by: Malcolm Blake
Espresso coffee is more popular today than it has ever been at any time in its history, perhaps thanks to the marketing power of coffee giants such as Starbucks. Many of the most popular drinks that we consume everyday are made using espresso, rather than the more traditional filter or drip coffee. Drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and machiatos.
Given this strong popularity for these espresso drinks, it's surprising that many people don't actually know what an espresso is. For anyone who has never had an espresso, the first taste can be quite shocking. An espresso is very concentrated, and comes in a very small cup. However, it packs a large punch and the flavor can take some getting used to. (In other words, your first impression might be that you just swallowed something vile. But don't worry, it gets better with experience.)
Espresso is made by forcing very hot (not boiling) water through finely ground coffee. The coffee is ground more finely than filter coffee, but is not as finely ground as Turkish coffee, which is more like a fine powder.
Originally, espresso machines used steam pressure to force the water through. Today, a spring piston lever machine is used, which used a piston to generate the pressure and force the water through the coffee. It is important that the temperature does not go too high or low, as this will spoil the beverage. The ideal temperature is 85 to 95 degrees Celsius.
If the water is too hot, the espresso will be too bitter. If it is too cold, it will be too sour. As you can see, making espresso drinks is a very exacting job, and care must be taken to do it right. The people trained to do this are called baristas (which is Italian for barman).
As the water blasts through the coffee, it extracts the flavor, oils, sugars and proteins and dissolves them. This results is a very potent mixture that has a very strong, yet rich and subtle flavor. It also has all the caffeine of a large cup of filter coffee, giving it a strong kick.
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