espresso knowledge

Decoding Espresso Roasts: Finding the Perfect Match

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Espresso coffee beans light to dark roast

Making espresso is half science half art. You use science to guide your extraction, and use intuition to improvise, and create unique experiences, beyond the rigor of science. One of the most asked questions when I was working as a barista was: “Which roast is best for espresso?” And the question makes sense because espresso … Read more

What Is Single Origin Coffee and Why Is It Better?

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woman harvesting coffee beans

You may have heard the term “single origin” being used by your favorite barista while they’re whipping up your creamy cappuccino, and you might not have paid much mind to it. But what does it mean? And should you care? The coffee industry has become increasingly complex as more and more baristas are taking their … Read more

The Best Coffee Canisters for Coffee Storage

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coffee beans in airtight glass jars

Storing coffee properly is one of the best things you can do to improve the taste of your espresso, or coffee. There is nothing worse than a flat shot of espresso, especially when you paid a decent amount to get great quality beans. So to pay for that single origin, and to end up with … Read more

How To Store Coffee Beans for Great Espresso Shots

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coffee storage container

Storing coffee is probably one of the least understood topics. Yet coffee storing is equally important, especially when we buy the stuff in 2 pounds bags. If roasting, grinding, and brewing have evolved into great sciences, storing is still debated and there is a lot of bad information and a lot of half information. In … Read more

Espresso-Based Beverages – Affogato

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affogato coffee pouring espresso over ice cream

Affogato is an Italian dessert prepared by pouring a shot of freshly brewed hot espresso over a scoop of vanilla gelato (ice cream). The result is a delicious, smooth drink. The Italian name of this coffee drink, or dessert, is affogato al caffè. The magic of an affogato is that you mix two pleasures in … Read more

What Is Cold Brew Espresso? Is It Really Espresso?

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cold brew espresso nitro coffee drink in a glass with a consistent foam

Cold brew espresso is a method of brewing coffee that uses cold water to steep coffee grounds for an extended period of time. Coffee prepared this way is a strong, concentrated beverage, with a high caffeine concentration. This coffee can be consumed as is, in small servings, much like espresso, but is served cold. This … Read more

Weiss Distribution Technique – Is It Improving Your Espresso Shots?

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wdt tool

The Weiss Distribution Technique is one of the ways we can improve an espresso shot, beyond the run-of-the-mill shot.  The technique uses one or more needles to stir the ground coffee, for obtaining a perfect distribution of the grounds, with the aim to improve espresso extraction.  In this article we are going to discuss the … Read more

How Espresso Machines Work

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schematics how espresso machines work

Espresso machines are a popular choice among coffee lovers due to their ability to produce rich, flavorful coffee in less than a minute. But how exactly do these machines work? Why the fuss around them, and why can we use a regular coffee maker to brew espresso. In this article we will explain how the … Read more

What Is the Best Espresso Extraction Temperature?

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espresso machine displaying the water temperature in the boiler.

Espresso extraction is a precise process, where multiple brewing variables are finely adjusted in order to obtain a great cup of coffee. Brewing temperature is one of the important variables, and if we don’t handle it properly our espresso might be ruined, or just average.

In this post we are going to look at how the brewing temperature can change the flavor of the espresso, and how ca we teak the temperature in order to perfect our shot.

The information in this post is intended for the advanced barista, who wants to finely tune their shots.

Lelit espresso machine with PID showing 94 degrees Celsius - 201 degrees Fahrenheit.

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What Is Espresso Crema?

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freshly pulled espresso shots with crema

Espresso crema is the thick, golden-brown foam that sits on top of a freshly brewed espresso. It is made up of coffee oils, coffee solids, and bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. Crema is important because it adds bitterness and body to the espresso, and it also helps to protect the coffee from going stale. Crema … Read more

What Is Espresso Channeling and How to Avoid it?

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pulling espresso shot with naked portafilter

You just pulled your espresso and the taste is not quite right. The shot is “missing flavors”, doesn’t have body, and you some sourness and bitterness that shouldn’t be there? This is likely because of the channeling.  Channeling happens more often than you think, when brewing espresso. Most of the time the shot is passable, … Read more

Espresso Machine Buying Guide – How to Buy an Espresso Machine for Home

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Mastrena semiautomatic espresso machine

When you are buying your first espresso machine, you are faced with a big problem: choice. There are so many choices, that even if it’s your second espresso machine, it could prove a difficult task.

There are so many types of espresso machines, and there is a lot of competition on the market nowadays, that sometimes it’s really difficult to choose, when you don’t have all of the information. This is why we put together this espresso machine buying guide.

Even if you don’t want to purchase soon, this page will show you what the differences between all the espresso machines are, and what importance have all the features for the barista.

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Espresso Terms and Definitions

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person holding tray with drinking glass and coffee cup

Espresso Lingo and Glossary – Espresso Drinks, Espresso Machine Parts, and Espresso Brewing Terminology If you are passionate about espresso, and you want to learn more about espresso, you need to know the espresso lingo. If someone mentions an espresso machine part in a context, and you don’t know what that is, then the discussion … Read more

Espresso Shot Screen – What are Puck Screens and Which ones Are the Best

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espresso puck screen bplus

Espresso shot screens, or puck screens, are more and more popular among espresso aficionados. While the puck screen is not an essential piece of equipment, baristas who look for perfection, need it. Discovered by accident, the puck screen is now a popular accessory to improve the quality of the espresso shots.

