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| Espresso - The Essence of Coffee |
Espresso is 7 g of dark roasted, finely ground, densely compressed coffee through which 98° C hot water is forced with high pressure within 25 to 30 seconds. The resulting dark liquid is dense and syrup like in texture, with a caramel to hazelnut colored, finely textured 'crema' which stays compact even when sugar is added. The 'crema' is produced by emulsifying the oils in the ground coffee into a colloid which does not occur in other brewing methods. Due to the quick extraction (short contact of water with the coffee), the aromatic parts of coffee, the flavourful coffee oils, are extracted in a higher ratio than the caffeine. The darker roast is another reason for the comparably lower caffeine content (as compared to coffee obtained with other brewing methods). Espresso is full of the beneficial aspects of coffee and - despite it's intense flavour - much lighter and healthier than drip coffee. Espresso is the key ingredient of any of today's fashionable coffee-based drinks. The quality of the key ingredient determines the quality of the whole drink. Coffee can be addictive. Good coffee even more so. Once the consuner has tasted and experienced a top-quality espresso or espresso-based drink, he/she will not be likely to go back to drinking lesser-quality coffee. You and your customer will want to come back for the same fantastic experience that was so pleasing to the palate and to all the senses: strong, hot, velvety smooth. Marcello's coffee guarantees consistent quality of your espresso on the highest level - regardless of the skill of your barista. The machine and the capsule containing the coffee are perfectly adjusted for each other. There are no food-safety issues, there is no waste of coffee, there is no loss of quality and aromas as the portions are single packed. And when your espresso is perfect, then your cappucinos, caffe macchiatos and all other espresso-based drinks will be as well. |
| The Quantity of Coffee in the Cup |
Espresso means 25-30 ml of liquid. When the amount of water is increased or decreased relative to a normal shot, the composition of the shot changes, because not all components of coffee dissolve at the same rate. This is why an excessively long or short shot will not contain the same ratio of components like a normal shot. Therefore, a 'ristretto' (short shot) is not simply twice as strong as a regular shot, nor is a 'lungo' (long shot) simply half the strength. They will decidedly differ in taste. A 'lungo' is more bitter, because the additional hot water passing through the ground coffee extracts components that would normally remain undissolved. The more water is passed through the coffee grounds, the more bitter and watery the shot tastes. Moreover, since espresso is brewed under pressure, a 'lungo' does not have the same taste or composition as coffee produced by other methods, even when made with the same ratio of water and ground coffee. Conclusion: An espresso machine is specifically engineered to make espresso. For coffee beverages with lot's of coffee liquid there are other methods like e.g. french press or drip coffee. Despite being produced with the same raw material, the result of course is a totally different kind of beverage. |
| The Characteristics of an Espresso |
The first impression The color of the crema shows the caramelized natural sugars of the espresso bean. Ideally, the crema should be of a hazel color with shimmers of red irregular stripes. The crema should be three to four millimeters thick. It should not include any big bubbles and last a minimum of three minutes without breaking up or decomposing. If the crema is light and thin, contains big bubbles and disappears quickly, it is a sign of insufficient use of the espresso grind. If the crema is dark brown or black with a white spot, or is too thin with the tendency to form a black hole in the middle, the espresso grind has been exhausted. The consistency Espresso is generally thicker than coffee brewed by other methods. The consistency should be almost sirupy. The aroma The espresso flavor consists of many different substances. After the extraction of the shot(, the aroma should be intense but pleasant and slightly sweet. The espresso should not taste burned or wooden, smell musky or like tobacco. A touch of hazelnut can develop when a blend with a high Arabica percentage is used. An unclear, weak or lack of smell is a sign of poor use of the espresso. A biting, sour taste or too dominant smell means the espresso has been exhausted. The taste A perfect espresso needs no sugar but sugar can complete it. The taste of the espresso should be perfectly balanced between sweet and bitter. It should never taste sour neither burnt or leave a bitter aftertaste. A watery tasting espresso without the needed density is normally due to badly brewed espresso. |
| The elements that influence the quality of an espresso |
For the coffee beans:
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| For the preparation: |
With the conventional barista method
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With Marcello's capsule-machines:
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| Obviously it is very easy to obtain a less than satisfying result - and very difficult to produce the perfect espresso in a consistent quality. With Marcello's perfectly adapted combination of machine and capsule, the elements that can go wrong in preparation are drastically reduced, therefore resulting in a guaranteed consistent and high quality of your espresso coffee and espressso-coffee based drinks. |
| How to Make a Perfect Espresso |
The Italian espresso tradition requires five different elements for the perfect espresso: water quality, coffee blend, grinder, machine, human being ('mano', the 'hand'). Please click here for step-by-step instructions. |