Sunday, May 30, 2010
What is crema?
In very simple language, the crema is the foam that sits on the top of your espresso shot. At coffeegeek.com, James Hoffmann has given us a very detailed and scientific description of crema, which I highly recommend. For our purposes here, I will just say that you can not have a good espresso without a thick, full crema, just like you can't have a good pint of Guinness without a thick, full head. If your Guinness has no head, then there's something wrong with it--maybe it's been sitting around for a while and went flat, for example. I know I've had a good shot of espresso when, after I've finished my espresso, there's still a coating of crema at the bottom of my cup, and because the shot was so delicious, I find a small spoon, and I scoop up the remaining crema. If you're a cappuccino drinker, you understand the desire to spoon out the frothy milk still sticking to the sides and bottom of your cup, even after the liquid portion of your beverage has been consumed. Sometimes, you try to pour out that sticky froth by turning your cup upside down over your upturned mouth, but you're denied--it just won't pour. You need a spoon. It's the same with good crema--it just won't pour because it's so thick and sticky...and delicious.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Espresso at Home
The following statements come from Wikipedia. As a coffee specialist, I stand by their accuracy, and since they were well written, I see no need to add anything further to them.
Espresso is not a specific bean or roast level but rather a method of making coffee. Any bean or roasting level can be used to produce authentic espresso. A darker or lighter roast will translate into a bitter or acid flavor respectively. Mixtures where there are several roast levels are common.
In Italy, the birth country of espresso, roast levels can vary quite a bit. In Southern Italy, a darker roast is often preferred, but the farther north one goes in the country, the trend moves towards lighter roasts.
Preparation of espresso requires an espresso machine. The act of producing a shot of espresso is often termed "pulling" a shot, originating from lever espresso machines which require pulling down a handle attached to a spring-loaded piston, forcing hot water through the coffee at high pressure. Today, however, it is more common for the pressure to be generated by steam or a pump.
This process produces an almost syrupy beverage by extracting and emulsifying the oils in the ground coffee.
The first espresso machines were introduced at the beginning of the 20th Century, with the first patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901. Up until the mid-1940s, when the piston lever espresso machine was introduced, it was produced solely with steam pressure.
Initially espresso machines were not available for home use (1948–1970s), domestic machines only developing in the 1970s, and remaining expensive, bulky, and requiring skill to operate. In recent years the development of easy-to-use home espresso makers based on coffee pods has increased the quantity of espresso consumed at home.
Espresso is not a specific bean or roast level but rather a method of making coffee. Any bean or roasting level can be used to produce authentic espresso. A darker or lighter roast will translate into a bitter or acid flavor respectively. Mixtures where there are several roast levels are common.
In Italy, the birth country of espresso, roast levels can vary quite a bit. In Southern Italy, a darker roast is often preferred, but the farther north one goes in the country, the trend moves towards lighter roasts.
Preparation of espresso requires an espresso machine. The act of producing a shot of espresso is often termed "pulling" a shot, originating from lever espresso machines which require pulling down a handle attached to a spring-loaded piston, forcing hot water through the coffee at high pressure. Today, however, it is more common for the pressure to be generated by steam or a pump.
This process produces an almost syrupy beverage by extracting and emulsifying the oils in the ground coffee.
The first espresso machines were introduced at the beginning of the 20th Century, with the first patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901. Up until the mid-1940s, when the piston lever espresso machine was introduced, it was produced solely with steam pressure.
Initially espresso machines were not available for home use (1948–1970s), domestic machines only developing in the 1970s, and remaining expensive, bulky, and requiring skill to operate. In recent years the development of easy-to-use home espresso makers based on coffee pods has increased the quantity of espresso consumed at home.
Caffeine
A shot of espresso, roughly 40 millileters or 1.35 ounces, contains about as much caffeine as half a cup of drip brewed coffee (anywhere from 40-60 milligrams of caffeine).
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Welcome
Welcome to Espressorama, the blog about all things related to espresso and espresso-based drinks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
