Coffee Making

Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Caffeinated coffee has a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.

Coffee Making:

1. Machine – The best machines have a durable portafilter and filter basket, a good-sized boiler and a traditional frothing wand without “convenient” gizmos.
2. Grinder – The grinder is the roadie of the espresso world, the show couldn’t go on without it. It is the important as the espresso machine. Espresso is best when its sub-process are quick and efficient. Coffee beans should be ground mere moments before brewing, with a grind that is as uniform and as even as possible.
3. Blend – coffee is seasonal. It has a short shelf life and in its best forms, can taste wildly different depending on its origin, roast level and blend components.
4. Mano (You) – Even with the best equipment and the finest beans, espresso doesn’t make itself. Whether your shot is bitter or sour, or a creamy, balanced elixir with a lovely lingering aftertaste, is up to you. You’ve selected your tools. You’ve kept them clean and well maintained. You’ve bought fresh beans and ground them just moments before brewing. You’ve preheated your cups. Now it’s time to pull that perfect shot.

The Beans

There are over 30 species of the coffee genus, the major commercial coffee beans come from Arabica and Robusta trees.

• Arabica, named for the Arabs, is the better and more expensive of the two. These trees grow in semitropical climates near the equator, both in the western and eastern hemispheres, at high altitudes. Because ripe Arabica cherries (unroasted beans) fall to the ground and spoil, they must be carefully monitored and picked at intervals, which increases production costs.

Arabica is smooth and mellow. It has a round taste that is both rich and delicate, with good acidity. This does not refer to an actual degree of acidity, but to sharp and pleasing taste that is neither sour nor sweet.

If your coffee is Columbian, it will probably say Arabica on the side or back of the package, since this country produces nothing else. Guatemala, El Salvador, Tanzania and Kenya also produce all Arabica beans.

• Robusta trees, which are grown exclusively in the eastern hemisphere, also thrive in equatorial climates but at low altitudes. Their cherries require less care since they remain on the tree after they ripen. Robusta beans have twice the caffeine of Arabica, but less flavor. Some supermarkets carry Arabica, but most of their brands are Robusta.

Most Robusta coffee is of a lower grade and inferior to Arabica, there is a premium crop that is the top of the line for robusta beans. Premium robusta is primarily used in specialty espresso blends, and is never found in canned coffee. Though it only constitutes 5-15% of the blend, it is used because these beans add body to the blend in a cappuccino or latté. Premium robusta should only be used for espresso and not other brewing methods.

Tools in coffee making:

1. Grinder
2. Coffee Machine
3. Portafilter
4. Tamper
5. Coffee beans

To make many of the specialty coffee drinks, you need to be able to pull a great shot of espresso. Unfortunately, good espresso is not easy to make-it takes practice.

1. Make sure that the portafilter is dry. Dose the espresso from your grinder or doser into the portafilter. The doser should be set, preferably by the machine supplier, to dose consistently.
2. Place the portafilter on a hard surface-an insulating mat or steel plate works best since countertopscan easily be damage through the constant banging-and use the tamper to pack the grounds into the portafilter. Give the grounds a good hard tamp, twisting the tamper at the end to flatten the surface.
3. Fit the portafilter firmly into the espresso machine group. Make sure that the portafilter is tight and secure placed. Begin brewing.
4. After brewing, remove the portafilter, dump the spent grounds, clean, and return it to its group. The portafilter should always be stored in a group, as this will keep it warm and makes for a better shot of espresso.

The ideal temperature for brewing espresso is 195-197°F (90-91°C), and the ideal pressure is 135 PSI or 9 bars of pressure. Run one to one and a half ounces of water through the espresso for every shot (about 7 grms). If you have automatic machine, the machine will run through the right amount of water at the press of a button. If not you will need to use a timer or a clear shot glass to make sure you get the right amount.

Espresso is produced when 45 ml. of filtered water, at a temperature of 195°F. Forced through 7 to 9 grams of finely ground, quality espresso-roasted beans at approximately 60 kilo grams per square inch at 9 atmospheres of pressure, within the water in direct contact with the coffee for approximately 20-25 seconds.

