Coffee Guide

Living in Australia, we’re pretty blessed to have espresso coffee available in most cafe’s and shops. Thanks to a strong Italian influence, especially in the development of early ‘cafe culture’, espresso style coffee is very mainstream, and has been for over 25 years.

I do believe that once you’ve had this Italian style coffee, it is hard to go back to regular drip filter coffee, although French plunger coffee can be fantastic too. Of course, when you need a ‘pick-me-up’, any coffee will do!

What is the difference between drip and espresso coffee? Italian coffee is made very differently. It uses a high pressure to force water through the ground beans. Interestingly, whilst the water is very hot, it is not boiling. And the beans themselves are ground very fine and smooth. Contrary to some commercial presentation, this style of coffee is not dependant on one type of bean or roast. It is the process of making the beverage that makes it espresso coffee, nothing else. When a cafe refers to a dark, or stronger roast as an espresso roast, it is no more than an idiosyncrasy of marketing. All coffee beans used to make Italian coffee could be called espresso beans or roasts.

Espresso coffee has a foamy, creamy top made of protein, vegetable oils, and sugars. These all come from the beans, as do the dissolved solid that make up a higher percentage in Italian coffee. This process of coffee making produces a beautiful, intense flavor and aroma.

There is both an art and a science to making a good cup of espresso coffee. Modern coffee chains, particularly the franchises, use standardized temperatures and methods, whereas in Italian communities it is a combination of experience, intuition, individuality, and tradition. The franchises don’t even come close to the quality of the coffee made by a good barista using the traditional Italian approach. Having said that, there are a lot of ordinary (and some downright bad) baristas out there who could possibly do well with following a more standardized approach.

To make good espresso coffee, you have to be careful about the temperature of the water used. If it is too cool, the result will be sour. If it is too hot, it can be bitter. Similarly, if you are heating milk to mix with it, burning or overheating the milk will affect the quality of the drink. This is particularly true when using soy milk – overheating it can cause it to separate, and the taste is very bitter and unpleasant. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case with inexperienced baristas.

The shot of coffee made by the espresso coffee maker also has to be used immediately. When it is left for any length of time, it begins to oxidize, and the quality deteriorates. Most commercial coffee houses have policies taking this into account. And it’s a good thing to remember if you’re making coffee with home equipment.

Rebecca presents coffee articles here, such as this one on caring for your Kontessa espresso pot. Coffee connoisseurs, find out about barista expresso machines here.

The espresso coffee maker is a unique coffee-making machine. It specializes in serving just the perfect cup of rich, creamy and frothy Italian coffee drink named espresso that is just so irresistible! The brewing technique implemented to make espresso coffee is very exclusive. In this particular brewing method you are forcing hot water through finely ground coffee at a high pressure to make the coffee.

So as to force the water through the fine-ground coffee, the espresso coffee maker utilizes pressure that comes from heating water inside a sealed vessel. The pressure can be generated by a pressure pump or by steam. Pressure pump fitted espresso machines are the best as they generate more consistent pressure at the optimal brewing temperature.

Most commercial espresso machines are pump driven while the majority of the home espresso makers are steam driven.

An espresso coffee maker brews your espresso quick and fast. It is convenient and simple to operate. Making espressos at home could never get easier than this. If you are a true espresso fanatic then you just can?t ignore this smart looking coffee making gadget!

The most important part of the espresso coffee maker is the pressure pump. The coffee liquid is subjected to optimum levels of pressure in a short time. The water that is passed under high pressure through the freshly ground coffee should be just below the boiling point. As a result the maximum flavor and aroma is distilled out into your coffee.

The coffee brewing principle used to make espresso coffee in the espresso coffee maker is ideal to make less caffeinated espresso coffee. The high pressure applied in the process actually sucks out bitter oils and discharges far less caffeine than the other brewing processes. So espresso coffee is much healthier than other types of brewed coffee. Forget all those caffeine blues when you are sipping into your creamy espresso!

The capacity of the pressure pump device fitted in the espresso coffee maker is expressed in ?bars?. A bar is equivalent to kg/square centimeter. A good pump can withstand pressures up to 15 bars or more. So it is essential for you to check these configurations before buying an espresso machine.

You must consider one very important aspect about enjoying a perfect cup of espresso. The creamy froth layer that forms at the top must stay as it is for a considerable period of time. So a pressure of around 7-9 bars must be passed through the coffee in the espresso coffee maker. Otherwise the froth will vanish as soon as it is formed making your espresso not worth a sip!

You can select from a wide range of impressive espresso coffee maker machines available in the market to suit your needs. These coffee making gadgets are offered at competitive prices in a variety of models. The espresso coffee makers are standard household appliances in most American homes!

