ESPRESSO
Careful bean selection and roasting style are what make our espresso so exceptional. Heavy bodied, low acid coffees are the core of our blend. We have found that roasting those coffees in the Northern Italian tradition (not too dark) and blending them in proportions which highlight their finest characteristics yields an espresso with irresistible body and flavor.
Sure, anyone can make “espresso” but the chances are pretty good that the resulting beverage will leave much to be desired; little to no crema, thin body, a bitter or sour taste. Sound familiar?
Fortunately it doesn’t have to be that way. However, one must first understand the factors that go into pulling a truly great shot of espresso. They include:
* coffee
* water
* equipment
* grind
* tamp
* extraction
Variations in any of these factors can have a dramatic impact on the flavor of your espresso, therefore proper technique is extremely important.
ESPRESSO EXTRACTION
To experience the finest qualities our espresso has to offer, please follow these guidelines:
1. Make sure that your espresso machine is equipped with the proper water filtration for your area (call us if you are unsure about this).
2. Adjust your machine to dispense 203.5F water at 9 Bar pump pressure. (Contact us if your machine is located above 3000 feet in altitude and we can help compensate your set point.)
3. Rinse group heads and wipe porta-filters dry before each extraction.
4. Always grind just prior to extraction and grind only enough for one extraction at a time.
5. Use enough coffee! For a double espresso we recommend using 18+ grams of coffee. To achieve a consistent dose amount, we suggest dosing the coffee evenly into the porta-filter so that it is just over full. Then distribute and level the dose in the porta-filter with a leveling device.
6. Apply a soft pre-tamp to the dose, knock the porta-filter lightly with the handle of the tamper, apply a level 30lb tamp and rotate the tamper one half a turn to polish the surface of the tamped dose. For a double extraction, balance your grind size and tamp to yield 2 ounces in 25 seconds. Periodically use a timer and a shot glass to make sure you’re on the mark. Be fanatical. Also, be aware that relative humidity and coffee freshness can dramatically alter extraction rates.
7. Enjoy immediately!
We carefully roast and blend this coffee to bring out the finest qualities of espresso coffee–sweet caramel, chocolate, spice and hints of dried fruit. Our proprietary blend includes aged and conditioned coffees from Asia and the Americas. To attain this perfection, we source coffees that are naturally very low in acidity and extraordinarily high in body. When the otherwise subtle and delicate flavors of these coffees are concentrated through the high-pressure extraction of the espresso machine, their qualities are magnified to an essential level. When extracted properly, our espresso features a thick reddish brown crema with a sweet, nutty aroma, syrupy mouth-feel, and a long, smooth finish. We love to talk about espresso so please contact us if you have any questions.
We love to talk about coffee so please contact us if you have any questions.