|
To give your day a perfect start, there is nothing quite
like as that terrifically strong cup of ‘espresso’ coffee.
It gives you an additional ‘kick’ of caffeine, which pumps
up your blood, clears your mind, and prepares your body for a long
day at work. To savor the wonderful aroma of freshly ground coffee
beans, simply close your eyes; take a deep breath to feel the flavor.
Providing almost triple the amount of caffeine than what
is found in plain coffee, espresso is thick and highly concentrated.
Generally,
other coffees are served in cups holding many ounces, but espresso
is an exception as it is served in one ounce ‘shots’. As
e result, the amount of caffeine taken in one ‘shot’ of
espresso is much less than that taken in a cup of standard coffee.
It is a wrong assumption that good espresso coffee is the result of
specially roasted coffee beans. It can actually be made using any blend
of coffee, though for commercial purposes, coffee shops rather use
a dark roast for their espresso
The particular brewing process used to produce espresso gives it its
unique rich flavor. In an excessive ‘pressure’ situation,
reasonably hot water is forced through very fine coffee to make to
give espresso its richness and smoothness. Though hot, the water should
not have reached its boiling point. Too hot water tends to give the
brew a bitter taste. On the other hand, water not hot enough, will
make the coffee acerbic.
To achieve this exclusive set of brewing requirements for good espresso
coffee, the modern-day espresso coffee machine came into existence.
It is wonderful to have this machine to meet these requirements adequately,
to brew a cup of strong and smooth espresso.
Variations on a Machine
Two types of machines have been brought into use to brew espresso,
namely – one with a hand lever and one with an electric pump.
The handle of hand lever machine is attached to a piston. When the
handle is pulled, the piston forces hot water - nearly 200 degrees
Fahrenheit - through a filter basket containing compressed ground coffee.
From very fine to powder-like, the consistency of the ground coffee
is quite variable.
At a controlled temperature, in a quality espresso
machine, hot water
is forced through the coffee grounds, which makes the coffee closely
resembles syrup. Taking about half a minute to produce, the ideal ‘shot’ of
espresso is ‘pulled’ directly into a cup. The maximum quality
and flavor of espresso lasts for about a couple of minutes after brewing;
and if not consumed hot, the espresso flavor gradually starts degrading.
|
