Making coffee can take different directions depending on which kind of coffee and methods are used to get that great fresh cup.
We aren’t talking about instant coffee but only about fresh roasted beans. Coffee is a science, not an art.
1/ A grinder is needed; either manual or electric. But the setting of the grinder is also important.
The ground will differ if it is for a french press or a V60 filter. Too coarse or too fine, it could ruin the beverage.
2/ Dosing is about having that right amount of coffee to make the drink perfectly balanced. Too much ground coffee and it could be bitter/dark and not enough will then produce a watery and weak espresso.
3/ The extraction time:
… obtain the perfect amount of dissolved coffee solids (flavour) from the finely ground coffee. Not too little (under extraction), and not too much (over extraction)… Source
4/ Ratio (coffee Vs water) – 18g to 20g of coffee should be used for a double shot. Ideally, the use of a brewing calculator will be able to guide you and then decide if you wish to change your recipe.
5/ Water quality and temperature – Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood at Tamper Tantrum Birmingham 2014 explains it all HERE.
6/ Milk quality and texture when starting the steaming process. This is applicable for drinks such as cappuccino, latte, flat white. It is important to stretch the milk, and give it that required texture to get the right drink. A latte shouldn’t have that foamy top and same thing for the flat white.
The average temperature should be around 65℃ (slightly less for a flat white). Having a cappuccino extra hot will just burn the milk and ruin the overall aroma and flavour of the coffee.
Adding syrup or sugar would be like pouring lemonade in wine or cordial in beer. Why changing and destroying the original taste?! Paying a good price for a cup and spoiling the barista’s work could almost been seen as disrespectful.
Cappuccino latte art and milk texture
Of course, coffee can be bitter with a lemon/citrus taste but this is how that particular bean is.
Coffee bean is like a grape. Again, there are several types of white wines going from dry, medium, medium try to sweet. Coffee works the same way and the darkness of the roasted bean will deliver various types of espresso.
This is why cupping sessions/courses can educate the drinkers and make their taste buds aware of all these delicate notes.
Coffee Cupping Session
There are also various tools available to purchase to improve your coffee making experience too.
Some espresso bars or coffee shops have the entire set including: refractometer, scales and other useful gadgets to test and analyze the coffee quality.
Making coffee is all about getting the right ingredients, dosage and temperature and respecting the variables.
All this to say that coffee shops are expanding and it is important to pick the right one. It doesn’t need to have a big sign and comfortable sofas.
What is essential is in fact a skilled barista with a welcoming attitude and the eventual magazines, newspapers available to customers with a few coasters around to put your mug/cup on and avoid staining the entire place with eventual spillage.
The WiFi connection won’t make your coffee taste better.
Coffee espresso extraction
Percolator Corner 