Archive for September, 2009
Now that I’ve been brewing my own espresso for a few years, the process has become old hat. I started out with an automatic machine and eventually switched to a semiautomatic as it gave me a bit more control over the flavor of the final product. Still, everything I learned was through trial and error. I had plenty of friends who were eager to act as lab rats for my coffee experiments, but very few who could show me the way to the espresso-brewing Promised Land. I’ve accumulated a few tips that could save you a few foul batches of coffee.
This might seem elementary, but you shouldn’t underestimate the quality of water you put in your Saeco espresso machines. Since 98 percent of the contents of your cup will be water, its purity will have an undeniable impact on the taste. Use city water if you must, but odorless, purified water is ideal. It’s also important to exercise a little common sense when shopping for coffee. Whether you buy gourmet beans or something inexpensive, only pick up as much as you need. There’s a reason why coffee isn’t often sold in bulk – it only stays fresh for two weeks at the most.
Finally, I’ve learned that houseguests truly appreciate the small touches when they’re being served espresso. Even if they don’t know the first thing about coffee or the way a good cup should taste, the presentation can make all the difference. If your espresso machine has a warming surface on top, place your cups there to preheat them. A cold cup feels sterile and lifeless, while a warm one is inviting and comforting.
Back in my younger days, I wasn’t exactly the most sophisticated coffee drinker on the planet. I would happily settle for some instant, freeze-dried coffee, thinking nothing of stirring it together with some cream and sugar. Sure, this mixture left a lot to be desired in the flavor department, but to me coffee was all about the energizing effect. I cared about the destination – a refreshed, energized state of mind – but not so much about the journey.
Then, when I got married a few years ago, my entire coffee-related frame of mind changed for the better. My wife is a true morning beverage aficionado, and she clued me in about the world of gourmet coffee blends. As it turns out, coffee makers can act as tickets to a whole new part of the globe. The coffee beans grown in Africa and Arabia are picked in their prime at a low altitude.
In Central and South America, coffee is cultivated high in the mountains under suitable rainforest conditions. The resulting product is as aromatic and complex a brew as you’ll find anywhere. And who could forget the Pacific – exotic blends from the islands of Sumatra, Java and New Guinea are among the most flavorful. I haven’t tried Hawaiian coffee yet, but I really can’t wait.
We’ve all had those mornings – for whatever reason, simply getting out of bed feels like a Herculean feat of will and physical strain. With our eyelids still fluttering closed and our mind fully set to “sleep mode,” we trudge to the kitchen for that morning delight. Coffee is the fuel that gets us going and puts us in the right frame of mind to do our jobs. Unfortunately, coffee alone isn’t always enough.
Before you start to fret, don’t worry: The solution is more coffee. A beverage fondly dubbed a Shot in the Dark could be just what you need to kick your morning into high gear. Begin with a traditional brewed coffee – using gourmet ground beans will improve the finished product, although Folger’s will do in a pinch – and then bump it up a notch with a shot or two of rich espresso.
You can utilize espresso machines of any style and quality to make this beverage. Just pour some regular joe into your mug, leaving enough room for that extra kick of espresso. Brew the espresso shots and pour them into the coffee, stirring as needed. This drink gives you the lasting energy of a slowly sipped cup of coffee with the added burst of espresso. In other words, it’s the best of both worlds.
The best part of waking up is: coffee in your cup! As I’m sure we’ve all learned to sing along to this notorious jingle – that’s really a Folgers’ commercial – we can all agree on one thing, coffee is a must have in the morning. Not only desired for its bold and rich flavors, coffee invigorates the senses of its drinkers. Perfect for on-the-go consumers who carry their colorfully decorated travel thermoses to work or ideal for the stay-at-home morning drinkers who leisurely read the paper in their bathrobe, coffee is a morning beverage selection shared by many.
To brew the perfect cup of coffee every day, you must have the perfect coffee maker. And while I’m not here to sell you on a specific coffee-maker brand, I can’t stress enough that the differences between a $15 coffee machine and one that costs $65 are inexplicable. Of the necessary steps to produce excellent coffee, owning a quality coffee machine is high on the list. So don’t grind away at yourself as you pine for a several-hundred-dollar machine, choose a model that’s sound in performance and you’ll be brewing in no time!
Establish Yourself as a Coffee Authority
For some people, a cup of freezer-burnt instant coffee tastes just as good as an exotic gourmet blend. Coffee means many things to many people, and not everyone takes the time to slow down and pay attention to the aspects that separate so-so joe from heaven in a cup. If you plan to make your own espresso from home, you’re setting yourself apart from the philistines who don’t care about their coffee.
As long as you’re going to appreciate it, you’d better learn how to talk about it with others. Brew some coffee in your Saeco espresso machine, and then put your refined palate to good use. Pause a moment to reflect before commenting on the acidity, body, sweetness and finish of a given coffee. When the brew cools down a bit, you’ll be able to judge its acidity. Do you taste a sharp bite of fruit or floral flavors? Next, evaluate the body of the coffee. You’re probably used to hearing the term “viscosity” being used in a motor oil context, but the thickness and heaviness of coffee can be measured as well.
When we refer to sweetness, we’re talking about the coffee’s natural state without sugar or artificial sweeteners added. Finish is another word for the aftertaste of the beverage. What flavor notes seem to linger a few moments after you’ve swallowed the last sip of coffee? You can use all of these terms and more to lend credibility to your discussions about America’s favorite pick-me-up.
