When you brew that reviving espresso in the morning, or have that pick-me-up Cafe Mocha in the afternoon, have you ever stopped to think what goes into getting that product to you?
Moreover if you work in the hospitality industry, are you aware of how important the correct procedures are for maintaining coffee beans and coffee machines to ensure your customers and clientele get the best quality drink possible? Following incorrect procedures in production of coffee-based drinks can be extremely detrimental to business and, surprisingly, so many coffee houses and hotels get it wrong.
I've visited a countless number of hotels and restaurants in my time in the food and beverage world and upon drinking that long-awaited espresso, I have experienced a full range of emotions, going from extreme disgust and almost being horrifically sick to "Wow, that was amazing, give me another, pronto!".
An espresso is the lifeblood of any coffee house and the base of all coffee drinks, as any coffee connoisseur will tell you - it is on first glace the easiest drink to make, but for a demanding Italian like yours-truly, one that can easily go wrong. Fortunately I've worked in the industry long enough now to know what the top reasons are for dispensing a bad espresso, and hopefully my thoughts will provoke you to try your own and test it.
WHAT IS A GOOD ESPRESSO
Before I even talk about what can go wrong, we must have a clear definition of what is generally become accepted as a what constitutes as a "good espresso"; a good espresso can be subjective to the person who is drinking but my years of training from industry experts have generally lead me to say that a good espresso generally has the following characteristics:
Has a crema that is both thick and dark reddish-brown - the crema on the top of an espresso is a clear sign of how fresh the beans are. With time, the naturally occurring oils that are present on the in beans oxidise (i.e. dry up) - and it's this oil that gives an espresso its beautiful crema. The "sugar test" should be good enough to determine how fresh the beans are - simply lightly pour some sugar on the top of the espresso, if the sugar stays afloat then the crema is sufficiently thick enough, even for the most discerning of Mediterranean coffee-lovers.
Should be at a temperature which would not burn your mouth! - In the UK certainly, I have a lot of people often tell me their drinks are "not hot enough" - but in truth, water above around 96 degrees Celsius will end up burning the coffee and impairing the flavour. A lot of research has been done on the "perfect espresso temperature," and most will allude to the temperature at point of brew to be between 92 and 96 degrees Celsius. Once it hits that all-important china cup (and yes, it has to be China!!!), the temperature will generally drop to around 80 degrees which, for me and many others, would be the perfect espresso temperature. Importantly though, this means the cup should be preheated from a source OTHER than the water from the coffee machine. Try getting a cup warmer, very inexpensive and does a world of wonders.
Have a potent aroma and a long-lasting aftertaste - far too often, I have drunk espressos that are watery, bland and very unappealing. The common causes? Overly roasted beans, the wrong blend or stale product. Coffee roasting is a wonderful art, and I have in the past organised trips around our local roasters in London for clients - seeing coffee being roasted and the smell that comes from it is just heavenly. Unfortunately, many people have decided to over-roast their beans, much like a company that would rhyme with "SchmarChucks," because they need a flavour that will penetrate 19 fl. oz of milk. An espresso should be slightly sweet, and have an aftertaste that lingers on the palate for long after.
Should take no longer than 30 seconds to produce - A good espresso should take approximately 25 to 30 seconds to extract from the point when you press that all important brew button. If it took longer than 30 seconds, your bean grind is far too fine. If it took less than 25 seconds, your bean grind is far too coarse.
Now you know what should constitute as a good espresso, in my experience there are four key reasons why drinks produced do not live up to their intentions.
Age of the bean and ground coffee - Beans start oxidising and going "stale" the minute they are let loose from their nitrogen-sealed containers. Oxygen, water and heat are the three forces of evil against these tiny little beans. As a rule of thumb, generally opened beans will last between one and two weeks before their flavour is lost, but this does depend a lot on when the beans were roasted - I have always used a local roaster so I know that at point of order, the beans I use are generally four days old. Grinding beans speeds up the process, and freshly ground coffee can generally only last a few days if not just 24 hours before the flavour begins to disappear. How old are the beans you are using?
Grind levels - The correct grind for the type of coffee you have is very important - when water is forced through the coffee and 9 bar pressure, a fine grind will cause the particles to compact and produce a very slow extraction, impairing the flavour. A coarse grind will allow water through quickly, and the taste will not be as profound as intended. Do some testing on your drinks to find the perfect grind level for your coffee blend and equipment.
Inefficient tamping - Tamping is an art of the espresso production that is often ignored. Any scientist will tell you water only travels from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, so inefficient tamping creates inefficient paths of extraction and a badly extracted espresso. When tamping, it's important you create an even, smooth and polished surface on top - generally this is produced after about 5 pounds of pressure is applied to compact the coffee grounds. Always remember that all-important 720 turn of the tamper at the end.
The wrong bean blend/profile - An espresso blend of coffee can be vastly different from that needed for a 20oz tall cappuccino; an espresso does not need much body, therefore espresso blends are best with only a small amount of Robusta beans, if at all any. A tall drink will need a blend with a fuller body to penetrate the taste of milk - in these cases, a higher percentage of Robusta is generally flavoured. If possible, have two different grinders set up - one for espresso, one for long drinks.
This is not an exhaustive list, and there are other factors which go into the art of making a good espresso - cup quality, water hardness, machines used, the water mineral content, water pressure...the ordinary punter rarely has any idea how much effort goes into making their drink.
A "perfect espresso" is more of a theory rather than a tangible product. I have never personally seen or been able to produce a "perfect" espresso, but practice certainly does make perfect. Espresso production is an art that requires a very slight scientific aspect - it's a volatile and difficult drink to effectively produce for the discerning customers, but for those passionate about coffee and its history, it's a beautiful thing to create.
