Espresso Making

By
Elijah Rotholtz
– September 15, 2011Posted in: Technology

Figure #1

Espresso, the exact etymological origins of the word has yet to be pinpointed; however, there are numerous theories, one such theory states that word was created in conjunction with the original presses that made espresso (See Figure #1), others stated that the term was based off of express trains, or expressing the coffee.

Figure #2

Espresso is produced with finely ground coffee, preferably non-oily beans, on a burr grinder. The grinds are subsequently placed into the portafilter, (See Figure #2) tamped at 30lbs then again at 15lbs, and then polished. The portafilter is then inserted into the group-head of the espresso machine, and infused with 200° water, with 135lbs of pressure for 25-30 seconds, creating precisely 1oz of caramel red espresso. Coffee beans that are both freshly ground and roasted are preferable for espresso making.

As a side-note, an incredibly common mistake whilst preparing drip coffee is that people will grind the beans finely, when instead they should be grinding the aforementioned beans coarsely.

What do you think? Do you have any tips, tricks, or drinks? Tell us in the comments section below.

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