Espresso
Espresso originated in Italy sometime in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Its name comes from the word esprimere which means 'to express' or 'to press out' in Italian. It was a drink initially popular within the Italian diaspora which was quickly picked up by tourists who visited. It is a drink of such popular and cultural meaning, that the price of an espresso is regulated by the Italian government in Italy and is – according to some research- the second most consumed drink in the country.
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A lot of coffee drinks are based on espresso, therefore as a coffee enthusiast, it is important to know and practice the making of the espresso before any other drink. Contrary to popular belief, it is absolutely acceptable to prefer other coffee beverages than espresso, don’t let the pressure get to you!
Ingredients
Espresso is created with just two ingredients: coffee grounds and water.
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Preparation double espresso:
- Grind 15 grams of coffee into your filter basket
- Temp the grinds flat and even into the basket with a decent amount of pressure (make sure that you’re able to repeat the same amount of pressure every time).
- Turn the machine on and start the timer and weigh how much coffee comes out
- Aim for 30 – 38 grams of coffee in about 30 seconds.
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Workflow
Brew ratio: An espresso is defined mainly by the coffee to drink ratio (1 gram of coffee grounds to 2 -2,5 grams of coffee). People will also refer to brew time, pressure and brew temperature when making espresso.
Brew time: Traditionally the aim is to finish the shot in 25-30 seconds from the moment the pump was turned on, to the desired amount of coffee in the cup.
Brew pressure: The pressure that is considered typical for an espresso is 9 bar.
Brew temperature: The brew temperature is ideally set to 92 degrees Celsius.
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Expert tip: In recent years, there are more variations to the preparation of the drink because espresso machines became able to control and influence the brewing parameters better compared to the past. The desire to influence the brew parameters came in part from the specialty coffee that we see more and more today. Using single origin and light roasted coffee beans, will have a different taste profile, then when you use a dark roasted blend. The type of bean that you use will allow you to play with some of the brewing parameters to get a specific taste.