Home espresso equipment is exploding onto the home gadget market in ever skyrocketing numbers and designs with ever more affordable prices, but what is the true definition and roots of espresso coffee and what are the crucial factors in a great home espresso ?
Cafe espresso or just, espresso, as it is now commonly known, is a concentrated coffee drink brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.
The term cafe-espress was first used in the 1880s, long before espresso machines were invented and basically means coffee made to order, expressly for the person ordering it.
The earliest espresso coffee machines were unveiled in the early 20th Century, and the original patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901. However this early equipment used steam pressure not hot water to brew the espresso and it was not until the mid-1940s, when the design was updated to a piston lever home espresso machine.
Due to the pressurized water used in the brewing process, the flavors in a quality espresso become highly concentrated. This is why espresso is used as a base for other coffee beverages, e.g. mocha and macchiato, latte and cappuccino.
The significant differences between a great espresso and drip coffee are a thicker consistency, more dissolved solids and crema, a brownish foam that sits on the surface of the coffee which is a mixture of vegetable oils, proteins and sugars.
While it clearly depends on the particular coffee beans used and the maker or barista, as a rule of thumb there is usually 2 to three times the amount of caffeine in an espresso than in the same volume of drip brewed coffee. The expert operator of an espresso machine is a barista, the Italian word for a barkeeper.
Home espresso machines have surged in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso, largely since the 1990's and the huge upsurge in the number of coffee houses and chains in every street & mall.
We are presently experiencing a new wave of invention as the electronics industry turns it's attentions to home espresso machines and we will now find a large range of espresso equipment in consultant kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors and shops.
Many are fully automatic, press button home espresso machines which both grind and brew a fresh cup with only one touch. They generally make a much better espresso than badly trained people, but not as good as the top trained baristas.
It may be that the success of the big coffee chains in educating the masses in the joys of espresso will be their undoing as many more people can now enjoy their espresso at home.
Cafe espresso or just, espresso, as it is now commonly known, is a concentrated coffee drink brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.
The term cafe-espress was first used in the 1880s, long before espresso machines were invented and basically means coffee made to order, expressly for the person ordering it.
The earliest espresso coffee machines were unveiled in the early 20th Century, and the original patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901. However this early equipment used steam pressure not hot water to brew the espresso and it was not until the mid-1940s, when the design was updated to a piston lever home espresso machine.
Due to the pressurized water used in the brewing process, the flavors in a quality espresso become highly concentrated. This is why espresso is used as a base for other coffee beverages, e.g. mocha and macchiato, latte and cappuccino.
The significant differences between a great espresso and drip coffee are a thicker consistency, more dissolved solids and crema, a brownish foam that sits on the surface of the coffee which is a mixture of vegetable oils, proteins and sugars.
While it clearly depends on the particular coffee beans used and the maker or barista, as a rule of thumb there is usually 2 to three times the amount of caffeine in an espresso than in the same volume of drip brewed coffee. The expert operator of an espresso machine is a barista, the Italian word for a barkeeper.
Home espresso machines have surged in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso, largely since the 1990's and the huge upsurge in the number of coffee houses and chains in every street & mall.
We are presently experiencing a new wave of invention as the electronics industry turns it's attentions to home espresso machines and we will now find a large range of espresso equipment in consultant kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors and shops.
Many are fully automatic, press button home espresso machines which both grind and brew a fresh cup with only one touch. They generally make a much better espresso than badly trained people, but not as good as the top trained baristas.
It may be that the success of the big coffee chains in educating the masses in the joys of espresso will be their undoing as many more people can now enjoy their espresso at home.
About the Author:
As a coffee connoisseur, Daniel Markovic has traveled the world in search of the perfect espresso. This year, he has spent many hours with his home espresso coffee machine testing a wide variety of coffee blends. For more information on equipment you can visit his blog in it's quest for the perfect home espresso.
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