You can buy a good quality standard espresso coffee maker without having to burn a hole in your pockets. A variety of low budget (less than $100) compact espresso machines are available. Some of the top low price espresso models are:

• Krups Caffe Duomo Espresso Machine
• Melitta MEX2B Espresso Coffeemaker
• DeLonghi Caffe Nabucco
• Krups Allegro Espresso maker
• Mr. Coffee Espresso machine
• Stove Top Espresso makers

However, for a more advance and superior quality espresso coffee maker you will have to shell out somewhere between $500-$1000. Some top brands in this price range are:

• Gaggia Syncrony Compact Espresso Machine
• Delonghi Magnifica Automatic Espresso Machine
• La Pavoni espresso machine
• Krups Orchestro Dialog 2-cup Espresso Machine
• Saeco Charisma Automatic Espresso Machine
• Francis Francis! X5 Espresso machine

Espresso coffee maker machines that are installed in coffee shops, coffee bars and restaurants are huge and much more elaborate than the home espresso machines. Commercial espresso machines require a higher level of operating skill and a more thorough knowledge of espresso making. A skilled barista is sure to create magic with any type of espresso device!

? Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has more articles on coffee and coffee beans at The Ultimate Coffee Information Website such as Do Coffee Enemas Really Work?.

So what exactly is espresso coffee? An espresso coffee is sold at the caf? in a small cup and is an extremely strong cup of coffee. Espresso is used in making caf? latte, cappuccino and caf? mocha. Espresso is made in the espresso machine by forcing about two ounces of hot water through tightly packed finely ground espresso coffee. The resulting liquid is a deep brown color with a slight froth on top. Espresso makers differ in the water temperatures, the fineness of the espresso coffee, the pressure with which the water is pressed through the coffee and how tightly the coffee grinds are packed in the machine.

There are many different types of espresso machines available in the market place today in different sizes, styles and abilities. Just like any other appliance it is important to do your homework before venturing out on your shopping excursion. Start by asking yourself how often will you use your espresso machine, what will you be using your machine for, how much are your willing to spend and are you willing to trade quality for price.

If you rarely partake in the espresso ritual and prefer an occasional cappuccino or latte, then don?t spend too much money on your machine. If you are a coffee enthusiast and have acquired a preference for espresso taste then a high end espresso machine is worth the investment. An espresso coffee machine doubles as both a coffee maker and espresso maker. If you have limited counter space and like the best of both worlds this machine gives you that option. Diligently compare espresso machines and find one with features that suit your particular need.

Do your homework before heading out. Make sure to read espresso machine reviews. These unbiased consumer reviews give valuable consumer insights. There are many places to purchase your home style espresso machine; kitchen supply stores, department store home sections, catalogues and online vendors. Make sure you purchase a machine that matches your level of expertise. Making espressos is considered an art with a professional espresso maker being referred to as a Barista. Being an espresso barista in some countries is considered a serious occupation requiring occupational training. Baristas learn and practice making a consistently high quality shot of espresso. They learn how to grind the perfect espresso coffee, how to pack the coffee right and how to operate the commercial espresso maker. Being a home espresso maker however does not require that you take Barista training. Home style espresso machines are simplified versions of the more complex caf? style espresso maker.

Once you have purchased your espresso machine remember to purchase the accessories that make the espresso/cappuccino experience more enjoyable. There are special espresso cups and spoons and espresso machine cleaning brushes and detergents that can be purchased from different vendors online. It is important to care for your espresso machine as recommended by the manufacturer for the machine to last longer producing delicious tasting espresso each time.

Eric Comforth is a consultant who writes on many consumer topics. Learn more about coffee makers at Coffee Maker Central

Espresso coffee is a precise art form of coffee making. There are several factors that must take place to make a quality cup of Espresso. First the fresh roasting of the coffee bean to bring out the truly gourmet coffee flavor that you expect. The grinding is the next procedure that must be done right in order to give you 20-25 seconds of extraction time. Espresso brewing requires the ground beans to be very fine in order to reach that perfect state for brewing. The next important step is the proper temperature of the filtered water that must be passed through the coffee at the specific pressure and timing that is critical to your espresso coffee.

The perfect espresso is created when:

Recipe directions: 1 ? oz (45 ml) filtered water at the temperature of 195 oF (90oC) passes through ? – 1/3 oz (7-9 g) finely ground quality Espresso coffee. This water is forced through the fine coffee grounds by the espresso machine at 900 kilopascals atmospheric pressure (around 132 pounds/60kg per sq in/2.5cm2), with the water being in direct contact with the coffee for approximately 25 seconds.

What should your espresso taste like?

When you are ready to take a drink from your espresso cup, it should leave a pleasant not bitter aftertaste. The flavor should linger for about 10 minutes rolling into an almost nutty flavor.

The crown on your cup of Espresso

The topping on the espresso is know as Crema, which is the floating dark golden cream free of any white or light brown patches. That is the crown of the perfect espresso coffee. The Crema is formed when the emulsified oils from the coffee are released (because of the high pressure that is put on the ground coffee beans) and mixed with the oxygen in the air. The resulting finish is perfect crema that floats on top of the espresso coffee.

Daryl Plaza is the owner of All About Coffee: http://www.all-about-coffee.com – a website focused on helping people to understand more about coffee. For tips and specialty coffee recipes, check out http://www.all-about-coffee.com/coffee-recipes.html