ESPRESSO

IN FRANCE, WE LOVE OUR "PETIT NOIR" DRUNK ON THE TERRACE WITH FRIENDS OR ALONE WITH OUR NEWSPAPERS. ITALIANS PREFER IT EVEN SMALLER ("RISTRETTO") STANDING AT THE COUNTER. MORE AND MORE ANGLO-SAXONS ARE STARTING TO APPRECIATE IT, EVEN IF A LARGE MAJORITY STILL PREFERS IT MIXED WITH MILK. TO EACH HIS OWN. BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS AN ESPRESSO?

THIS SHORT COFFEE IS KNOWN FOR ITS INTENSITY, WHICH COMES FROM ITS SMALL VOLUME AND THE PRESSURE EXERTED DURING ITS EXTRACTION.

ACCORDING TO THE SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION, "ESPRESSO IS A 25-35 ML BEVERAGE PREPARED FROM 7-9 GRAMS OF COFFEE THROUGH WHICH DRINKING WATER AT 90.5-96.1°C HAS BEEN FORCED AT 9-10 HPA (ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE) AND WITH A COFFEE GRIND PRODUCING AN EXTRACTION BETWEEN 20 AND 30 SECONDS."

THE 20-30 SECOND RANGE IS A PARAMETER TO REMEMBER. HOWEVER, KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE IS NO HARD AND FAST RULE ABOUT TIMING. THE FLOW OF COFFEE DURING EXTRACTION DEPENDS ON MANY FACTORS, INCLUDING GRIND SIZE, COFFEE ORIGIN, ROAST PROFILE, PERSONAL PREFERENCE, AND MORE.

TO PUT IT SIMPLY, THERE ARE 3 MAIN PARAMETERS TO CONSIDER WHEN EXTRACTING AN ESPRESSO:

1 - THE EXTRACTION RATIO REPRESENTS THE RATIO BETWEEN THE DOSE OF COFFEE BEANS AND THE DOSE OF WATER IN A SHOT. IT AFFECTS THE TASTE AND THE LENGTH OF YOUR ESPRESSO MORE THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR. STARTING WITH A 1:2 RATIO IS A GOOD RULE OF THUMB.

2 - EXTRACTION TIME IS PURELY DEFINED BY GRIND SIZE. IF YOUR RATIO IS REACHED TOO QUICKLY, THEN YOU NEED TO REFINE YOUR GRIND; IF IT IS REACHED TOO SLOWLY, YOU NEED TO COARSEN IT.

3 - THE EXTRACTION TEMPERATURE SHOULD ONLY BE MODIFIED TO ADJUST THE TASTE OF AN ESPRESSO EXTRACTED WITH A MACHINE THAT KEEPS THE TEMPERATURES EXTREMELY STABLE. NORMALLY, LIGHTER ROASTS AND HIGHER EXTRACTION RATIOS REQUIRE HIGHER EXTRACTION TEMPERATURES, WHILE DARKER ROASTS AND LOWER EXTRACTION RATIOS WILL REQUIRE LOWER EXTRACTION TEMPERATURES.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT ESPRESSO, BUT YOU ARE ALREADY EQUIPPED WITH A GOOD BASE TO UNDERSTAND THIS TYPICALLY FRENCH DRINK. ENJOY YOUR ESPRESSO...!