Coffee Drinks:

1. Espresso – 30ml of intense, dark coffee capped by a honey brown layer of cream; should be rich and full-bodied, not thin or watery.
2. Ristretto – very short shot, about 15ml of espresso. An intense, concentrated version of espresso.
3. Americano – a shot of espresso with hot water added.
4. Doppio – also known as double espresso.
5. Flat white – just a no-nonse milky coffee-espresso with hot milk, no froth.
6. Latté – espresso with hot milk and a small head of dense froth, usually served in a glass.
7. Cappuccino – a shot of espresso with densely frothed milk poured into it and dusted with chocolate powder.
8. Macchiato – espresso with a dash of milk added. Some cafés will use a dash of foam; others a dash of milk and froth, or even just a splash of cold milk. They are all correct.

Tools in steaming, frothing and foaming milk

1. Milk pitcher
2. Thermometer
3. Damp Cloth
4. Spoon or spatula
5. Milk

The type of milk can be used:

1. Cow’s milk
2. Goat’s milk
3. Flavored milk, etc..

In choosing milk, consider the type and the fat percentage. The fat percentage basically means the amount of fat in the milk, it is recommended to use the whole cream as the default milk. Whole milk is the most popular type, and don’t forget the whipped cream.

Steaming of milk

1. Fill your steaming pitcher up to ¾ full with milk.

2. Clean the steaming wand of the espresso machine by sending a short blast of steam through it then wiping it with a cloth that you keep especially for this purpose.

3. Place the steam wand well below the surface of the milk and turn on the steam lever.

4. Use a milk thermometer to test the temperature. It should not exceed 150°F.

5. Turn the steam off, remove the pitcher and clean the steaming wand with a cloth before the next batch.

Foaming of milk

1. Fill the milk pitcher with very cold milk up to 1/3 full.

· Foaming triples the milk’s volume

1. Clean the steaming wand of the espresso machine by sending a short blast of steam through it then wiping it with a cloth that you keep especially for this purpose.
2. Place the tip of the steaming wand just below the surface of the milk and turn on the steam. You need to mix air with the milk to create the bubbles, and if you place the tip of the wand right, the milk will roll as it mixes with the air.
3. Gradually lower the pitcher as the top of the milk foams, so that the wand always stays just below the surface of the milk.
4. With steaming, heat the milk just over 150°F, using a milk thermometer to track the temperature.
5. Turn the steam off, remove the pitcher and clean the steaming wand before the next batch.

Water for Espresso

Water for coffee should be pure and odor free. Charcoal filtering to remove chlorine and sediments from municipal water is a good idea. Further filtering is required if the water is from a well having iron, sulfur, heavy metals, or organic contaminations. Also consider bottled water.

Coffee Storage tips:

1. Always store coffee away from its natural enemies: light, heat, oxygen and humidity.
2. Purchase coffee as whole beans and grind your own just before you use it so that the coffee will stay fresh longer.
3. If possible, purchase only a week’s worth of coffee beans at a time. Store ground coffee or whole coffee in an airtight, opaque canister to prevent light from coming through.
4. Ceramic or glass canisters with metal rings that latch hut are also ideal containers for coffee.
5. Never use a plastic or metal container. These substances produce a fair amount of flavor migration and penetration, which will corrupt the coffee.
6. Keep beans whole until you are ready to grind; then immediately brew the coffee, and grind only what you need.

Types of Espresso grinders

1. Blade Grinder – is the cheapest and the most straight forward coffee grinder.
2. Burr Grinder – there are two types of burr grinder:

· Flat blade comes with 2 flat and parallel blade burrs that provide shearing effect on the coffee beans.

· Conical has two cone shaped burrs facing each other at a distance that determine the grind size.

Types of Coffee Machine

1. Manual Machines – referred to as lever espresso machines.

2. Semi Automatic Machines – these feature an automated pump, automated temperature controls for the boiler and activation switches to engage and disengage the pump.

3. Automatic Machines – these feature a pump, automated temperature controls for the boiler, and automated preset water volumes selected by pressing a button.

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Tags: coffee, Coffee Making, how to make coffee

Category: Meryenda at Dessert