Espresso
Coffee - It Is Not a Bean
Originated in Italy, the word espresso means
brewed expressly for you. There seems to be some confusion
surrounding espresso
coffee, for
some reason, either through bad advertising or bad
information, (often misspelled and pronounced expresso)
some people presume that espresso is a particular type of
coffee bean, it is not a bean. In reality it is the
brewing process that makes espresso what it
is.
Espresso has been around for quite awhile.
Luigi Bezzera patented the first steam driven espresso machine
in 1901. He called his creation the Tipo Gigante. In 1905,
Desidero Pavoni bought Bezzera’s patent and brought it to
market as the Pavoni Ideale. The modern espresso machine made
its debut in 1947. This was the first machine capable of
producing the high pressures needed to create espresso which
made the Gaggia Crema Caffe ideal for commercial use because it
was easy to operate and reasonably priced.
A shot of espresso coffee is made from about
1 tablespoon of finely ground coffee that is produced by a
pressure-brewed coffee machine. This usually only takes about
30 seconds. The quality of your espresso is indicated by the
creamy foam that appears on the top of the espresso. It should
be a layer of dark golden cream. Electric moka style machines
that are steam driven are often confused with real espresso
machines. Look for machines that will produce 135 pounds of
pressure per square inch. Real espresso machines are pump
driven and lever operated.
Another misconception about espresso is that
it requires deep dark coffee blends in order to be real
espresso. It is really a matter of personal choice; different
regions use different roasts to make their espresso. For
example you would more likely find that the West coast uses a
dark French Roast, while on the other hand people on the East
coast enjoy a light roast. Italy where it originated from
enjoys a medium roast.
Espresso is not a bean, but the coffee bean
you purchase is the heart of a favorable cup of coffee. All
coffee beans are roasted; the quality of bean affects the shelf
life, aroma and taste of the end product.
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