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Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

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Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#11

Post by franciscojgo »

ino wrote: post #7
wildmusings wrote: post #4

You can actually simulate this at home with just a moka pot; no need for a fancy ultra-expensive espresso machine. Pour just a tiny amount of the espresso into a cup with sugar and beat it really hard with a spoon. Then pour the rest of the coffee into the same container. Voila, crema, or at least something that looks and feels like crema. I think this is a Cuban-American (maybe originally Cuban) innovation and growi…

Exactly. For best results do it with the very first coffee that rises from the moka.

This. I also boil the water first in the pot, (meanwhile setting the coffee, etc) then take gloves and put the top on. This prevents the ground coffee from overheating and burning. It rises in 5-10 seconds.

Also take the very first coffee that rises.

Oh, I also use a milk frother. Heat milk on the micro and the froth it, making sure only micro bubbles form. And trying to make sure no much air mixes in. (which causes bad big bubbles)

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#12

Post by jazzyk »

nickbauman wrote: post #8
crispyambulance wrote: post #3

Espresso is a remarkable concoction. The crema, aroma, and taste is as much a product of the process (pressure, temperature, time, and dose) as it is the raw ingredients (the beans, roasting, freshness). Everything has to come together at the same time and in the right way with little room for error, otherwise you end up with bitter hot liquid. Pulling a righteous shot of espresso takes a serious amount of practice a…

The coffeeshop in my building (Spyhouse on 945 Broadway) just won #1 roaster in the US award. It takes 3 months for an employee to certify as a barista. The coffee they make is the best tasting espresso I've ever had in my life. Clearly they know what they're doing. The coffeeshop down the street has a similar setup, but it's not even 80% as good. I'm ruined.

For me, the only espresso which comes close to the Italian original (I visit southern Europe every year) is served at Eataly (the Flatiron location in Manhattan). I've tried many smaller coffeshops in Manhattan and Boston - often highly rated on Yelp - but they are not even close. Always a bit burnt or sour - a well done espresso is neither.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#13

Post by saryant »

jazzyk wrote: post #12
nickbauman wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The coffeeshop in my building (Spyhouse on 945 Broadway) just won #1 roaster in the US award. It takes 3 months for an employee to certify as a barista. The coffee they make is the best tasting espresso I've ever had in my life. Clearly they know what they're doing. The coffeeshop down the street has a similar setup, but it's not even 80% as good. I'm ruined.

For me, the only espresso which comes close to the Italian original (I visit southern Europe every year) is served at Eataly (the Flatiron location in Manhattan). I've tried many smaller coffeshops in Manhattan and Boston - often highly rated on Yelp - but they are not even close. Always a bit burnt or sour - a well done espresso is neither.

I've found that there is no correlation between Yelp ratings of a coffeeshop and actual coffee quality. It's just not what reviewers are necessarily looking for, especially compared to things like power outlets and ambience.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#14

Post by wrigby »

nickbauman wrote: post #8
crispyambulance wrote: post #3

Espresso is a remarkable concoction. The crema, aroma, and taste is as much a product of the process (pressure, temperature, time, and dose) as it is the raw ingredients (the beans, roasting, freshness). Everything has to come together at the same time and in the right way with little room for error, otherwise you end up with bitter hot liquid. Pulling a righteous shot of espresso takes a serious amount of practice a…

The coffeeshop in my building (Spyhouse on 945 Broadway) just won #1 roaster in the US award. It takes 3 months for an employee to certify as a barista. The coffee they make is the best tasting espresso I've ever had in my life. Clearly they know what they're doing. The coffeeshop down the street has a similar setup, but it's not even 80% as good. I'm ruined.

Just for the benefit of those looking for great coffee shops, you're speaking of Spyhouse in Minneapolis[1], right?

1: https://foursquare.com/v/spyhouse-coffee/52408489498e959bae4...

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#15

Post by 2AF3 »

nickbauman wrote: post #8
crispyambulance wrote: post #3

Espresso is a remarkable concoction. The crema, aroma, and taste is as much a product of the process (pressure, temperature, time, and dose) as it is the raw ingredients (the beans, roasting, freshness). Everything has to come together at the same time and in the right way with little room for error, otherwise you end up with bitter hot liquid. Pulling a righteous shot of espresso takes a serious amount of practice a…

The coffeeshop in my building (Spyhouse on 945 Broadway) just won #1 roaster in the US award. It takes 3 months for an employee to certify as a barista. The coffee they make is the best tasting espresso I've ever had in my life. Clearly they know what they're doing. The coffeeshop down the street has a similar setup, but it's not even 80% as good. I'm ruined.

