Appreciating Espresso

[Samad Asad]

I'm do not drink coffee but I have tasted it.

I have seen some shows on TV dedicated to just coffee and the various ways of preparing it and enjoying the freshly brewed cup. Looknig at that rich and thick liquid flow into the tiny cup. What does expresso feel like? Is it like a diluted cream soup? I have tried coffee before, and to me it is bitter. What about it's taste? Is the espresso bitter since it is concentrated?

I would like to start drinking espresso but would want to hear how does one appreciates it. What do you look forward to when you sip that drink. Is it supposed to be a beverage where you just drink after it has reached a comfortable temperature to drink,like any other hot drink, or sit down, drink it slowly as reflect on the day. Somehow I'd imagine the smoothness of the espresso as it swims in my mouth to be an interesting experience, somewhat similar to enjoying warm chocolate sauce.

So yeap. How does a person appreciate that fresh cup of espresso?😉

 

[kbg32]

Espresso can be bitter or smooth Samad, depending on the beans used and how they are roasted. Typically, coffee beans when roasted for espresso can be darker then regular coffee beans. Espresso is brewed by forcing very hot, but not boiling, water through coffee that has been ground to an extremely fine powder. I thoroughly enjoy a cup in the afternoon everyday.

 

[Bryan Lee]

Singapore is way to hot for me to drink hot coffee of any type. Ice coffee is another matter and teas are light enough that I can drink them hot in small doses such as Oolong or other ceremony/ritual drinking in social settings.

I know I would be banned forever from my Swiss Italians freinds homes for saying this but why dont you go over to Starbucks and try a few double espessos on ice and see how you like that. You could also go to any major department store and buy a Italian Coffee Maker or one of the made in China knockoffs to get started making your own.

I currently drink a premium instant coffee made in Laos and sometimes I swear they must be adding cocao leaves to the stuff becaues it has one heck of a kick. The cool season is ending here so I will be drinking more iced coffees and teas and looking forward to the day I finally purchase a high dollar made in italy coffeee maker.

By the way my Swiss Italian friends never touch the stuff minus a nip of grappa.




Basic Italian Coffee Maker.............. http://www.breakfastandbrunch.com/images/hardware/Sync%20Coffee%20Maker.JPG

My dream coffee maker..............http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/coffeemachines_1937_1840263

 

[Seele]

Samad,

Appreciating espresso is somewhat like appreciating a fine Barnack Leica instead of looking at all the bells and whistles of those all-singing, all-dancing modern cameras which have more buttons to press than a complicated remote control: it is appreciating coffee in its purest form.

The parallel ends here, however. A bad cup of espresso can get you off coffee for life, but a well-made one would be an inspiration. As kbg32 said, the raw material matters a lot, but how the machine is designed and maintained, and the skill of the barista behind the machine, can make a decisive difference: even the same beans, same machine, can give very different cups of espresso coffee when operated by two different baristas.

So the first thing is to make sure you get a good cup of it. Espresso is made by forcing super-heated water through coffee ground under high pressure. A well-made cup of espresso has a layer of "crema" about 5mm in thickness floating on top, it should be a light caramel colour, and cover evenly. If the crema is too thin, extraction would be insufficient, and the taste would be weak. If the crema shows a hole in the middle, the coffee has been over-extracted, and would taste tart, burnt and astringent. In either case, it is well within your rights to send it back for a replacement.

Add a little sugar if you like but never load it up with a spoonful or two: it would blunt the tastebuds so as not to sense the intricate flavours. Once you have found a taste for it, then you can explore other variations, such as ristretto, macchiato, etc... but please, adding a variety of flavourings to a coffee does not make it a new style of coffee, just like adding another dozen of automatic modes to a camera does not mean it is a fundamentally different camera.

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

Espresso shouldn't be bitter and it will be slightly creamier than regular coffee, but not a diluted soup consistency.

If you don't drink coffee reguarly it could be a bit much to try drinking espresso right away. You might start with an Americano (espresso with hot water) or a latte (espresso with milk or cream) and work your way up to the full-strength stuff. Have fun!

 

[Pherdinand]

Many places offer bad espresso due to the machine being not cleaned often tnough. It might sound unbelievable but it is VERY important not to have coffee residue in the machine. If there is, the espresso can and probably will, get a sour or weirdly bitter taste.
A good espresso can taste more than one way, but it has to be strong in taste, smooth in drinking (not itching your throat), small and concentrated. Starbuck type of "espresso" has nothing to do with real espresso, simply due to the high dilution factor.
A real italian espresso is served in extremely small cups and even those are not filled but just say halfway. It is wetting the cup as when you drink it all, there's a layer of espresso still on the inside of the cup.
You know you had a good espresso if you have an urge to lick that layer off the cup 🙂

Also, freshly ground coffee gives the best result; the next best is usually from machines that use small sealed bags of coffee. These can be kept to the highest standards to conserve all the aroma, and once opened they are consumed completely.
It is very difficult to keep ground coffee without losing aroma and power, if possible at all.

 

[Samad Asad]

Wow. Thanks guys.

I suppose Espresso is coffee at its purest drinkable form.

I shall attempt to sample Espresso in one of the many cafes here and seek out that layer of 'crema'.

I will try to feel the experiences described, in addition to correcting my perceived taste of the beverage derived from coffee beans .

😉

 

[Rico]

Espresso is a unique coffee preparation. I don't bother with drip or French press any more. "Warm chocolate sauce" closely describes the mouth feel. As for savoring an espresso slowly... no, it goes down in two gulps, and then you lick the dregs! You can entirely eliminate the natural bitterness of coffee by avoiding the first five seconds of the pour, but the result is undrinkably bland.

Of equal importance is the bean quality, the grinder, and the espresso machine. Pulling a shot is always an adventure, but experience helps. There is an upfront investment of one or two thousand dollars. I make about four singles a day on the gear below. Note the small cup size. 🙂

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The coffee version of RFF is http://www.coffeegeek.com/

 

[trittium]

As a side note cappuccino, latte, macchiato are all drinks made using espresso. If you do not drink coffee you might want to work you way down the progression of drinks from weakest to strongest. In order of concentration; latte, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso.

Generally heres what each is

Latte: 1/3 espresso 1/3 milk 1/3 foam
Cappuccino: 1/3 espresso 2/3 foam
Macchiato: 1 shot of espresso 1 dalop of foam or whipped cream
espresso: 1 shot straight brew

Only brew about 2 shots per fill. Over steeping the beans brings out more of the bitter taste. According to a National Geographic artical I read serveral years ago, straight caffiene has a bitter flavor, and is used as a standard amon taste testers. My guess is if you overbrew too much caffiene winds up in your drink. Good for staying awake, but harsh on the tummy.