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Currents
in
Specialty Coffee
Market Trends,
Producing Regions
& A Look at a
Year in Coffee
 Coffee
Losses
One Farmer's Life
in Coffee
Roaster Meets
Grower
A Relationship
in Coffee
Craft Roasting
Specialty Coffee's
Past & Future
Codes of a
Fundamentalist
Cupper
The Pursuit of
Great Coffee
Fast Coffee
How the Espresso
Machine Came to Be
Espresso
Exposed
Why the Average
Espresso is Not What
It Seems to Be
Calling the Shots
Will American Baristi
Ever Earn the Respect
They Deserve?
Adventures in
Turk Kahvesi
Navigating the
Traditions of Coffee
in Turkey
The
Latté Gambit
Seattle &
the American
Coffee Scene
Coming of Age
in Coffee
A Consumer's
Journey Into Coffee
Connoisseurship
Where Do We Go
From Here?
Gimme! Coffee
Ithaca, New York
Diva Espresso
Seattle, Washington
The Sentient Bean
Savannah, Georgia
From the Publisher
From the Editor
Coffee Resource
Directory 2002
Advertiser Index
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Espresso Exposed
Why the Average Espresso
Is Not What It Seems to Be
by Dr. Joseph John
When I travel around the United States and spend a few days in a major metropolitan
area, I walk or drive around and taste double shots of espresso at local coffee
shops. It's not uncommon for me to try 20 to 24 espressos during a typical stay.
Of these shops, I usually find one, seldom two, serving decent espresso. Occasionally,
these cafés make outstanding espresso, and finding them is like discovering an
oasis in the desert. In most cases, they are independents, owned and operated
by an individual or a partnership.
Based on such experiences, I have often complained that, unlike
in Italy, perhaps less than five percent of all the espresso made in North America
is suitable to be consumed "straight." The rest is fit only for milk-based beverages,
such as cappuccinos and lattes, invariably sweetened with sugar and flavored with
cinnamon, chocolate or syrups. Once, as I lamented the state of American espresso
to a roaster in Oregon, he said that Americans "are completely changing espresso,
doing to Italian espresso what we have already done to Italian pizza." I happen
to disagree.
In the case of pizza, Americans made a significant contribution.
We took what was essentially an appetizer in Italy and piled on enough toppings
to make it a flavorful entree. In the case of espresso, we also made it different,
but not better. In the process, we lost the very soul of espresso—its ability
to communicate the intense flavor of coffee to the person drinking it.
In my opinion, much of what is made and sold as espresso in North
America, regardless of whether it is served straight or in milk-based drinks,
is not espresso at all. To me, it is brewed coffee made with an expensive espresso
machine. Let me explain.
Brewed Coffee & Espresso
Brewed coffee and espresso share a number of common characteristics, which may
explain why many North American practitioners often confuse the two beverages.
Similarities lie in the amount of ground coffee used to prepare a cup of brewed
coffee or a single shot of espresso, in the recommended brew water temperature
range, and in the percent by weight of ground coffee that goes into the beverages.
But there are also important distinctions between brewed coffee
and espresso. In the two cases, the amount of water used is different. Since the
fraction of ground coffee that is dissolved in hot water is the same in both cases,
the espresso turns out to be five to six times stronger than brewed coffee. This
difference in concentration is one of the features that separates a well-made
espresso from brewed coffee, but it's not the only distinction. There is also
a difference in the fineness of grind, because the time of contact of hot water
with ground coffee is shorter during espresso extraction than for brewed coffee.
The following table compares the parameters that are key to brewing a cup of coffee
and extracting an espresso.
 Pressurized
Water Makes All the Difference
To produce a quality espresso requires nearly boiling water at pressures of eight
to 10 bars. The production of hot water at these pressures is the primary function
of an espresso machine. Unfortunately, these high pressures can be used to force
water through the ground coffee too quickly by not grinding the coffee fine enough.
In those cases, coffee gushes out of the portafilter spouts. This rapid process
extracts only the soluble components of ground coffee, making it—technically—brewed
coffee, not espresso.
On one of my many "espresso drive-arounds," I ordered a double
shot of espresso from a coffee bar in Denver and was handed a paper cup with about
four ounces of coffee brewed using an espresso machine. When I pointed out that
the drink took only 14 seconds to make, the apologetic barista said that he could
make it in less than seven seconds if he was really rushed. This is not an uncommon
occurrence.
In espresso preparation, pressurized water is slowed down by using
a finer grind, forcing the hot water molecules to penetrate the interior of the
ground coffee particles and drive out their oils, in addition to extracting the
solubles. Under the intense pressure generated by commercial espresso machines,
oils are extracted from ground coffee, formed into microscopic droplets, and suspended
in liquid coffee concentrate. This colloidal dispersion is what makes espresso,
espresso. All of the energy packed in the pressurized water must be expended during
the emulsification of oils. The resulting espresso oozes out of the portafilter
like warm honey instead of gushing out like water. In fact, a quality espresso
should consist entirely of crema as it flows gently out of the portafilter spout.
The coffee concentrate should slowly separate from the bottom of the crema, somewhat
like Guinness Beer separates from the bottom of the foam. The crema should be
reddish-brown in color, and it should be smooth, rich, velvety, plentiful, and
persistent.
The Significance of Crema
Crema, or coffee foam, is the single most important indicator of a well-made espresso.
First, it signifies that the oils in ground coffee have been emulsified, thereby
qualifying the beverage as espresso. Without crema, it is not espresso. Crema
markedly impacts espresso's mouthfeel, density, viscosity, wetting power, and
foaming ability. Because it captures the intense coffee flavors, crema is as critical
as the liquid coffee underneath.
