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Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

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Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#111

Post by inflagranti »

netghost wrote: post #97
bch wrote: post #94

I can't believe David Schomer's name hasn't come up yet, and only a passing reference to his shop Espresso Vivace. ftfa: > Only recently, some aspects of the Physics and Chemistry behind the espresso coffee foam have attracted the attention of scientists. Leaving the weasel-words aside, David at least initiated work on creama (and much more) in 1990s w/ his work, recorded in Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques[0…

Vivace is certainly one of my favorite coffee shops in Seattle. Thanks for the background, I never knew all the work that was going into my cup.

Yeah I thought the same! Definitely been my favorite coffee in Seattle, especially the Nico, which I haven't found anywhere else. Now that I know they actually did all that research I like it even more :)

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#112

Post by bduerst »

HoppedUpMenace wrote: post #20

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…

Just got the BES870XL last weekend, and have been using Four Barrel Friendo Blendo espresso. It's been fantastic, though I wish the steamer was a bit stronger.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#113

Post by the-dude »

lobster_johnson wrote: post #55
hammock wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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...

Those cheap plastic coffee machines actually are pretty poor, and tend to break fast -- planned obsolescence at its finest. I recommend going a step up and buying something like a Rancilio Silva [1]. All metal, has replaceable, serviceable parts, has a good community of tweakers who document mods for things like temperature control, lasts practically for ever. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-Espresso-Machine-Stai…

Silvia, not Silvia.

And then fit a https://mecoffee.nl PID.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#114

Post by WilliamDhalgren »

js2 wrote: post #62
BurningFrog wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could it be that taste differs in different parts of the world? Just trying to have everyone get along and get to be right.

American coffee snob here (not that I necessarily have good taste though): I was blown away by the espresso in Italy. On a two-week trip, every espresso I had there was better than any espresso I've had in the U.S. Which isn't to say I haven't had great coffee in America, just not great espresso. I think mostly Americans just don't care about espresso. Pet peeve: high-end restaurants in the U.S. mostly don't care abo…

So if not espresso, what kind of coffee do Americans drink, but that's any good?

I'm just very used to italian-style espresso in the cafés and turkish at home, as that's the cultural norm around here (croatian adriatic coast; basically ex-venetian colony ;) ).

I'd like to give other styles a shot, but only provided they're worth a damn. Can't say I've been impressed by whatever the muck they serve at McDonald's is, or by home drip machines. Nor instant ofc...

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#115

Post by toyg »

bkkk wrote: post #104
toyg wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of quality Italian coffees are marketed as 100% arabica. This said, I've never worked behind the bar and the Italian food industry is very crafty, so anything's possible.

You sure they are blends for espresso? Italian brands or "american" brands. Not sure about the authority of this page: > Most of these Italian blends (Illy is the exception) clearly make effective and imaginative use of coffees of the robusta species http://www.coffeereview.com/italy-seen-from-america-nine-gen...

Well, in Italy it's all either for espresso or "moka" (percolator), used more or less interchangeably (with different results of course).

http://www.lavazza.co.uk/uk/at-home/blends/caffe-espresso.ht...

(Lavazza has a number of other "100% arabica", including Qualità Oro that is more or less the golden standard - pun intended).

http://www.segafredo.it/it/a-casa/caffe/moka/emozioni-100-ar...

Illy we already said.

I personally don't wander beyond these three vendors (Segafredo is from my hometown, Lavazza is the most ubiquitous, Illy is the mainstream high-quality choice), but there are likely more. To be fair, there are also a lot of Robusta mixes as you go down, but the "100% arabica" brands is firmly at the high end.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#116

Post by DiabloD3 »

zero_iq wrote: post #72
DiabloD3 wrote: post #68

Surprised to see no mention of the Aeropress yet. Only way I'll make coffee.

Me too. I got one about 9 months ago, after wasting my life with various machines, moka pots, etc. Ditched them all after trying the Aeropress, with the "inverted method". Looks like some kind of cheap plastic sex toy, but goddammit it makes fantastic coffee.

So it is a cheap plastic sex toy then ;)

A good cup of coffee is about as good a sex. It's in the same ballpark.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#117

Post by wildmusings »

tedmiston wrote: post #89
ino wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

I read that before, but what do you mean exactly? Do you pick up the moka while it's still bubbling and pour?

Yes, exactly that.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#118

Post by meowface »

sjg007 wrote: post #109
meowface wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thoughts on Lavazza? I've settled on them for all of my home espresso making, and I think it tastes great. Definitely open to alternatives, though. (Local specialty shops isn't really an option for me; online ordering preferred.)

Not a fan. Illy is by far the best option for espresso. Otherwise the best cheap alternative I've found is actually cafe la llave. Makes a great espresso and americano.

Thanks for the tip. I'm hunting around for alternatives, and will try a few to see if I prefer them to Lavazza.

Re: Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam

#119

Post by dougk16 »

brianwawok wrote: post #100
dougk16 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The amount of crema is definitely tied to air exposure so the quicker you can use up your beans the better Check out this simple vacuum sealer: http://www.pump-n-seal.com/ No affiliation, I've just been using this device for years. It's basically a simple bike pump in reverse. Put your coffee in a mason jar, give it a few good pumps, and you have delicious crema for weeks and weeks. Every time you pop the top the aro…

Coffee shops go through 5 bags of beans a day. I doubt they have as many stale bean problems.

Coffee shops that have single-origin beans only used for pour overs, french press, etc., can typically use the same bag over the course of at least multiple days, sometimes weeks. Two shops around me at least keep them in nice jars, but no vacuum sealing.
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