The Art Of Coffee Roasting and Espresso making

Could there be anything better than a hot, fresh brewed cup of coffee? As you open that can of pre-ground Maxwell House Coffee, did you even know that coffee comes in different roasts? Did you know that you can roast your own coffee beans at home? If you think that the aroma of your fresh ground coffee beans can’t be beat, get a home coffee roaster, you’ll be in Java Heaven.

Roasting the coffee beans is what imparts flavour. Similar to the making of a fine wine or a hand rolled cigar, some consider the roasting of coffee beans as an art. Those that describe coffee use some of the same vocabulary they use to describe wine. Depending on the roast level chosen the beans take on different flavour characteristics. The lighter the coffee bean the less flavour it will have, the darker the coffee bean the stronger the flavour it will have.

There are generally four different categories of roast. A light roast (American) , a medium roast (Breakfast), a dark roast (French), and darkest roast (Italian or espresso). Each type of roast imparts a different appearance to the coffee beans.

When a coffee bean is roasted to an American roast the beans will have a very light colour to them and they will appear dry. A medium roasted bean or Breakfast roast will have a rich brown colour and will be oily in appearance. A French roasted coffee bean will have a very oily appearance with the beans appearing very dark brown. The darkest roasted beans or Espresso beans will appear black.

Coffee roasting can easily be done in your home. Depending on the roast that you desire you can roast coffee in five to fifteen minutes. Green beans are available online from a number of sellers, as are coffee roasters. Choose different types of green coffees to sample. Drum roasters are very popular for use in the home. It’s best to consider purchasing a roaster as it will give you the most consistent finish to your beans. Some try to roast beans in frying pans, some use hot air popcorn poppers. While each of these techniques will work, as mentioned above they don’t give a consistent finish to all the beans and you will most likely be disappointed in the result.

Espresso – The Ultimate Coffee Experience

Espresso comes from the Italian word for express since espresso is made for and served immediately to the customer.

Espresso should be sweet with a potent aroma and flavor similar to freshly ground coffee. The crema, which makes up 10-30% of the beverage, should be dark reddish-brown, smooth, and thick. It should drip from filter like warm honey. A perfect espresso is enjoyable straight with no additives and should leave a pleasant and aromatic aftertaste lingering on the palate for several minutes afterconsumption.

The beauty is that espresso is volatile and difficult. A perfect espresso is more of a concept than an actuality. If it were easy we would develop a machine that can brew a perfect espresso every time. We need to look at the many factors involved in espresso preparation that only a human mind and a passionate heart can begin to understand and control its complexity.

- Without a good espresso blend you cannot have a good espresso. Coffees must be blended to achieve the sweetness, aromatics, and smoothness desired in espresso. The blend must also be fresh. Ideally, espresso should be used within four days of roasting.

- Espresso roasted very dark is a bitter, charcoal tasting brew. People that know how to blend espresso will roast light to preserve the aroma and sugars.

- The grind must be continuously monitored throughout the day to achieve an extraction time of 25-30 seconds. Do not change the pressure you tamp with to compensate for a grind that has become too large or small.

- A good coffee grinder is essential. Many coffee professionals consider a conical hybrid blade to be the best design of grinders because they last longer, and the coffee is not heated during the grinding process. If the burrs become hot the coffee loses its aroma.

- You should grind coffee only on demand. Coffee must be freshly ground to achieve peak flavours. When someone orders an espresso grind only what is necessary for one shot, you should dose properly, tamp, and brew, and discard any espresso grounds that are not used within 30 seconds.

- Distribute the coffee evenly after dosing in the portafilter before tamping. And tamp the coffee once very evenly with 5 lbs of pressure, then once with 30 lbs of pressure, and polish 720 degrees with 20 lbs of pressure.

- Water should be filtered. Try filling a small glass with water, letting it cool, and tasting it for off flavours. If the water tastes strange you should begin with fresh water.

- The water temperature should be between 92-96C. The choice of the espresso machine is very important to both water temperature and temperature stability. A stable temperature means consistent espresso.

- The goal is to have a dark red espresso take approximately 25-30 seconds to brew with no change in colour.

The key to espresso is to realize that it always has further potential. By changing any one of these factors you can improve or diminish its potential. Espresso preparation is an art that demands the precision and dedication of science.

Coffee with Bill & Sheila