How to Make Espresso Coffee

Coffee Drinks & How to Make Them

Espresso coffee is one much cherished aspect of Italian culture which has conquered the world, much like pizza, cafes all over the world are now fitted with espresso machines which make wonderful coffee. The espresso machine has truly taken the world by storm with its shiny machinery, techniques and drinking rituals, menu lists and jargon, they speak to us of espresso, ristretto, latte, and crema. Most of all it is the rediscovered appeal of the splendid aromatic, syrupy taste and creamy heaviness of espresso and delicate clouds of milk foam floating on top that have caused this love affair with the simple espresso.

Types of Espresso
Espresso is a style of brewing, the product of the method and a component of many other styles of drink as you will see.

Espresso
Finely ground high roasted coffee (7grammes/1 shot), extracted under high pressure, heated water to a total volume never to exceed 2fl oz or a single shot glass. This is a strong black coffee served in a delicate porcelain/glass cup. For a larger drink, you could double up on the measures and water volume - Double Espresso!

Espresso Macchiato
This is a normal espresso with a dash of foamed milk on top.

Espresso Romano
This is a normal espresso served with a piece of lemon peel.

Espresso Ristretto
A shot of coffee with half the amount of water - 1fl oz. Obviously this is a very strong coffee as it is not as diluted with water.

Espresso Corretto
A cup of normal espresso laced with a liqueur. A favourite used in Northern Italy is grappa.

Espresso Con Panna
A normal espresso topped with whipped cream

Double Espresso
Double the coffee (2 shots/14g) and double the heated water.

Americano
A normal espresso lengthened with hot water. For a larger drink you can use a double espresso base and more hot water. Drink black or add milk to taste.

Frothing Milk for Espresso Based Beverages
There has been an 'argument' amongst us barista's for an age now about which milk is best for frothing, in my findings in my own coffee bar I have found that any milk or milk substitute can be frothed, we have used all types of milk, including sheep and goats milk we also successfully froth Soya milk. My advice to you is to use what ever you already drink at home, however this said, occasionally, even if you do everything right, you may find that the milk simply refuses to froth; when this happens in our coffee bar we call it 'unhappy cow' syndrome, give up and open a new bottle.

1) First pour very cold milk in to a cold metal jug (pitcher) with straight sides or sides sloping inwards at the top, pour in enough to just fill it to just under half way.

2) To steam the milk, insert the steam nozzle to nearly the bottom of the jug, open the steam valve by twisting the knob and fully rotate the nozzle around in the milk for 5-10 seconds. The jug should start to feel warm to touch.

3) Lower the jug until the steam nozzle is just below the surface of the milk, as the milk begins to froth lower the jug keeping the nozzle just below the surface of the milk.

4) When smooth thick foam is just formed, quickly turn off the stem valve and put the jug aside, it is very important to stop the frothing before any large airy bubbles start to form

SARAH'S TOP FROTHING TIP - I always use a thermometer when frothing milk both in the shop and at home as this means I can never overheat the milk. The perfect serving temperature is around 140 degrees F.

Latte
Espresso with steamed milk and little or no foam.

Cappuccino
1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 foam, topped with your choice of chocolate, cinnamon or whatever takes your fancy.

Other perfect additions to coffee;
Vanilla is a wonderful addition to coffee, in the form of syrup, powder or even vanilla sugar; it can turn an ordinary drink into an addictive passion. There are many who also consider cinnamon a good flavour to combine with their daily 'fix'.

In our own coffee bar we have over 25 different flavours you can add to your steaming mug, ranging from almond to caramel, cherry to white chocolate. My personal favourite is the devilish combination of smooth rich butterscotch and nutty almond. Along with these fabulous flavours some may even like to add a dash of their favourite tipple to their coffee. For example, how about as well as the old favourite 'Irish Coffee' you could add some rich coffee liqueur or even southern comfort or vodka? Any alcohol in the right proportions with the coffee will make a sumptuous but sinful late night treat.

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