Brewing Coffee
Espresso
People are in a hurry. For many workers, waiting five minutes for coffee to brew is too long. They were also in a hurry 100 years ago when inventors started looking for faster ways to brew coffee to order.
1822, a Frenchman Louis Bernard Rabaut invented a machine which forced the hot water through the coffee grounds using steam instead of merely letting it drip through. The first espresso machine had been born. Unfortunately, steam-brewed coffee tastes awful since coffee generally needs to brew at just below boiling (195-205ºF or 90-96ºC) to taste its best.
Espresso not eXpresso as a beverage and understood term dates back to 1901 when Luigi Bezzera patented the world's first commercially viable "espresso" machine, a giant steam driven thing with two groupheads, called the Tipo Gigante.
In 1903, Bezzera's patent was purchased by Desiderio Pavoni, and in 1905 the Pavoni Company started to manufacture machines based on Bezzera's patent.
The
La Pavoni machines became very popular, reaching the United States in 1927.
This machine was also steam powered.
However, the steam does not come into contact with the coffee. Instead,
steam pressure at the top of the boiler forces water at the bottom of the
boiler through ground coffee. With this design the temperature of the pressurized
water dropped from 250ºF (120ºC) in the boiler to the correct brewing temperature
at the group head. Since the water was pressurized, the coffee could be
ground finer, reducing the brewing time from about 4 minutes to 30 seconds.
Espresso machines and their accompanying coffee grinders became the standard equipment for making coffee in Italy, Southern France, Spain and Latin America. In other parts of the world, it followed Italian immigrants who popularized it in each country they settled.
These early machines had their flaws. The steam and boiling water that was forced through the machine gave the coffee a burnt flavour.
In 1938, M. Cremonesi developed another new addition to the espresso machine world called a piston pump. The piston pump forced hot water through the coffee without the steam effect, eliminating the bitter or burnt taste of coffee, which occurred in Pavoni's steam-based methods. This design was used in Achille Gaggia's coffee bar.
In
1946 Gaggia started manufacturing a spring piston system that produced an
amazing (for the time) 60psi of pressure, or about 4 atmospheres of pressure
on the fine coffee grinds. The coffee produced from this machine featured
a creama the hallmark of espresso. This was the beginning of the espresso
machine as we know it today.
An improvement of Gaggia's machine was made in 1961 by M. Faema. Faema created a machine with an electric pump that forced water through the coffee. This machine marks the beginning of the pump-driven machines from which all modern espresso machines are derived from.
Espresso should be wonderfully sweet and have a potent aroma. The crema should be dark reddish-brown and smooth, yet thick. A perfect espresso should be enjoyable straight with no additives, yet bold enough to not disappear in milk. A pleasant and aromatic aftertaste should linger on the palate for several minutes after consumption. I use Starbucks espresso roast, not only is it a Fairtrade certified coffee, but gives a rich satisfying espresso, caramel sweet aroma and taste with subtle nutty tones.
Espresso - when skilfully prepared with high quality coffee - is one of the most enjoyable beverages that humans have ever invented. It is also a very powerful component to a wide menu of popular beverages such as caffe lattes, cappuccinos and caffe mochas. But, what is Espresso ?
As a general definition, Espresso is a coffee beverage prepared using water under pressure. But, a more exact definition is necessary because the brewing method requires strict conditions be satisfied for the beverage to be acceptable, and even more strict for the beverage to be at its potential which can be nothing short of phenomenal.
The term "espresso" comes from the Italian language, the English translations which include both "quick" and also "expressly for a special purpose". Both of these definitions suggest the original intent that inspired the invention and perfection of Espresso, in that satisfying the inherent urgency and ego of human nature, people wanted their coffee personally made for them as quickly as possible upon their requested demand. Espresso perfectly satisfies these human desires given its very quick brewing time, and the fact that it is brewed in individual portions. It is an added benefit that the brewing method tends to create, when all of the underlying conditions are right, the most extraordinary of beverages.
For the Espresso
beverage to satisfy these definitions, many conditions must be met:
1.
The coffee used for the preparation must be of high quality and have characteristics
that are positively exhibited through the espresso brewing method.
2. The water used for brewing must be clean,
free of foul aromas or flavours, and be applied to
the coffee at the appropriate and consistent temperature and pressure.
3. The quality of the machines used to grind
the coffee and brew the Espresso must be capable of maintaining the established
standards.
4. The skill of the operator who is responsible for brewing the Espresso
must be of a high enough ability to consistently produce the exacting standards
of the brew.
How to Make Espresso
Espresso preparation requires care and consciousness
on the part of the operator. The job is given so much respect that in Italy
the term "barista," or espresso bartender, is earned through proven
skill and experience and considered an honourable title. The Italians refer
to the four M's as being key to the creation of espresso:
La Macchina - the machine
The Espresso machine provides separately controlled heat and pressure to the water that passes through the ground coffee, "capturing" its taste and aroma.
La Miscela - the blend of coffee
A blend is any combination of "single-origin" coffees. Coffees from different origins exhibit unique flavour profiles - aroma, taste, acidity and body. Many roasters believe that no single-origin coffees can provide all of cup characteristics necessary to make a great Espresso. Blending coffee is an art form and creating a combination of beans that synergizes each coffee's flavour characteristics into a melody that offers a unified theme takes knowledge, skill and practice.
Il Macinadosatore - the grinder/doser
The coffee-grinder/dispenser cuts the roasted beans into smaller particles. This process increases the surface contact of the coffee with the hot water enabling the desirable soluble and insoluble substances to be extracted into the cup. As there is no absolute correct size of particle in making espresso, given that the extraction is influenced by many variables, the barista must use a method for adjusting the grind until they have determined the appropriate setting. The "doser" feature of most commercial machinadosatores allows for quick and consistent measurement of the proper quantity of coffee into the portafilter handle.
La Mano - the hand that makes the drink
Playing a vital role with early steam-pressured machines as well as with today's technologically advanced Espresso machines, the skill of the operator continues to be of great importance in choosing the right coffee blend and grind, setting the grind, preheating the cup, dispensing the correct amount, proper tamping and keeping the machines and utensils clean and efficiently operating.