Windows

Espresso!

Posted by on Jan 16, 2008 | 3 Comments

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/wypirPKIWfU" width="350" height="288" wmode="transparent" /]

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Pixle101 made this list as a reply to my perfect coffee video. He has tried the French press, and while he agrees it is great for brew coffee, he loves latte and au lait. So here are his 5 Tips to Espresso.

  • Buy a quality espresso machine. I do not recommend buying the cheapest brewer. On that note, there is no need in buying a fancy machine that will have so many features you will not need. Find one that will take metal pods. Start between the $180-$300 price range and you should be good. Make sure it has a steam arm that is long enough for you to start frothing your milk from the bottom.
  • Buy espresso ground. Espresso ground is like powder. If you really want to use coffee, then get a quality grinder that will grind the beans evenly and as fine as possible. I have not had any luck finding a grinder that would make the coffee so fine that it looks like dust. If you do use regular coffee, then make sure you use the correct pod. The pod will usually have one drip hole when compared to the espresso ones. Pack the pod as tight as you can. Do not buy Starbucks coffee. It is way overpriced. I recommend Peet’s, Port City Java, or New Orleans blend Community Coffee. Do not – I repeat – DO NOT use pre-packaged paper pods. They restrict a lot of water flow through the coffee, and do not offer a full flavor like the metal pods do.
  • Learn how to froth the milk. This is the most important step for latte. Frothing is easy, but when you can start at the bottom and work your way up, it steams the milk more evenly. (Thus the first tip on the steam tip being long) Use a metal cup with a wide diameter about 2″. Start as far down as your steam nozzle will let you and work in circles like a spiral. It does not matter what direction you use. when the milk begins to expand towards the top, work the nozzle up slowly to get evenly steam the milk.
  • Learn all the different types of coffees you can make with an espresso machine. There are many types of coffee to include the latte, cafe au lait, macchiato, or just about any coffee you see at your favorite coffee house.
  • Experiment with the amount of espresso, foam, and steamed milk you use. Try steaming the espresso and milk together in the same cup. Spoon the milk out instead of pouring it. try taking just the foam first then pouring the milk in. Its your cup of joe, go crazy and make your own recipe. Almost all coffee flavors in the coffee house are made by putting a shot of coffee flavor in the cup. Mocha is the only one I’ve heard of that you can do without flavor. Maybe someone can make a top 5 on a mocha cappuccino.
  • Chuck Whitaker

    There are a number of really nice grinders out there and they are key to a good espresso: if you have $400 budget, spend $300 on the grinder and $100 on the espresso machine.

    There’s a bit of science to making a good espresso: Grind must be consistent and not too fine or too course (you’ll probably have to change grinder settings for different roasts), the amount used must be correct along with the pressure applied with the tamp. The water temperature and pressure are important as is the pull time. Check out http://www.1st-cup.com/education/fundamentals.html.

    Getting proper equipment and investing a little time and effort into getting these steps right can be very rewarding. You’ll discover that it’s NOT necessary to add whip cream, chocolate, and carmel frapacrapo–or even sugar!

  • Rick

    What does expresso/expresso machines in any way shape or form have to do with Windows Fanatics?
    I signed up to obtain tips and information on Windows, not how to make coffee!
    What a waste of space and time – I value my time and I subscribe only to see if there’s any useful information on Windows applications – I certainly don’t need to plow through a bunch of useless information on how to buy and make a cup of coffee.

  • Evan

    Sorry but if you want to use the steam to froth your milk and create foam that can keep the sugar sitting on top for a few min (or until you stir it in)
    you take any cylindrical container 2″ to about 4″ in diameter and about 6-8 inches tall (I use the glass I am making the latte for). Fill the glass about 1/3 the way up (2/3rds empty). place the nozzle at the bottom of the glass and turn on the steam about 3/4 throttle. After the liquid starts moving raise the steam nozzle so that it is right near the surface. If you come too far out it will blow the milk around. when you hit the proper depth it will start to suck air into the steam and blow it into the milk creating a Shhhhhhhhhhh type sound. As you create the foam slowly lower the glass to maintain the sound (remember not to blow the milk around) I find that tilting the glass about 10-15 degrees from vertical in the direction that the nozzle is bent (parallel with the nozzle?) it works best. You will notice as you near 3/4 filled that it will start to slow down the speed it makes foam at if it wont make any more then stop. as you get better, you can take less than a third of the volume of the glass in milk and foam it to fill the glass to over-flow. (whole milk works best to learn with) SOUND IS EVERYTHING!!! if you start to get a deeper and deeper tone to the steam you are starting to boil the milk. AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE… take a glass/cup of water. Place the nozzle about 3/4 the way into the water and turn on the steam 3-4 to full blast. Listen to the sound of the steam. As the water gets hotter it changes to a lower and lower tone until the water is actually boiling. The same tonal qualities apply to the milk. As long as the tone is a shhhhh not a quoooo your doing good… (Making Foam with steam is a LOST art form… It drives me nuts every time I ask someone to make a Latte or a Mocha with foamed milk and I hear them boil it … the result is a hot milk with little to no foam AND THAT’S JUST WRONG!!!!
    This link has a video showing (mostly) how to do it correctly:
    http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/coffeetime/_sgt/m1m2_1.htm
    Thanks