The basic knowledge of Espresso espresso

[1] what on earth is Espresso.

Espresso is called "espresso" in Chinese, but basically it has nothing to do with the original text. To put it simply, espresso coffee must be made with a special machine to allow water to flow quickly through the coffee powder at high pressure. This method can extract the most essential part of coffee! In comparison, all other methods of coffee are too plain, except bitter, other delicacies are difficult to come out. But, on the other hand, if not handled properly, espresso will be the worst coffee in the world. Unfortunately, most coffee shops make it awful. So many people declared, "I hate espresso most!" But he probably didn't drink the real espresso at all!

Starbucks, the largest coffee chain in the United States, contributed to the promotion of espresso. But unfortunately, Starbucks is also the representative of the bad espresso. So why is Starbucks so popular, and there is evidence from time to time that Starbucks is his favorite coffee shop? The reason is that espresso can add milk, the smoothness and sweetness of milk help disguise the bad espresso, while the strong espresso shows a "coffee smell" that you have never experienced, so you will say it tastes good.

What does espresso do with milk? Basically there is a cappuccino (cappuccino), which is an espresso plus a milk and a milk bubble. (this is not necessarily true. First of all, milk and milk do not have to be distinguished when they are beaten very finely; and in fact, espresso does not account for 1/3 of the total.) . And latte (latte) is espresso with more milk than cappuccino, and then there may be bubbles, maybe not. This is an American specialty, called latte in Italy, he will give you a glass of milk! If you don't know the standard of this store, you can order latte, which is less risky, but sometimes it is as light as drinking milk. There is also a person named mocha, which is different from the "mocha coffee" we see in ordinary coffee shops. This is a kind of espresso heated milk, chocolate, and whipped cream on top. If you like chocolate, it's a good choice.

[2] I want to do espresso at home. What kind of machine do I want to buy?

Espresso can't be cooked with an ordinary coffee machine, so buy a special machine. Basically, there is one called steam machine and one called pump machine. How can you tell the difference? It's easy, as long as there's a lid that has to be rotated to open, it's steam machine! The steam engine can't make a real espresso! So almost all the experts will tell you not to buy it.

The reason why steam machine can't do espresso well is very simple. Its pressure is only about three atmospheres, and the real espresso is about 8.2-9 atmospheres! To make matters worse, the steam engine is powered by steam to press the water over the coffee powder. But what is the temperature of the water at this time? Use your knees to know how to exceed the boiling point! Water above the boiling point should never be used to make coffee!

Since steam machine is not a good choice, how can we choose PUJI? Don't worry, a help machine is not cheap. You'd better study it carefully on the Internet for a month to find out whether the characteristics of each model are suitable for you, and then "do it". Welcome to the coffee utensils page to post questions, or refer to relevant posts.

[3] what are the beans of Espresso?

Basically, if you are happy, any bean can be used to make espresso. However, the high-pressure practice of espresso will emphasize the characteristics of beans, so sour beans are super sour and bitter is even more bitter. Therefore, we often have to mix different beans to make espresso. In every coffee shop, there is usually a recipe for espresso, but the formula is different and the baking depth is different. You have to choose what you like better.

[4] do I need a bean grinder?

Yes, very much! To make a good espresso, you need to grind the beans just right so that the extraction time is controlled at about 25 seconds. And what you grind in the store, first, the coffee goes bad faster. Second, it may (almost certainly) not suit you. You will even find that you have to adjust the thickness of the same beans at different times. Bean grinder there is a kind of bean grinder called propeller can not be bought! That one looks like a cylinder with a transparent lid on it, and you can see two blades that look like propellers (such as Pegasus).

First, this kind of bean grinder has no control to adjust the thickness, only depends on the length of time, no, depends on luck. Second, the thickness of this bean grinder is uneven, some are too fine, some are too thick. Third, this kind of machine can not grind the fineness required by espresso at all. Fourth, this kind of grinding beans will produce high fever, which will do great harm to the taste of coffee! (depending on different models)

So what is a good bean grinder? Generally speaking, people like it, the most basic is solis 167or 167, which can be regarded as economical and affordable. But, of course, it's best to buy one of this level like Rancilio Rocky!