Espresso: The Art of Coffee

Following dessert, espresso is the drink of choice. Italian chefs swear by this. A small cup of espresso tastes good, provides a little kick and aids in the digestion of the meal. Milk actually inhibits digestion, so stay away from milky coffee drinks after a nice Italian meal; not just for the digestive reasons, but because you'll want to separate yourself from those who don't know any better.

Espresso can be made very cheaply in a stove top coffee maker, or proper (and much tastier) versions can be made with home espresso machines (which considering the price of a cup of espresso at the cafe, will pay for themselves in no time). If you do plan to buy a home espresso machine, here are a couple of things you should know.

Although your espresso machine doesn't have to be very expensive, don't buy the cheapest one you can find, either. The cheapest versions are steam pressured, making them really just a disguised version of the stovetop makers. Get one that has at least 9 bars of pressure if you want to make good espresso.

You'll need to invest in a quality burr (not blade) grinder, too. Having a nice espresso machine and using pre-ground beans is as ridiculous as dumping a bottle of Ragu on your fresh pasta. Using freshly ground, high quality coffee beans is half the battle.

Buy good beans. Don't settle for the ones from the grocery store or the chain coffee shop. Look around and find a local coffee roaster, if possible. Talk to the barista there. See what he'll teach you about the art of espresso. Buy medium or dark beans suitable for espresso (they doesn't have to be the dark espresso roast). Look at them. Smell them. Touch them. Caress their oily surfaces. Love them.

Grind them at the proper setting. Over time, you can experiment with this setting. Too course, and the water will go through the grounds too fast. Too fine, and the water won't get through at all. Start at the espresso setting and experiment from there. Once the beans have been ground you'll want to move as quickly as possible. Grind the beans freshly for each cup of espresso you make.

Select the basket for a double shot. If your machine came with a single shot basket, throw it into the garbage. Preheat the basket by running a shot of water through it. Dry it with a towel. Fill the double shot basket with a level amount of grounds. You should tamp these grounds with a metal tamper. If your machine came with a plastic tamper, throw it into the garbage also. Consider setting the garbage bin on fire at this point. To tamp the grounds, first apply a light pressure. Next give the basket a gentle tap with the tamper to loosen any grounds stuck to the inside of the basket (this will produce a lovely 'ting' sound). Then, apply firm even pressure (between 30 and 40 pounds) to the grounds with the tamper. Finally, twist the tamper (use your elbow) to "polish" the grounds. Do not overtamp. Also do not undertamp. Be like Goldilocks. Do it just right.

You'll you've done it right, if your espresso tastes like heaven; Angels, choirs, that stuff. But we're not there, yet. You'll want to dust any grounds off that have gotten on the rim of the portafilter (basket holder handle thing) to insure a tight seal. Now, flip the appropriate switches and the espresso will begin pouring into a small cup. That cup should have been preheated by filling it with very hot water for a moment. The heat shelf on the top of the machine is not enough. You don't want the heat of the espresso to transfer into the cold glass and be cool by the time you taste it. If that happens there will be no angels, no choirs, none of that stuff.

As you begin pulling the shot, watch the espresso pour into the warmed glass. See how dark it is? That's good. Soon, it will start getting light. When it's almost clear, it's just bitter water. At that point the beans will be overextracted and burned. You'll want to avoid that by pulling your glass early. But not so early that you lose the good dark stuff down the drain. Only your personal preference and lots of experimenting will help you find your personal best. Be a scientist. Adjust the grinder settings. Adjust the tamping pressure. Adjust the length of the shot. Isolate variables. Use control groups. Consider taking a course on Thermodynamics.

You'll also want to watch the top of the cup as the crema forms on top. It should be light in color and the thicker the better. A dark colored crema indicates overextraction (don't tamp so hard or use a courser grind), while not enough crema indicates underextraction (tamp harder or use a finer grind). Your best judgment, or the judgment of a knowledgeable friend, will be your best guide.

Personally, I pull my cup as soon as the stream of espresso begins to lighten. The darkest stuff is the best. This darkest stuff is called ristretto. Do a test. Pull the first glass after about 1/2 an ounce. Quickly stick a second glass under there and pull it after the next 1/2 ounce. Repeat two or three more times. Look at all of the glasses. What do you see? Does the crema get thinner and darker with each glass as the espresso gets lighter? Does the taste get increasingly bitter? Decide what makes the perfect shot. Ultimately the answer lies not with science, but with art.

Here are a few different ways you can try your espresso in the morning: (One note: Espresso has a long and proud history, and it's important to understand the language of coffee. Giant chain establishments are corrupting that language, but you shouldn't encourage them.) My own three favorites are the doppio ristretto, the macchiato, and on hot days, the iced espresso americano.

• Espresso-- A one ounce shot of rich, full bodied dark coffee with a silky layer of crema


• Ristretto-- A half shot of espresso. Only the richest, darkest part.

• Doppio-- A double espresso. Two shots of espresso concentrated into approximately the same volume as a regular espresso. Try a doppio espresso ristretto.
  

• Macchiato-- Espresso with just a dallop of steamed whole milk foam added. The milk will balance the acidity of a less than perfect cup of espresso.


• Espresso Americano-- Espresso served on top of hot water. Served in a tall glass or regular sized coffee cup. The coffee is added to the glass of hot water to help maintain the layer of crema at the top of the glass. You can also have this iced, and with a splash of cream.


• Espresso Latte-- Espresso with velvety steamed whole milk added.


• Cappuccino-- Same as above, but will less milk and more foam.


• Mocha-- An espresso latte, but with a drizzle of chocolate syrup in the bottom of the glass.


• Espresso Corretto-- Espresso that has been "corrected" with a splash of brandy, grappa, or other spirit.