Italian espresso, also known as Espresso, is a coffee liquid that Italians use a pressurized coffee machine to quickly extract at high temperature, with a layer of golden foam floating on the surface. Each store uses different espresso beans and extraction methods, so the flavor will be different, but a standard cup of espresso will have the following two characteristics.
Cream
We went to a coffee shop and ordered a cup of espresso. The barista brought it to us as soon as he finished extracting it. We could see a thick layer of golden foam floating on the top, which we called Cream.
When coffee beans are roasted, a large amount of gas is produced. The water dissolves the carbon dioxide under high pressure. However, the brewed coffee liquid gradually returns to normal atmospheric pressure. The coffee liquid cannot continue to trap all the gas components, so countless small bubbles will emerge from the liquid. These foams will remain on the surface of the coffee liquid and look like a layer of stable "bubbles". The rich and creamy Cream means that the coffee beans used in the espresso are freshly roasted. Since the gas in the coffee beans will continue to escape over time, the further away from the roasting date, the lower the carbon dioxide content and the less foam layer during extraction.
If there is no cream on the top of a cup of espresso, it is likely that the coffee beans have been stored for too long, or that the espresso has not been drunk for a long time and the foam has disappeared. The darker the color of the cream, the richer the taste. Due to the Maynard reaction of coffee beans at high temperatures, darker roasted coffee beans will have a darker foam layer and a mellower taste.
high concentration
The extraction of an espresso requires the release of a large amount of soluble substances in just a few dozen seconds, so the coffee powder needs to be ground very finely and evenly. After nearly boiling hot water and high pressure of 9 atmospheres, the concentration of espresso is very high, all the flavors will be doubled, and the entrance will have a strong taste. After swallowing, various aromas remain in the mouth with a long-lasting aftertaste. Therefore, when many coffee shops serve strong espresso, they will also provide customers with a glass of water.
How to make espresso coffee
Many coffee lovers have unknowingly equipped their homes with a lot of coffee appliances, and friends who are obsessed with Italian coffee have even stocked up on Italian coffee machines in preparation for making their own coffee. Here on Front Street, we use the espresso coffee produced in the store as a reference to briefly describe how to make an Espresso.
The coffee machine in the Front Street store is a commercial single-head "Lelit Bianca" that can adjust the extraction by changing the pressure. The maximum pressure can be 11bar. A home coffee machine only needs to reach a pressure of 9 bar to meet the functions of extracting and frothing milk, and is paired with an espresso coffee grinder.
Front Street uses a double powder bowl capacity, and the amount of powder is about 18 to 20 grams. When Front Street produces coffee, 20 grams of coffee powder is used. Usually the ratio of coffee powder to coffee liquid is 1:1.5~1:2.5. The extraction ratio of Front Street is 1:2, that is, 20 grams of coffee powder extracts 40 grams of coffee liquid. The time is related to the flow rate of the coffee powder. Generally, the duration of a single extraction will be controlled between 20 and 35 seconds, because within 20 seconds, the coffee usually tastes thin, and if it exceeds 35 seconds, it will easily over-extract and produce a burnt and bitter taste. Most of the enrichments on Front Street are in the range of 28 to 30 seconds.
First, wipe the powder bowl dry, turn on the grinder, grind out a double amount of coffee powder, place it on the electronic scale and increase or decrease it to reach a weight of 20 grams. Then use tools to spread the powder evenly and fill the coffee powder cake tightly to ensure more stable coffee extraction. Then turn on the extraction switch and release water, moisten the brewing head and take away the stuck coffee grounds. Gently buckle the handle on the brewing head and start to pull down the brewing extraction. When the electronic scale shows that 40 grams of coffee liquid has been extracted, and it takes about 30 seconds, you can pull the extraction switch. Pour the coffee liquid into the Espresso cup and enjoy.
The taste and texture of espresso are related to the coffee beans used. It is recommended to use Front Street Classic Italian Blend Coffee, which is a recipe composed of three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It is darkly roasted, which can highlight the mellow aroma of coffee to the greatest extent, and also allows everyone to easily extract rich and dense coffee oil. It is very suitable for making American style diluted with water or latte with milk. You can purchase it at Front Street Taobao store or Front Street Tmall flagship store.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
