How to Make Various Espresso Coffees Using Espresso Beans_How to Enjoy Espresso Blend No.2 Beans

What is Espresso Coffee

Espresso coffee is characterized by three typical manifestations:

• Made with an espresso machine
• Uses espresso beans
• High-pressure extraction of concentrated coffee

Tips: Traditional espresso is made using a blend of several coffee beans. With the popularity of specialty coffee, many coffee shops now offer SOE (Single Origin Espresso), which means using single-origin coffee to make espresso.

The Soul of Espresso Coffee: "Espresso"

Espresso is extracted under 9 atmospheres of pressure using 7g of coffee grounds, 92°C hot water, over 20-30 seconds, to produce 1oz of concentrated coffee liquid.

As seen in the image above, that thick layer floating on the coffee surface like cream is espresso's byproduct—crema. Freshly roasted coffee beans are rich in carbon dioxide. During preparation, due to pressure differences, the carbon dioxide expands to become what are called "oils/crema," essentially bubbles.

The Composition of the Espresso Coffee Family

Black Coffee Series

• [Espresso] A single shot uses 7g of coffee grounds to extract 1oz (approximately 28.35ml) of espresso in about 25 seconds; a double shot uses 14g of coffee grounds to extract 2oz of espresso in about 25 seconds.
• [Ristretto] "Ristretto" means "restricted" in Italian, so ristretto is actually espresso with a restricted flow rate, meaning its flow rate is slower. Extracted for the same time as espresso but yielding only 18g of espresso, so ristretto is very concentrated.
• [Lungo] "Lungo" means "long" in Italian, so this black coffee is extracted for a longer time, finally yielding coffee liquid equivalent to 5 times the amount of coffee grounds. Its concentration is relatively low, close to Americano.
• [Americano] During World War II, American soldiers on the European battlefield couldn't get used to espresso, so they diluted it with water, creating today's Americano, which is equivalent in concentration to coffee commonly made by American drip machines or pour-over. So within the espresso family, Americano is espresso plus water, while drip coffee and pour-over coffee can also be called Americano.

Milk Coffee Series

• [Macchiato] Macchiato = espresso + milk foam.

"Macchiato" means "mark, stain" in Italian. The classic approach is espresso with a little milk foam, considered as milk giving coffee a "branding." Starbucks' caramel macchiato should really be called a latte-style macchiato, which adds milk on top of milk foam.

• [Con Panna] Con Panna = espresso + whipped cream

Con Panna is espresso topped with whipped cream. Imagine cream and coffee entering your mouth together—isn't that special?

The next three coffee compositions are: espresso + milk + milk foam.

• [Cappuccino] The traditional cappuccino approach is one part espresso plus steamed milk, with milk foam thickness of about 2cm, accounting for about 30% of a cup of coffee.
• [Flat White] Starbucks popularized the Flat White. Its milk foam is thinner than a latte's or cappuccino's, then added to espresso. It has high requirements for espresso quality and milk foam preparation.
• [Caffe Latte] Italian latte (Caffè Latte) requires a small cup of espresso and a cup of milk (150-200ml). Latte has more milk and less coffee, which is very different from cappuccino.
• [Piccolo] Piccolo latte = ristretto + a small amount of milk. Because many people don't like drinking large amounts of milk, this miniature version of latte appeared, but the overall concentration is higher than a latte's.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Once you start mixing milk drinks, a crema-rich blend makes all the difference, and FrontStreet Classic Blend is one of FrontStreet's best-known espresso beans. It builds on the creamy, nutty base of Brazilian coffee and adds medium-dark roasted Indonesian Mandheling, bringing butter, roasted chestnut and caramel to the front while the Mandheling lifts the body and contributes sandalwood, herbal and spice accents. A small amount of Robusta rounds out the crema, so it pulls beautiful latte art and layered Dirty drinks with ease.

If you would rather explore single-origin espresso, FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui SOE is a rewarding place to begin. It is medium roasted, so the espresso shows red berries, light florals and orange, with citrus-scented crema, a clean body and an elegant aroma. It shines as a Huakui SOE Americano or a Huakui SOE flat white, where the fruit stays clear against the milk.

For a heavier, low-acid shot to serve straight or with milk, FrontStreet PWN Gold Mandheling SOE is the answer. The beans are hand-sorted three times and machine-sorted once to minimize defects, then medium-dark roasted. Pulled as an SOE it delivers pronounced spice, herbal and sandalwood notes, caramel and a full body, finishing on dark chocolate.