What do you do when the rich, flavorful bitterness of espresso becomes overpowering? The most obvious way to temper the beverage is with the sweetness of milk. While an amateur might just pour in a dollop of 2 percent and stir the drink into a pale, diluted concoction, you’re better than that. As the owner of an espresso machine, you hold the power to froth milk and add it to the top of your cappuccino like a true barista.
If your espresso coffee maker features a froth aid – a small attachment that widens the end of the steam wand – you’ll need to get all moisture out of this device. Pour some milk into a cold pitcher, and hold the pitcher so that the surface of the milk barely touches the steam wand. As the milk foams and expands, it will rise inside the pitcher. The temperature of the milk shouldn’t exceed 155 degrees.
With the milk fully heated, give the side of the pitcher a few wraps to break up the larger bubbles. Then remove it from the steam wand and place it on a counter or table top. Give the pitcher a thorough spin, noticing as the milk thickens and the larger bubbles disappear. You now have more than enough foamed milk to complement your espresso. Delicately spoon some milk out of the pitcher and onto the top of the drink.
You might be forgiven for not knowing the difference between automatic and semiautomatic espresso machines. After all, both varieties feature buttons and switches that control electronic functions. And both varieties also perform a bulk of the work for you. The main difference involves water delivery; an automatic machine will sense the precise amount of water needed for an espresso shot, while the semiautomatic machine’s water delivery is up to you.
Note that both types feature temperature sensors that turn the heating element back on whenever the boiler cools down. This luxury takes much of the guesswork out of espresso making. In years past, a barista would have to estimate just when to engage and disengage the boiler – which often led to disastrous, barely palatable results. Semiautomatics are differentiated from manuals in that they apply a continual amount of pressure on the bed of coffee.
Automatic espresso machines can be used just like a semiautomatic, as most of them feature a water-delivery button that doesn’t turn off until it’s depressed. That allows the barista or coffee enthusiast to pour a short, normal or even a long shot of espresso. If you don’t trust yourself to properly gauge the amount of water needed for your espresso shots, consider going the automatic route.
You’re probably familiar with the pleasures associated with espresso – the delicious taste, the burst of energy it provides, the rich smell of the coffee beans being ground and brewed. Costs of regular trips to the corner coffee shop can really start to add up; just try keeping track of your warm morning beverage purchases over the course of a month and you’ll see what I mean.
Many coffee lovers choose to forgo those costs by investing in an espresso machine of their own. The process of selecting a machine can be daunting as they cost more than most consumer appliances. When budgeting for a Solis espresso machine, think about the years of use you would get out of it as opposed to how much it will cost right up front. When the cost of a $900 machine is amortized over 10 years – with several shots of espresso being pulled each day – things suddenly seem a bit more manageable.
Cheap machines aren’t advisable for a number of reasons. First, as many coffee drinkers know, you get what you pay for. Low-end machines create coffee of middling quality, and they are prone to breaking down inside of a few years. Also, they are as good as “totaled” the second a single part breaks. Boilers can cost upwards of $150, so it just wouldn’t make sense to replace the boiler in a $200 machine.
Make Your Cappuccino Continental-Style
If you’ve ordered a gourmet coffee drink from a large chain retailer recently, you may have noted the portion sizes. Beverage sizes are generous to say the least at shops such as Starbuck’s and Dunkin Donuts. Unfortunately, when baristas fix customers a big, bulky cappuccino, they’re sacrificing serious quality. Americans aren’t always eager to accept that less is more, but in this case the point is indisputable.
Europeans drink their cappuccino – a blend of espresso, hot milk and steamed milk foam – in 6-ounce servings. Domestic chains tend to up the by serving 12- or even 20-ounce versions. Large cappuccinos fail because of the frothy milk foam that’s supposed to top the beverage – it simply can’t be produced in large quantities. In order to create a drink with the perfect balance of espresso and milk, you’d be best served using your own cappuccino maker.
As any barista would tell you, microfoam is the signature part of any successful cappuccino. This layer of foam is created when small bubbles are introduced into the milk, bringing out its sweetness and creating a soft, fluffy texture. These are among the most difficult drinks to make at home, but with a bit of practice you’ll be serving cappuccinos to friends and family members in no time.
When you pour yourself a cup of coffee in the morning, you might add a touch of milk just to make the bitterness a bit more palatable. Did you realize you’ve basically created a macchiato in its most rudimentary form? In truth, a caffe macchiato is an espresso shot topped with a bit of steamed milk. Originally devised in Italy, this item is one of the most popular orders at coffee shops across America – as much due to its bold flavor as its distinctive, foamy look.
In recent years, people have been brewing this beverage from the comfort of home with an automatic espresso machine. “Caffe macchiato” refers to the espresso shot being lightly stained with steamed milk. A similarly named but notably different drink known as the latte macchiato is mostly milk with a stain of espresso. It’s basically the inverse of caffe macchiato, the yin to its yang, the inverse function.
Simplicity is just part of the drink’s appeal. In Roman sidewalk cafes, patrons relax and sip macchiatos that have been punched up with a dash of sugar. When you think about it, the beverage is the perfect blend of rich, distinctive flavors. You have the bitterness of the espresso shot, of course, soothed and toned down with the milk and then sweetened with a touch of sugar.