How To Make An Espresso?

Coffee drinks are the taste of many tongues.  Indeed coffee lovers need coffee anywhere and everywhere -- whether at home or at work or for that matter when out for shopping.  And espresso is among the best flavors of coffees.  The credit for their popularity goes much to their easy availability.  Yes, the cup of espresso is easy-to-make (via espresso machine) and too-delicious-to-drink.  You can have your favorite sip at a local coffee house.  But if you want a unique flavor, make it yourself.  So, wanna learn how to make an espresso?  It is too simple, just read on to learn!

Literally ''espresso'' is an extraction of coffee with high pressure from a special espresso machine.  You might need some special instructions if your type of espresso machine is different from the other types of machines.  But, the basics of making an espresso coffee are indeed the same.

Some foolproof instructions to go about

First of all, get a good quality espresso machine.  In case, you are a ''real'' coffee lover, look for the best espresso machine available in the market.  One feature to get in a quality espresso machine is to be sure that it has built-in grinder.  I presume you know that the finest grind of beans is the key to make a good coffee.

Take cold and clear water and pour it in your machine's water chamber.  You should make it sure that the boiler cap is secure.  Give one shot of espresso that is a propos one ounce.  To give a double shot, you should give two ounces.  In few machines you can also give as much as four shots in one go.

Then, place the basket of coffee in filter holder.  You can place a little pack in ground coffee.  The filter has a measure for the amount of espresso you are preparing.

Brush off the grounds if any on the top or sides of the filter.  Place the filter holder inside the espresso machine.

Keep the present glass carafe of your machine under the spout.  You should then turn on the machine.  The espresso machine will make the water warm to a proper temperature.  Force the water up to the coffee grounds.  You can use a cup, if the machine you have doesn't have a carafe.

The brewing of your espresso should take just 15 or 20 seconds.  As the coffee starts flowing in the cup, the foam starts forming on the top.  The foam has a brown color and is known as Crema.  As the foam takes an almost white color, your best tasting liquid is not flowing any longer.  It is time to stop now.  Remove the cup immediately.  Your hot cup of espresso coffee is now in your hands.

A few tips to get the best results

Select and roast the beans particularly for espresso.  The beans are available on most of the coffee specialty shops or grocery stores.

To get the best espresso, better buy an espresso grinder.  When grinding the beans for espresso, make it sure your grinding machine is efficient enough to give a fine grind.

Use filtered water or bottled spring water.  Do not use your tap water if it is hard.

History Of The Espresso

There is nothing great than sipping a hot cup of coffee in the chilly mornings.  It simply feels great having the espresso.  Yes, we are talking espresso, which is one of the most famous and preferred coffee types across the globe.  Well, since we started talking about espresso, why not take a brief sneak peek into its history and what exactly it is.  What do you say?

Basically espresso is a flavorful and strong coffee beverage prepared when hot water is forced under a high pressure and made to pass through finely ground coffee beans.  The color of the coffee is typically dark brown with brown/red colored foam on the top.  Espresso is commonly served in small portions.

Unlike other drip-brewed coffees, espresso is identified with its robust flavor and thick consistency.  Following its potency, straight espresso or espresso served without milk or sweetener is generally considered to be an acquired taste.  In the United States, this espresso is served in small amounts known as shots.  Many avid coffee fanatics even order single or double espressos along with a glass of water to void the taste.

Espresso was basically originated in Italy in the 20th century.  Indeed Espresso is an Italian word that means fast.  A gentleman named Luigi Bezzera made a coffee machine that had four divisions and a boiler in 1901.  He even got the machine patented.  This machine used to force boiling water and steam via coffee into the container or cup.  This very machine is regarded as the inception of espresso.

In 1903, Desiderio Pavoni purchased the patent from Luigi Bezzera and the Pavoni Compnay started developing coffee machines in 1905 which were based on Luigi's patent.  The machines produced by the company came to be known as the ''La Pavona'' and became famous immensely.  These machines even reached the America in 1927.

The flaws in these early machines soon came forward.  The boiling water and the steam that was forced via machine gave coffee a certain kind of burn flavor.  So, Cremonesi in 1938 built a piston pump that forced hot water rather than boiling water through the coffee.  Moreover, this design was also incorporated in Achille Gaggia's coffee bar.  During the World War II the Gaggia's small quantity of machines were destroyed by a bomb and any further developments of espresso machines got hindered.

As the war came to the end, Gaggia began manufacturing a viable piston pump.  As the machine used the spring lever, it was considered very innovative.  Following the use of the spring lever, the coffee could be pressurized which was entirely independent of the boiler.  These earlier machines used to employ the force of the boiler pressure to force water through the coffee.  The coffee that was produced from this machine characterized a Creama which became the hallmark of espresso coffee.  In true terms, this was a major inception of espresso machines.

Further in 1961, M Faema made an improvement in the Gaggia's machine.  Faema developed machine that consisted of an electric pump.  This pump used to force water through the coffee.  This machine underlined the inception of pump driven machines which paved way for the modern espresso machines.