Coffee

True espresso coffee is generally a small 1-2 oz shot of pressure-brewed coffee and about a tablespoon of finely ground coffee that is brewed for around 30 seconds. When correctly brewed an espresso will have a glorious crema on the surface which is layer of rich dark golden cream.

The term Espresso (often misspelled Expresso) is very loosely a term meaning a coffee made just for you. Just like the barista in a coffee club preparing your favorite shot as you wait.

Baristas will make many cups of coffee to perfect the quality of the crema as it is a good indicator of a good quality espresso. We as coffee drinkers certainly appreciate a rich dark roast base crema to pass our lips.

What constitutes the Best Espresso Bean?

Quality Coffee Beans: There is plenty of argument about whether a particular coffee bean is more suited for espresso than another. Some baristas will stand by their assumption that a certain blend works better for espresso than any other.

Considering that espresso is somewhat more the process than the actual article it is suffice to say that a quality grown coffee bean, generally with a darker roast profile which has been carefully roasted and correctly ground should always be the base for a quality coffee.

Different areas prefer a lighter roast for an espresso, but the fuller taste of a dark roast seems to appeal to more of the coffee shops. There is no hard and fast rule about which roast profile is regarded as better than another.

Quick Delivery: One of the most important points in sourcing the best espresso bean is that you get the roasted beans in as short a time from roasting to brewing. Boutique roasters specialize in smaller roast batches that are delivered very quickly to the end consumer. This ensures that the maximum aroma is kept in the beans that will be released when you make your espresso. Generally the quality falls off within two weeks from roasting and this is a very short cycle for the bulk coffee roasters available in your supermarket to achieve.

Roasting:  Coffee bean roasting is done in a rotating drum for around 15 mins at 450F. The specific times and temperatures for each roaster are what is commonly referred to as the roasting profile. The beans will rest anywhere between 12 to 36 hours to degas. There are a host of chemical changes that occur in the coffee bean when roasted and how these interact depends so much on how the individual roaster is versed in this seemingly dark art of roasting the best bean. Over 1500 substances will combine to give you that special best espresso bean flavor. Maintaining the consistency of this roasting profile is what ensures that the specific traits of any coffee blends are maintained throughout the years.

Passion: Talk to any coffee drinker and you will sense a distinct emotional response to the thought of a quality brew to sip on. People can often remember very clearly where “That” coffee was that tasted so good. Roasters are no exception to this and only a boutique coffee roasting company can instill the passion that they have for their craft into the blend. It is often said that coffee roasting is half science and half art. I would rather buy a DaVinci than a factory oil.

There is a monastery that I have found where they carefully roast some truly fabulous blends in small batches. The proceeds from the coffee sales are used for their monastic upkeep and they are absolutely passionate about making the best espresso coffee. If you want an exceptional espresso bean to use in your coffee maker, the sample packs that are available are a great introduction for you to a truly superb coffee that is unique and very enjoyable.

There is a great online shop where you can view all the espresso and other blends of coffee that are produced by the mystic monks. Just go to The Best Espresso Beans [http://www.need-ideas.com/coffee/Best-Espresso-Beans.html] site where you can navigate to the great sampler packs and other coffee products. They even do wholesale espresso coffee [http://www.need-ideas.com/coffee/Best-Espresso-Beans.html] packs if you want to set your coffee shop apart from the rest.

Author: Marc Weedbrook
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Have you ever gone with a friend to the local coffee shop online to find out that there is no such thing as “just a cup of coffee” anymore? You stand there in awe and feeling rather out of place as your friend quickly fires off her order, something along the lines of “a grande, skinny, caramel macchiato with a double shot and equal, no whip”. If you felt like you were in a foreign country don’t despair. The lingo is easy to learn and yes you can order just a cup of coffee.

First things first, coffee shops have morphed into gourmet coffee shops. They now offer everything from coffee to lattes and iced cappuccinos. You can get Jamaican coffee, dark roasted, light roasted, chocolate and even pumpkin flavors when they are in season. Before you feel like you are in a foreign land and go running out the door take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with these common terms that gourmet coffee shops are most likely to use.

Gourmet Coffee Lingo

Acidity: The acidity level of a coffee is typically a general overall description of the coffee. Coffees with a high acidity level may be described as having a bright, dry flavor. Good quality coffees should have a higher acidity level; this comes from longer roasting periods.

Arabica Bean: The Arabica bean is the most common type of coffee bean found in gourmet coffees. These beans are of a higher quality than coffee you buy in cans at your local grocer. Arabica beans are rich and bold with a strong aroma.

Bitterness: A coffee’s bitterness factor has more to do with the water it is brewed with than the bean.

Blend: Blends are usually a mixture of coffee beans to create a balanced, unique flavor. Often Arabica beans will be blended with Robusta beans.

Body: The body of the coffee is how it feels when it rests on your tongue. A flavorful, aromatic coffee has more body than a weaker coffee. The body of a coffee is determined by the fat, protein and fiber content of the coffee.

Earthiness: A coffee that is described as earthy usually has a smooth, full body. They are generally from Indonesia and surrounding areas. This term does not imply an organic attribute.

