How to be an Espresso Aficionado

Are you someone who likes the deep and rich espresso-style of coffee? If this is true, then you should become familiar with the flavor your favorite espresso has. The Espresso coffee is what an espresso experts prefer, so you can increase your knowledge about espresso with the following steps.

Espresso Lingo

1. Learn the lingo

If you would like to learn the espresso techniques, then you need to learn the terms associated with it. There are some terms that have to do with drinking and making that special coffee, and below are some of them you need to know about. It will help you understand the many types of coffee, and find the ones for you.

Bar: The bar is the pressure rating of the espresso machine; you will find this on most of the espresso machines

Barista: The barista is the one in charge of the operation of the espresso machine

Breve: This is often mentioned when someone is taking an order or someone asks for this. This means instead of the regular milk, the person wants half skimmed or half steamed milk

Coffee packs: This term is used to refer to the number of coffee grinds in the filter of the espresso machine before it is brewed

Demitasse: This is used to refer to the cup holder of the espresso machine. The cup holder can be made of any material like porcelain; the material that will be used in making this needs to be thick and conserve heat

Dosage: This refers to the number of coffee grinds that will make a cup of espresso coffee. The dosage is often measured as 7 grams per 1.5 ounces of coffee

Double: This is a term often used when a customer is ordering a particular volume of coffee. A double often has a volume of 2.5 grams to 3 ounces of coffee

Espresso: The word espresso is an Italian word used to refer to drinks that are made using an espresso machine

Filter Basket: This is a basket that has holes in it. It is often filled with coffee grounds and when brewing is processed, the coffee grounds will drip into the cup holder through the holes

Froth: This is the name given to steamed milk that is made using the steaming wand of the espresso machine, or a manual steam wand.

Ristretto: This is a word of Italian origin; it is used to refer to restricted shot. It is also a word used to specify the volume of coffee that will be poured; it is around 1.5 ounces of coffee. This Ristretto is richer and stronger than the normal brew

Shot: The shot is another word for the espresso brewed coffee, and they can be used interchangeably.

Know Your Espresso

There are different types of espresso drinks in various cafés and coffee shops. This can make choosing a particular type of coffee sometimes confusing, but it’s all good if you understand how each one is made. Many coffee lovers decide to stay in a coffee shop for the whole day or decide to go there often for the love of coffee and the aroma in the cafe.

After you have tasted all the types of espresso and now have a favorite, you should not limit yourself just to your favorite espresso. You should be curious about discovering a new variation of the coffee from time to time.

Be aware of the steps involved in making the espresso so it will not be under, or over-extracted, as it will affect the taste and flavor.

Each style of espresso has its own process; this is what the barista uses to come out with the final coffee. If you intend to drink different types of coffee from different countries, you should know the process for each of them and how they differ.

Enjoying the Espresso

1. Enjoy the Espresso

Drinking an espresso is an amazing experience. You can enjoy your espresso more with some tips I’m describing below.

• Examine your espresso well. If the extraction is balanced, the color of the coffee should be a rich brown, then with some touch of dark gold or copper as illustrated above. The top layer of the coffee is called the Crema, and it consists of the oils and solids that are evaporating
• Try drinking the espresso immediately after it’s brewed; the quality and flavor of your coffee will start to slowly diminish once you are done brewing it.
• The espresso ought to be sipped against the back of your palate; you should expect a great flavor after doing this. However, espresso has one of the most amazing tastes, but you can only maximize this if you do it the right way

Making Espresso beverages

1. If you have enjoyed espresso that is made at a cafe, you can also make one at home.

Unless the recipe of the espresso you are making states otherwise, always start your espresso with the correct quantity of items. You should use the correct quantity of water, pressure, coffee, and timing.

Once you get all these things right, you will get a perfect espresso from the brew. Normally, it should take about 20 to 25 seconds to brew one or two ounces of coffee. However, you should note the requirement for each style of espresso is different and you should follow the instructions provided.

2. Build a latte

Most of the coffee drinks we have all around revolved around a latte. A latte is a combination of espresso with steamed milk. In order to make a latte that has good taste, you need to steam the milk correctly. The froth also plays an important role in the taste of the latte.

• Practice making the latte; and after a few times, you will perfect your brew

3. Make a flat white

This is also the same as what you have in the latte; the only difference between the two is, the flat white has a lower amount of milk when compared to the latte. The flat white also has a lower amount of foam on top of it, and this was where the name came from.

4. Make a café breve

You can make the café breve using half of the regular milk, and half steamed milk to a shot of espresso.

5. Challenge yourself with a cappuccino

The cappuccino is a drink with an equal part of steamed milk, espresso, and frothed milk. If you are having a cappuccino in the US, you may be asked if you want the wet style or the dry style of cappuccino.

The regular latte hangs in between the dry cappuccino and the wet cappuccino. A dry cappuccino will require pure milk froth and espresso in that order, while the wet cappuccino will also require the espresso, but it will need more milk than the froth. It’s the same ingredients, but the different volumes of each ingredient that define most of the espresso drinks.

6. Make a Café Americano

The Americano style of coffee has a shot of espresso; the rest of the drink is chilled water or hot water, and an optional small amount of crema on top. The water dilutes the strength of the espresso shot. This is a cup of smooth coffee and it is large.

7. Make the espresso macchiato

The Café macchiato consists of a shot of espresso and a small amount of foam or milk. This will make a stain or mark in the drink. You should not confuse the Café macchiato with the latte macchiato. The latte macchiato has a small amount of espresso in it, and it also contains milk or froth.

There are different styles for the Café macchiato that can be achieved by trying different amounts of the ingredients. You should experiment to brew different styles of this espresso until you find the one you love. You may come out with your personal style of coffee.

8. Make an espresso ristretto

This type of coffee has to do with the volume of the espresso. The ristretto is less diluted which means it has less water and finely grounded coffee; this makes the drink concentrated and strong. You should expect a caffeine jolt from the espresso ristretto.

9. Make an espresso doppio

This coffee is another name for the double shot of espresso, and the drink is equivalent to two cups of an espresso drink

10. Make an espresso variant by adding an extra ingredient to the drink.

• To make the espresso tazza d’oro or the espresso con Panna, you will need to add a large amount of whipped cream on top of the espresso
• To make the espresso Romano, serve the espresso with a peal of lemon on the saucer of the cup
• To make the espresso corretto, add liqueur to the espresso
• To make the Café mocha or the mochaccino, serve the espresso with hot chocolate or chocolate syrup, and steamed milk. Add frothed milk or whipped milk on top of the espresso to perfect it. In this case, the name mocha does not refer to the type of coffee beans used, but it rather refers to the chocolate. There are different styles of mochaccino; you can learn how they are produced
• To make an affogato, add vanilla ice cream to the espresso. This type of coffee is perfect for a sweet tooth and for hot days. This is definitely one of my favorites, and its delicious.

11. Open your eyes with red eyes

This drink is not to be confused with the Americano. The red eyes is a regular brew with one shot of espresso. The other variants of the red eyes is called the black eyes and the dead eyes. The black eyes consist of 2 shots of the espresso, while the dead eyes have 3 shots of espresso in it. This type of coffee is for people who drink very strong coffee in larger cups.

The Takeaway

If you are someone who intends to become an Espresso aficionado, I have listed some practical steps you can follow to achieve your aim. Coffee lovers like me will try to experiment many of these popular coffee options at home to find the right fit for them. Remember that most of these espresso coffee change by using various amounts of the same ingredients. Happy sipping your espresso.

If you have any comments, please leave them below, I’d love to hear from you. If you’re a coffee lover and a dog lover check this lovely dog feeder out.