Espresso Any Way You Like It
- Lifestyles
- Special Interest
Author: Aramco ExPats Staff
Released 11 February 2004
For those of us who enjoy light hearted cinema, you may recall the scene in “You’ve Got Mail” where the leading character stands in line at the corner coffee shop to order a beverage and listens to other patrons list off a litany of descriptors to the barista taking their orders. If you have ever had a similar experience and found it perplexing, here are a few pointers to boost your confidence.
Espresso is a one-ounce shot of pure delight if done right. The beans are ground to serve espresso style, about 8 grams, and are brewed by an espresso machine that uses high pressure to draw just the right amount of purified water at just the right temperature through the grounds. The brew time is approximately 20 to 25 seconds (time may vary slightly depending on the machine). Any less and the shot of espresso will taste watery. Any more and you will have a distinctly burnt tasting shot of espresso.
Experienced baristas come to know what a good shot of espresso looks like, tastes like and smells like. What you want to look for is a shot that reaches the one-ounce line on a shot glass, and has a golden layer of foam called crema, with an olive oil consistency, resting just above the one-ounce line on the shot glass. The crema is the sweetest part of the shot.
Mastering the technique of “pulling” a good shot of espresso takes practice. If you want to educate your palette, try tasting shots of espresso with variations and you will soon begin to detect the differences. Fortunately for the uneducated palette, the differences are not subtle. The slightest variation can have dramatic impact on the taste of the shot.
Espresso is enjoyed straight up as a single shot, called a solo, or a double shot, called a doppio. You may also enjoy a straight shot ristretto style, which is the first half-ounce of the espresso shot, capturing the sweetest part of the shot. If you enjoy a sweeter experience, ask for ristretto the next time you order.
If you enjoy lattes or cappuccinos, you get to decide how many shots of espresso you wish to have in your beverage, or you can let the barista default to the standard recipe. Different espresso shops have different standards, so you may want to ask about their recipes. You can order a single (shot), double (shot), triple (shot), or a “quad” (shot). Any more and you might receive concerned looks from the staff, unless you’ve ordered “decaf”.
As a side note, espresso equipment must be cleaned regularly. Commercial machines should be cleaned every business day using a commercial grade cleaning solution. Oils from coffee beans build up in equipment and subsequent use will produce stale flavors.
Many have come to enjoy espresso with a little milk and sometimes even a touch of flavor. You may have even gone so far as to replace your mid-day candy bar with a just-as-sweet espresso beverage--although at this point the quality of espresso is likely not important.
Most espresso shops use whole milk as the creaminess pairs perfectly with a good espresso shot and when steamed to just the right temperature produces wonderfully light and velvety foam. To meet the dietary requests of patrons, most shops will also offer non-fat, low-fat, soy and possibly even rice milk options.
Here is a list of common espresso beverages that you may want to try hot or iced:
- Americano: much like drip coffee, this wonderful beverage consists of shots of espresso with hot water poured down the side so as not to disturb the crema. If you want to add cream, as you would to your coffee, ask for it “with room”.
- Latte: shots of espresso with steamed milk topped with a cap of foam. A myriad of syrups can be added to lattes, the most popular being vanilla, almond, and hazelnut.
- Breve: shots of espresso with steamed half ‘n half topped with a cap of foam.
- Cappuccino: shots of espresso with half milk and half foam. Cappuccinos can be enjoyed wet (more milk), dry (less milk) or bone dry (all foam).
- Mocha: for chocolate lovers this is a treat consisting of chocolate, espresso and steamed milk. Real chocolate sauce, rather than powder, adds true quality. A mocha may be topped with whipped cream just like your favorite chocolate dessert.
Over or under steamed milk, dirty equipment or poor foaming technique (resulting in airy, bubbly foam) can destroy your espresso beverage. Good baristas pride themselves on the quality of their foam.
If you’ve had a conversation with a barista, you will have heard that the skies the limit on customer requests. Customers have come to know exactly how they want their beverage and they are not afraid to make unusual requests like “iced Cappuccino” (foam on ice?!), “soy Cappuccino” (soy is particularly difficult to foam), “Latte with seven packets of Equal” – a sugar substitute (six just wasn’t sweet enough), or “Breve made with real whipping cream” (did Atkins forget to mention the calorie count on this one?), or “Snicker Doodle Latte” (it’s espresso, not candy!). If you’ve done this, you know who you are. So for the rest of you, don’t be shy, the next time you order an espresso beverage go crazy, it could be more fun than you ever imagined.