light-brown layer is consumed, bubbles of
aroma burst in the mouth, and oils glom onto taste buds, both resulting in a
taste sensation that lasts long after your demitasse is empty.
According to Ernesto Lilly, “The
distinguishing sensory characteristics of Italian espresso include a rich body,
a full fine aroma, and equilibrated bittersweet taste with an acidic note, and a
pleasant lingering aftertaste, exempt from unpleasant flavor defects.”
Sounds good, eh? Wait till you taste
it.
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