Exotic: If used in a coffee shop it should be implying that there are spicy, herbal, fruity or floral undertones. Oftentimes coffee shops overuse this term in a marketing effort to entice customers.

Varietal: Refers to the region the coffee was grown in.

Espresso: A highly concentrated coffee beverage served in a 2-3 oz. portion. It should have a frothy top layer called the crema. You can sweeten this if you like; there is no right or wrong way to drink it. In drinks that are espresso based (cappuccinos and lattes) you can specify a single, double, triple or quad shot (1, 2, 3, or 4). This determines how much espresso is in your drink.

Cappuccino: Cappuccinos are lighter than coffee due to the amount of milk involved. This drink starts with a shot of espresso and is mixed with hot, steaming milk. The froth from the milk is then floated on top. Cappuccinos come in a variety of flavors.

Latte or Caffe Latte: These are very similar to cappuccinos except that they have more steamed milk than a cappuccino. It resembles an American coffee with a lot of milk more so than it does a cappuccino. Mocha Lattes are a very popular drink made with chocolate added to the latte. Other flavors are available.

Sizes: Depending on the gourmet coffee shop you are at, you may encounter different names for the size of beverage you order. Typically these are short (8 oz), Tall (12 oz) Grande (16 oz) and Venti (20 oz).

Skinny: Skinny drinks have no fat and no sugar, meaning that they are made with fat free milk if milk is involved and no sugar is added.

Ordering a coffee at the local gourmet coffee shop no longer has to be intimidating. Just walk right up and ask for your own double shot and get ready to for your own caffeine jolt. You should now know that your friend ordered a 16 oz. non-fat, sugar free, caramel flavored espresso with a bit of steamed milk with equal added and no whip cream. Gourmet coffee has never been easier or more fun.

Sharon V Chapman writes on the joys of coffee and provides consumer information on gourmet coffee for Coffee Online – your guide to coffee on the web!

Author: Sharon V Chapman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Espresso is strongly brewed coffee made by forcing steam and hot water
through darkly roasted and finely ground coffee beans. The aroma of
espresso makes it especially hard for many coffee lovers to resist.
Coffee aficionados the world over know that a shot of excellent
espresso is crucial to making a good cup of coffee. There are a
variety of espresso machines in the market that can produce great
tasting espresso.

So how do you make a great cup of espresso? Here are the basic steps:

1. Remove coffee ground residue of the previous shot in the shot
holder before using the espresso machine to make a new cup of
espresso.

2. Have adequate ground coffee ready and place it in the grinder hopper.

3. Release seven grams of the ground coffee into the shot holder,
making sure that you get a full pull as you do so.

4. Using a hand tamper, even out the coffee grounds. Tamp only once
and do not twist the tamper as you tamp the coffee grounds. By doing
this, you are assured that the hot water and steam will evenly extract
the coffee. You can also correctly gauge the pressure if you use a
hand held tamper to pack down the coffee grounds as well as remove
excess coffee grounds from the shot holder.

5. Secure the shot holder in place and lock the espresso machine
handle so that water does not leak as it passes through the coffee
grounds at a high pressure.

6. Position a warmed up espresso cup under the the espresso machine’s
coffee holder spout. Start the espresso machine. Keep an eye on the
the color and consistency of the brew coming out of the spout. In 15
to 20 seconds, you should have about 1.5 ounces of freshly brewed
espresso in the cup.

Making a well-brewed cup of espresso does take time and practice. The
presence of a creamy honey-colored foam called crema that is about a
quarter of an inch thick sitting on the coffee’s surface is a sign
that you have successfully made an excellent cup of espresso. And if a
teaspoon of sugar can rest on the crema, you can probably consider
yourself an espresso guru!

The crema is the result of several important factors: the coffee
blend, fineness of the coffee ground, extraction time, water
temperature and amount of coffee used. You achieve a perfect cup of
espresso every time if you can consistently attain an optimum mix of
these factors.

* Most espresso aficionados will agree that the coffee blend should
include some Robusta beans.

* Several reasons could account for a dark color of crema: too much
coffee grounds may have been used; the coffee grounds were packed too
hard and too tightly in the shot holder, resulting to a longer
extraction time of the coffee; the coffee grounds used was too fine;
or too much water was used.

* There are several reasons, too, for less crema: the coffee used may
not have been enough; the time it took to extract the coffee may have
been too short since the coffee used was coarsely ground; there was
not enough water to pass through the coffee; the coffee grounds were
packed too lightly in the shot holder; or the water that passed
through the coffee was not hot enough.

* If the espresso machine, shot holder or cup is cold, it may affect
the amount of crema produced.

Espresso can be served as it comes out of the espresso machine or it
can be served in a variety of ways. In fact, many of the specialty
coffee drinks today has espresso as their base. Some of the specialty
coffee drinks that have a shot of espresso include macchiato (espresso
topped with foamed milk), espresso con panna (espresso topped with
whipped cream), cappuccino (espresso with milk and foam), café latte
(espresso with milk, but without the foam), mocha (espresso blended
with milk and chocolate syrup) and Americano (a “weakened” espresso
made by adding warm water).

For more great tips on making the perfect brewed coffee at home visit: http://www.coffee-paradise.com

Author: Tom Jensen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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