41
votes
Accepted
Is Nespresso 'real' espresso?
Akin to the simultaneous fates of Schrödinger's Cat, answers to your question include no, maybe, and it doesn't matter. I have furthermore been unable to avoid philosophical diversion and hypothetical ...
- 8,535
26
votes
Accepted
Why do the coffee shops give sparkling water along with the Espresso?
Most people drink espresso not just because it is hot, strong and contains caffeine, but because it is very rich and flavorful. The water is intended to cleanse your palate before the first sip so ...
- 746
24
votes
Accepted
What is a shot?
They are referring to a "shot" of espresso. The Italian standards are that it is a volume of 25 mL plus or minus ten percent. Additional shots in a drink indicate more espresso flavor and ...
- 6,465
23
votes
Accepted
I run my espresso machine until my whole cup is full. What's my coffee called?
I'd say that it's a caffè crema which is generally made the way you make your coffee and is about 240 ml. It's about 3 times more water than a normale.
- 376
18
votes
Accepted
Coffee Bean Vs Espresso Bean
First of all, there is no difference in the beans themselves. They all come from either Robusta or Arabica plants. The roast doesn't vary either. You can use any kind of roast for your espresso, it's ...
- 7,035
17
votes
Accepted
Ground coffee or beans
Ground beans have a much larger surface area by weight than whole beans. When the surface of the bean is exposed to air chemical reactions take place. I doubt that these reactions have been completely ...
- 1,267
16
votes
Accepted
Latte: Milk before or after coffee?
Oh, the famous latte!
Apparently hardly anyone knows that it simply means "milk" in Italian, so technically calling a coffee drink "latte" is pure nonsense.
So where does the coffee shop staple ...
- 3,953
15
votes
Accepted
Do I need to use a tamp if using a Moka pot stove top espresso maker?
You should not tamp the coffee in a Moka. These pots don't like excessive pressure, which tamping would produce due to increased density. This is also why the water should not cover the steam valve. ...
- 1,498
14
votes
Accepted
Should I thoroughly clean the portafilter basket between shots?
There's a trade-off here. If you're working in a fast-paced coffee shop, you're likely to favour the faster option (knock out the coffee) over cleaning. Generally knocking out the coffee will get rid ...
- 7,035
14
votes
How should I order an espresso to get a less sour shot?
Here's a few thoughts based on what causes sourness/acidity in coffee and ways to temper it.
Order an espresso lungo. Sourness (acidity) is characteristic of the "stuff" that is extracted relatively ...
- 8,535
14
votes
I run my espresso machine until my whole cup is full. What's my coffee called?
I would also go for caffè crema (more water than a lungo). There is no strict agreement on at how much water does it stop being a lungo and starts being a crema. But I guess "lungo" is more well known ...
- 141
12
votes
Should I thoroughly clean the portafilter basket between shots?
To Expand on @Tom Medley's Answer; the pivotal questions are:
How much time is lapsing between pulls of espresso?
Are you pulling the same espresso?
The portafilter should be rinsed with the ...
- 1,711
12
votes
Accepted
End result of Americano vs Long Black?
The crema definitely affects the initial taste of the coffee, that's where the concentrated notes of whatever bean you're using is going to be found.
I make a long black by:
Pour 3/4 cup of hot ...
- 2,746
12
votes
How can I maximize the time the "high" lasts?
Without considering the amount or potency of the coffee as well as setting personal metabolism aside, you could adjust your coffee schedule according to your natural circadian rhythm, a methodology ...
- 391
12
votes
What are the 4M's of espresso?
4M is a term mainly used among Italians for espresso. It is a placeholder for four words that start with "M" in Italian that affects espresso preparation. Some information can be found here.
These M'...
- 7,668
11
votes
Accepted
Procedure for making a Caffe Americano
Yes. Adding water to Espresso is considered an Americano. Doing it the other way around is called a Long Black.
According to that article and below sources, the Long Black preserves the crema, ...
- 6,465
11
votes
Accepted
Why does coffee taste better out of ceramic cups compared to a paper cup?
Both cup material and temperature are in play here, I think.
A big part of the coffee taste (and experience as a whole) is the aroma. I personally find that paper cups (not surprisingly) smell and ...
- 8,535
11
votes
Accepted
How to (re-)calibrate an espresso machine and grinder setup?
This answer addresses a "standard" semi-automatic espresso machine with a separate grinder. Specifically the LaMarzocco and Astoria grinder, but the ideas should generalize to other machines ...
- 1,052
11
votes
Why do the coffee shops give sparkling water along with the Espresso?
Cleansing the palate for the coffee is a good explanation. Yet there is another tradition of serving water with espresso or coffee, where the water is drunk after the coffee:
In Viennese coffee houses ...
- 3,953
11
votes
How can I improve this latte?
I own this machine and have since moved on from it for the exact reasons you stated.
It is possible to create microfoam that is good enough for making clearly defined latte art on the Delonghi Dedica ...
- 1,301
10
votes
Accepted
How much caffeine is in an espresso shot?
According to caffeineinformer, there is 77 mg of caffeine in 1½ shots of espresso.
Comparatively, an 8 oz. cup of brewed coffee comes in at 163 mg of caffeine.
There is roughly 1/2 as much caffeine ...
- 777
10
votes
Which of these espresso variant contain more caffeine?
Lets's do some Espresso math:
Taking an espresso12 as base unit, we can conclude:
A ristretto3 uses less (typically: half as much) water than an espresso for the same amount of grounds. This means ...
- 3,953
10
votes
Which of these espresso variant contain more caffeine?
To say which of these has the most caffeine is a little bit complex, as it depends on if you mean how much caffeine per ounce vs. how much caffeine in the drink in its entirety. To start, let's ...
- 201
10
votes
Why do the coffee shops give sparkling water along with the Espresso?
There is an alternative to the accepted answer. In many Middle Eastern countries water is served as a matter of course with espresso. In very hot weather, even people accustomed to the heat may forget ...
- 1,267
9
votes
What is a shot?
A "shot" in this context usually means one ounce, or so, of espresso. So a cup of coffee with two extra shots would be a cup of coffee with approximately two ounces of espresso added.
- 1,725
9
votes
How to preserve crema when pouring a shot into a drink?
This link from Seasoned Advice might help you. The accepted answer recommends to use an espresso brew pitcher and how to use it. The answer suggests two main things:
a vessel with a pour spout helps ...
- 1,852
9
votes
Accepted
Steam-Powered Espresso Machine: Crema?
There are a few reasons why you might not get a good crema:
Stale coffee
Coffee not ground fine enough
Pressure too low
With a steam-powered espresso machine (especially if it's an entry level ...
- 746
9
votes
Accepted
What are the cheapest options for making good quality espresso at home?
It is slightly dependent on your personal definition of espresso. Also the choice depends on how easy you want its operation to be.
The moka pot is certainly the cheapest espresso-type device. ...
- 1,498
9
votes
Accepted
How to order Caffe Macchiato and be sure you get one?
The problem with ordering a "Macchiato" is that it's only half of the name of a traditional coffee drink.
"Macchiato" means "stained" or "flecked" and not more.
In Italy, you have either
Latte ...
- 3,953
8
votes
Coffee Bean Vs Espresso Bean
There is no actual difference between "espresso beans" and "coffee beans"; in reality, they are both just "coffee beans". When you see something packaged as "espresso beans" or "espresso roast" it is ...
- 713
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