What is espresso coffee - it is not expresso

Espresso machines are one of the most sophisticated and intricate ways of brewing coffee. Other brewing methods like percolation and immersion, yield less intense and strong coffee. What makes espresso unique is the principle of pressure brewing. Pressure brewing is very hot water being pressurized through ground coffee. Another way to described this principle is espresso.  Routed in Italian for "pressure" - it is ESPRESSO and NOT "expresso".

 

 

The origin of espresso coffee

Angelo Moriondo pioneered the first espresso machine design in 1884; the first of its kind to push pressurized hot water into ground coffee. The design was not commercialised until Luigi Bezzerra and Desiderio Pavoni patented the machine with improvements in 1901. A truly revolutionary brewing method which could brew over 900 cups of coffee an hour! The result was the first form of espresso which could be brewed in a matter of seconds.

 

 

The decades that followed saw a rise of commercial and domestic espresso coffee machines, and revolutionised coffee shops to brew a variety of coffee drinks using milk. Espresso machine are now the staple coffee shops, and continues to improve in impressive design features that improve espresso quality, ease of use, and long lasting build quality.

Here is the recipe to make a great espresso using our Captain's Blend coffee:

 

1.Turn on your espresso maker and let it warm up for at least 15 minutes to get it ready. This is crucial to do in order to guarantee that the water at the right temperature for extraction.

2. Weigh out 19 grams of freshly roasted specialty coffee beans to get started. To ensure that the flavours are at their best, use freshly roasted beans.

3. Prepare the coffee beans for your espresso maker by using a burr grinder to grind them to the proper size. For espresso grind, this will be a very fine grind. Finer than cafetière, filter and fine grind, below is an image for reference, but this really requires a few tests to see which pours best from your machine.

 

 

Ideally an optimal espresso pour should start slowly at first with some rapid thick drips, then pick up a pace pouring steadily with a brown hue colour, then towards the end of the pour, generally the colour will be more transparent and water like, and slightly thinner.

4. Use a tamper to firmly pack the ground coffee into the portafilter. The coffee should be tamped to provide a uniform extraction and avoid channelling.

 

5. Start the extraction procedure after inserting the portafilter into the device. An optimal espresso shot should be extracted for about 26-30 seconds, with a yield of about 50-55ml.

6. Pour the shot into an espresso cup or shot glass after the extraction is finished. A deep, golden brown hue should be present in the crema, or foam, on top of the shot.

7. Savour the aromas and flavours of the specialty coffee by taking a sip. If you're using our Captain's Blend, you should be able to taste hints of chocolate, cinnamon and other distinct flavours.

And another thing ... 

 

On a side note, this recipe generally works well for medium, medium-dark and dark roasted coffees. Light roasted coffees tend to be more tricky for espresso because less of the coffee material is porous, therefore tougher to extract aromatic compounds. That being said, if you take time to test micro adjustments in espresso grind size, you will find a setting that gives the right espresso pour and can deliver very bright eccentric results! Not your usual espresso, but worth a try if you're feeling adventurous.

 It takes precision, a decent-quality machine, a high quality burr grinder, and the right method to create the ideal espresso using specialty coffee beans. But with a little skill, anyone can prepare espresso that is at least as good as that which you would find at a café. Try it out.

We would also recommend our Gunpowder Blend, our flagship coffee, as a great espresso coffee also.