by:
Allen Shaw
Since
Starbucks first went
International in the early 1990s,
espresso has been the number-one item
on the minds of those who need a quick pick-me-up to get their day
started. It started out as a fad, but with the onslaught of Friends
on NBC in 1994 and Starbucks reproducing like rabbits throughout
the last decade of the 20th Century, it has morphed into a
worldwide phenomenon.
But what is espresso exactly. To put it in the simplest terms,
espresso is coffee's more aggressive and strong willed little
brother. Espresso is caffeine's answer to a shot of whisky. Just as
addictive in some cases, but will not get you thrown in jail.
Espresso is made by filtering 1.5 to 2 ounces of water through
tightly ground,
espresso
coffee, roughly the caffeine equivalent of four
cups of coffee. If everything goes
according to plan, what you get is 2 ounces of compressed caffeine
with a small layer of foam on the top. The resulting concoction
looks like a
dark German
beer with a head…only a lot smaller.
But how do you make espresso? Is it as easy as Starbucks would have
you believe? In a word…yes. So where do you start? Again, the
answer is simple…right here. There are five basic types of
espresso machines. Let's
take a quick look:
Stovetop espresso makers
are popular with hikers and tourists because they do not require
electricity. But since the stovetop espresso maker is usually the
"one-cup" variety, you won't get the creamy foam layer top. What
you will get though is a very concentrated shot of espresso.
Steam powered espresso makers work a lot like the stovetop variety
but is fashioned more like the standard pump driven espresso
makers. Still convenient for tourists and hikers, the steam powered
espresso maker is not as
popular with this crowd because of its bulky size.
The piston driven espresso maker is the grandfather of all espresso
makers and the reason most espresso comes with a foamy top.
Invented in 1938 by Achille Gaggia, the piston driven maker is
still a good way to make espresso, though not often used. This kind
of of espresso maker is sold as an antique as often as it is the
caffeine junkie's primary maker.
Pump driven espresso makers are the offshoot of the piston driven
variety and the most popular maker in commercial settings. Usually
hooked up directly to the building's plumbing, pump driven makers
heat the water as it is filtered through the coffee and uses a
built in shot timer to help insure every shot of espresso is
exactly the same.
Automatic espresso makers
are becoming increasingly popular because the machine does almost
everything for you. Automatic machines consistently produce the
same espresso shot every time and require less fine-tuning than
commercial makers. In addition, this expensive but consistent
alternative to your daily trek to the corner coffe house does
everything from grinding the beans to disposing of the spent
grounds. The only thing the user has to do is turn on the
machine.
Now that you know how to make espresso, how do you decide what your
favorite concoction is? After all Starbucks has more varieties of
espresso than Baskin Robbins does ice cream. You do not want to
make a fool of yourself when you when you are late for work and
don't have time to make your morning wake-me-up at home. Yo need to
feel confident and proud when you walk up to the conter and ask
for:
ESPRESSO - For those who prefer the simple things in life, a single
shot of espresso, no foam, is probably best.
ESRESSO DOPIO – Or a double
espresso is for those days when you just cannot wake up.
If you are feeling a need for some balance in your life, try an
ESPRESSO MACCHIATO (a
single or double shot of espresso with a whipped cream top).
For those sweet and sour days, try an
ESPRESSO ROMANO, a single shot of
espresso topped with a sliced lemon peel.
For amateur espresso drinkers who prefer a
foamier,
creamier, more
chocolaty taste than a straight shot of
espresso,
CAPPUCCINO,
CAFÉ LATTE and
MOCHA CAPPUCCINO is probably the safest
bet.
So now that you know everything there is to know about espresso and
why there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner of every city in
every state in every country in the world, you can decide whether
you want to join in on this worldwide phenomenon. But beware...if
you decide not to join the crowd on this one, you will likely be
left behind. A caffeine-powered work force is what made the world
what it is today.
Best place to have a
CUP OF COFFEE
and
CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE
.
About the author:
Allen Shaw is a successful author who provides information on
espresso makers for A1 Coffee Makers. "I am the news director at
USA News Network and have been working as freelance writer for 2
years. I've been published in a few magazines, newspapers and
websites and my specialty up to this point has been movie and music
reviews."
Labels: BEST
COFFEE, COFFEE,
COFFEE
HOUSE, COFFEE
SHOP, COFFEE
SHOPS,
CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE,
CUP OF COFFEE,
Espresso Makers, FRESH
COFFEE, GOURMET
COFFEE, HOT
COFFEE
Loading...
Portuguese Roast Turkey