Espresso Based Beverages – Caffè Mocha

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mocha latte

Caffè Mocha, is a chocolate flavored coffee drink. Many times called a mocha latte, the original beverage is in fact a chocolate-flavored cappuccino. Well, the recipe is not that strict, and you can find it prepared in a latte ratio, or in a cappuccino ratio. We have here the cappuccino ratio, which is many times called … Read more

How to Pull the Perfect Espresso Shot

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perfect espresso shot pulled with bottomless portafilter 3

Making great espresso is not easy. Chasing the perfect shot, sometimes referred to as the God shot, is a race that requires patience, knowledge, skills and good equipment. Let’s not forget great coffee beans. Yes, the perfect shot of espresso is not impossible. It is within any home barista’s reach but you will need a … Read more

Best Coffee Beans for Espresso

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arabic coffee

Would you believe me if I said I found the best beans for espresso? Would you believe me? Do not believe me or anybody for that matter. Of course, I can recommend you some fantastic espresso blends. It’s impossible to choose between two great blends when you have so many choices. Every blend offers something … Read more

Espresso-Based Beverages – Cortado

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Cortado coffee in glass on a white saucer

A cortado is a drink made with equal parts espresso and milk. A standard recipe contains one fluid ounce of milk and one shot of espresso. However, is not uncommon to see cortados with a two shots of espresso and two ounces of steamed milk.  The Origins of Cortado Many espresso-based drinks come from the … Read more

Cappuccino vs Dry Cappuccino vs Wet Cappuccino Comparison and Recipe

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white ceramic cup with coffee

There are many espresso drinks to choose from in a coffee shop. The coffee shop menu might seem overwhelming for the unprepared. We baristas, want to cater to every taste. But even so, there are the few customers that always want their coffee drink a little different. But this is how many drinks have been … Read more

Espresso-Based Beverages – Red Eye Coffee

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black eye coffee 1

Red Eye coffee is an espresso drink famous for its caffeine content, but many coffee aficionados like it for the unique flavor obtained by combining drip coffee and espresso. In this post, we describe the origins of the Red Eye Coffee drink and we show you what makes it different from other espresso drinks. We … Read more

Espresso-Based Beverages – Lungo

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espresso lungo

Do you love the taste of espresso but sometimes want something a little bit more? That’s why the espresso lungo has been invented. Lungo is a longer coffee than the normal espresso shot, making it less concentrated, but maintaining the same unique, rich flavor that we associate with espresso. In this blog post, we will … Read more

Espresso-Based Beverages – Ristretto

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ristretto in porcelain cup with saucer

When it comes to espresso, there are quite a few options available. Ristretto is the choice of snob coffee connoisseurs, (and I mean that in a good way), to awaken you senses, and to get you up to speed in the morning. What Is a Ristretto and How Is Different from a Normal Espresso? Ristretto … Read more

What Is Espresso

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espresso shot in china cup

The espresso beverage as we know it today, dates back to 1947, when Gaggia introduced the first machine capable of creating consistent high pressure during the shot pulling. The machine was called Gaggia Crema Caffe and was intended for normal commercial use. Before the Gaggia Crema Caffe almost every commercial and consumer espresso machine was … Read more

What Is So Great about Espresso?

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espresso shot on espresso machine

You probably tried an espresso shot and wasn’t impressed. Or maybe you heard your coffee snob friend passionately talking about his latest triple ristretto that he pulled. He would rank that as a “God Shot”. Now you are thinking “What Is So great about Espresso?” If you tasted it and didn’t like it, it’s a … Read more

The Most Popular Espresso Drinks

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barista creating latte art with steamed milk

There are many different types of espresso drinks. In this blog post, we will discuss the two most common espresso drinks: plain espresso, and milk with espresso. Each type of drink has its own unique set of flavors and textures that make it a pleasure to drink. We will also provide a brief description of each type of drink so that you can decide which one is right for you! This article has an overview of the espresso drink recipes, but we have hyperlinks to the detailed recipes if you want to make your own coffee drinks at home.

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Espresso-Based Beverages – Flat White

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flat white in sydney

The flat white is a milk-based espresso drink similar to latte, and cappuccino. It is typically served in a smaller cup than a latte and is prepared with a double shot of espresso. Almost always prepared with latte art, the flat white is a very popular drink in the third wave coffee movement. Origins and … Read more

How To Make a Triple Shot Espresso

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triple espresso normale in demitasse

Do you like to start your day with a triple espresso shot? If so, then it is important that you know how to make this delicious drink correctly. This blog post will teach you how to make a triple espresso shot! And before you say: “I know how to pull a shot.” let me tell … Read more

Espresso-Based Beverages – Americano

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preparing an espresso drink - espresso Long Black

The Americano is an espresso-based drink with added water on top of a espresso shot. There are many variations of the Americano to choose from including black coffee with espresso added, iced americano, and Long black. Americano can be traced back to Italy in 1919. The drink was created when espresso machines were first introduced … Read more

Espresso-Based Beverages – Cappuccino

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Cappuccino in white cup on a saucer

Cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that has its roots in Italy. The word cappuccino means “little hood” and refers to the brown color of monastic robes worn by members of the Capuchin order. It is traditionally made with espresso, hot milk, and steamed milk, and foamed milk. This article will explore what makes a … Read more