Bull Run on Lyndale might be better.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#16

Post by hammock »

wildmusings wrote: post #4

You can actually simulate this at home with just a moka pot; no need for a fancy ultra-expensive espresso machine. Pour just a tiny amount of the espresso into a cup with sugar and beat it really hard with a spoon. Then pour the rest of the coffee into the same container. Voila, crema, or at least something that looks and feels like crema. I think this is a Cuban-American (maybe originally Cuban) innovation and growi…

Espresso machines need not be fancy or ultra-expensive. That's a terrible myth. The best one I've found (in terms of quality espresso and reliability) is the Delonghi basic model and costs $99.[1] The Italian Americans I know also use this model, despite having tried others.

[1]https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-Ma...

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#17

Post by wildmusings »

hammock wrote: post #16
wildmusings wrote: post #4

You can actually simulate this at home with just a moka pot; no need for a fancy ultra-expensive espresso machine. Pour just a tiny amount of the espresso into a cup with sugar and beat it really hard with a spoon. Then pour the rest of the coffee into the same container. Voila, crema, or at least something that looks and feels like crema. I think this is a Cuban-American (maybe originally Cuban) innovation and growi…

Espresso machines need not be fancy or ultra-expensive. That's a terrible myth. The best one I've found (in terms of quality espresso and reliability) is the Delonghi basic model and costs $99.[1] The Italian Americans I know also use this model, despite having tried others. [1] https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-Ma...

I bought this exact one as a Christmas present for my mother back in 2013 and it broke within minutes of use. It felt shoddily built with very flimsy plastic parts. Thankfully Amazon has a great return policy so it was no big deal. I should add that I have a rough touch and it's always possible that that particular unit was defective.

Something else for people to consider: a moka pot will actually make stronger coffee than an espresso machine, so many people might actually prefer a moka pot.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#18

Post by siegecraft »

jazzyk wrote: post #12
nickbauman wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The coffeeshop in my building (Spyhouse on 945 Broadway) just won #1 roaster in the US award. It takes 3 months for an employee to certify as a barista. The coffee they make is the best tasting espresso I've ever had in my life. Clearly they know what they're doing. The coffeeshop down the street has a similar setup, but it's not even 80% as good. I'm ruined.

For me, the only espresso which comes close to the Italian original (I visit southern Europe every year) is served at Eataly (the Flatiron location in Manhattan). I've tried many smaller coffeshops in Manhattan and Boston - often highly rated on Yelp - but they are not even close. Always a bit burnt or sour - a well done espresso is neither.

Doesn't Eataly have various vendors so there's no guarantee that you're getting espresso from the right one? I'm going to be vacationing in the area soon and getting good espresso is on my list.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#19

Post by nathancahill »

I've always loved espresso, and it is indeed difficult to pull a great shot. To learn more about the mechanics of it, I got a manual EspressoForge[0]. Combined with a good manual grinder (Lido 2), a thermometer, a scale, and a pressure gauge, you can control the main variables* by hand. Steep learning curve, but once you get it, there's something immensely satisfying about balancing all the variables and seeing that perfect tiger-stripe crema pour out.

I'll be studying this article for a while.

* I also roast my coffee beans, but a trusted coffee roaster will work too.

[0] http://espressoforge.com/

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#20

Post by HoppedUpMenace »

My first machine to make espresso was a espresso/drip coffee combo. Not knowing any better, I was merely pulling strong coffee and not espresso shots. Then I got a stand alone espresso machine, much closer to the real deal but still a far cry from what a coffee roaster like Temple Coffee could make in their store. Finally, invested in a Breville BES870XL and after many trials and errors, my espresso shots are fairly indistinguishable from what the pros at the coffee roasting shops make.

Getting the beans from a roasting store like Temple or Verve or Ritual (Sac/San Fran area) makes all the difference in the world for taste and crema IMO.

The amount of crema is definitely tied to air exposure so the quicker you can use up your beans the better (under 2 weeks or so from exposure to air). Additionally, its been my experience that I have to adjust the grind setting to 1 step finer if the beans have been sitting for a very long time, past the 2 week mark or so. I do this because at original setting, the extraction begins at a much lower pressure threshold than usual, leading to under-extraction and weak, watered-down espresso with little to no crema. It'd be nice to know if anyone has studied this particular aspect of coffee beans needing to be ground finer to compensate for age to maintain consistency.

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