The Art of Coffee: A Melbourne Barista Explains Espresso Basics
Espresso is a small, concentrated coffee made by forcing hot water, at roughly 90–96°C, through finely ground coffee under about 9 bars of pressure. A well-made shot takes around 25–30 seconds. It is the base for almost every café drink you’ll order in Melbourne, including flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos and long blacks. What separates a good espresso from a poor one is control over five things: dose, grind, yield, time and freshness. Once you know how they fit together, you can taste the difference in your cup and order with confidence. What exactly is espresso? Espresso is a brewing method, not a type of bean. Any coffee can be brewed as espresso if it is ground finely and extracted under pressure. The result is a short, syrupy shot topped with crema , the reddish-brown foam formed when pressure emulsifies the coffee’s oils with dissolved gas. Crema is a good sign of freshness, but it isn’t a guarantee of flavour. What are the five variables behind every shot? A barista adjus...