Espresso ristretto is a double
strength, bitter tasting espresso.
Grinding - the success of the es-
presso depends on how coarse or fine
the coffee beans are ground. If the
grinds are too coarse, the water flows
through too quickly and does not cre-
ate sufficient pressure to release the
aroma. If the grinds are too fine, it hin-
ders the flow of water, so the prepara-
tion time is too long and the espresso
will taste bitter. In a humid atmosphere
the beans swell more, so they should
be ground more finely.
Macchiato is espresso with a dollop of
hot, foamed milk giving a dappled
(macchiato) appearance.
Pressure is important as it releases the
suspended particles in the coffee
which give it its aroma. If the pressure
is too low, the aroma can not fully de-
velop. If it is too high, it releases tannin
creating a bitter flavor. Pressure is also
important for creating the crema.
Pre-warming the cups is recom-
mended to prevent the espresso from
cooling too quickly.
Quantity - the quantity of ground cof-
fee used for each cup can be set be-
tween 6 and 9g per cup, depending on
taste. Generally 6 to 7g are used for a
cup of espresso, but there are no abso-
lute rules.
Robusta is a cheaper coffee bean. It
is round and convex with an almost
straight groove. The caffeine content is
around 2 to 2.5%. It is more bitter than
the Arabica bean.
Roasting is very important for the fla-
vor and caffeine content of espresso.
Roasting releases the ethereal oils
which create aroma and flavor. As
roasting concentrates the flavor it
burns off the caffeine, so the darker the
roast, the lower the caffeine content.
Lightly roasted beans have an acidic
flavor, dark roasted beans taste more
bitter.
Storage - coffee is best kept in the re-
frigerator to preserve the aroma.
Water hardness can affect the flavor of
the coffee. Water harder than
700 ppm (40 gr/gal), should be mixed
with an equal amount of non carbo-
nated mineral water.
Glossary
69
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