Crema consists of tiny bubbles containing the vapors released by
the ground coffee particles during the extraction process. These vapors contain
the aroma molecules responsible for the flavor sensation experienced while drinking
espresso. Much of that flavor comes more from the aroma sensation in the nose
than from the taste sensation in the mouth. The role of crema is to capture that
aroma and deliver it to the nose.
Physiology of Flavor Sensation
Flavor, as sensed by the human brain, consists of two main components: taste,
detected by the tongue, and aroma, detected in the nose. Taste is the sensation
produced from the water-soluble material extracted from ground coffee. These consist
of organic oils and fruit acids whose taste sensation ranges from sweet to sour
to bitter, and inorganic mineral salts that account for the saltiness. Aroma is
the sensation produced in the nose from the volatile organic compounds released
by the ground coffee.
Under normal coffee-brewing conditions, these organic compounds
escape into the atmosphere, filling a room with the inviting aroma of coffee.
When the oils in ground coffee emulsify, as in the case of true espresso, the
formation of the oil droplets happens exactly when the aroma molecules are also
released. It is easy to visualize how each bubble consists of a film of oil filled
with gases containing these aromatic compounds. As espresso is consumed, these
oil bubbles burst in the back of the mouth. They release aroma molecules into
the nasal cavity through the pharynx and are detected by the olfactory receptors.
That's how we experience the intense flavors of espresso, the intensity of which
is greatly missing in the consumption of brewed coffee. The released oils coat
one's tongue and limit its ability to detect bitterness. As a result, espresso
tastes sweeter than brewed coffee from the same blend of beans.
It turns out that more of the total flavor sensation is derived
from the nose—in the form of aroma—than from the tongue, in the form of taste.
All the more reason why crema is so critical to the ultimate enjoyment of espresso.
Crema also accounts for the lingering aftertaste that is characteristic
of a well-made espresso. The tiny oil bubbles in crema attach themselves to the
taste buds and subsequently burst, releasing the vapors contained in them into
the nasal cavity. That's why persistence of crema determines longevity of aftertaste.
Crema persistence is one measure of espresso quality; a good espresso should have
crema that lasts well over half an hour before it breaks in the middle to reveal
the dark coffee concentrate underneath. An outstanding espresso has a pleasant
aftertaste that lingers for hours after the drink is consumed.
If espresso can be so clearly defined and the recipe for making
it can be so easily explained and there is a discernable distinction between brewed
coffee and espresso, why does so much brewed coffee pass for espresso in North
America? Some of the blame goes to the poor training of baristi. It's easy to
implement small changes in procedure to prepare true espresso, and it will make
espresso beverages, including those laden with milk, carry the real flavor of
coffee. For example, using a grinder with very sharp burrs to shave the coffee
beans finer and packing the portafilter firmer until espresso extraction is slowed
to 30 seconds will produce a beverage closer to espresso than brewed coffee. Using
coffee beans that are blended specifically for espresso will also make a significant
difference.
Some of the blame must also be borne by consumers, who are still
learning about this foreign beverage. But I believe it is our collective responsibility,
as coffee professionals, to educate consumers about coffee quality. Remember,
just because consumers in North America are not demanding a better espresso does
not give retailers license to make an inferior espresso.
SIDEBAR:
An Eye on Italian Espresso Culture
by Dr. Joseph John
A few summers ago, I spent nearly 10 days in Northern Italy, starting in Milano
and ending in Roma, with stops in and around Torino, Venezia, and Firenze, and
side trips to Pisa and Pistoia. My main objective was to learn as much as I could
about the art and science of Italian espresso—as much as one can in a short trip
of this nature. I drank up to six espressos each day. I avoided the obvious tourist
spots. Instead, I looked for small espresso bars on side streets or street corners
with no place to sit or only three or four small tables. Most of these spots were
frequented by locals. People came in, ordered a "caffe," paid for it, and stood
near the bar. Before preparing the espresso, the barista placed a ceramic saucer
for the demitasse and a small spoon in front of the customer to indicate that
he or she had ordered. The espresso pour always took between 25 and 35 seconds.
In all cases, the single shots were less than one ounce, usually three-quarters
of an ounce. The color was a deep reddish-brown, and the body was thick, with
lots of crema. I watched the locals as they went through the ritual of drinking
espresso. They invariably picked up the cup, twirled it slowly to observe the
quality of the crema as it wetted the side of the cup, raised it to their nose
to smell the vapors, and often took a short sip without sugar. They went on to
add a teaspoon (or two) of sugar, stirred it, drank the espresso in one or two
quick gulps, and walked away. The espressos I drank in Italy were generally very
good—quite different from my experiences in America. I noticed that all Italian
baristi—men and women—were older than the typical barista in America, usually
between 40 and 70 years old. To me, this showed that in Italy, baristi are paid
a living wage (unless they are a member of the owner's family), making it a possible
"career." All of the baristi I met seemed to take pride in their product and their
job. Italians seem to be inducted into espresso culture at a very early age. I
have seen Italian babies, as young as eight months old, being spoon-fed espresso
in cafés. I have even seen young kids push back an espresso as unacceptable only
to be offered another freshly made shot. If this is any indication of true espresso
connoisseurship, America has a long road ahead.
Dr. Joseph John is president of Josuma Coffee Co.
of Menlo Park, Calif., an importer, distributor and wholesale roaster of specialty
coffees. Dr. John is the developer and designer of Malabar Gold, the company's
premium European espresso, patterned after the Italian masters. He has published
numerous articles on coffee subjects, including, "Anatomy of American Espresso"
and "The Art of Blending," both published in Fresh Cup Magazine. He can be reached
at 650/366-5453 or by e-mail at josuma@aol.com
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