Why Everyone Says Espresso Coffee Tastes Too Bitter and How to Adjust When Espresso is Too Bitter

Espresso concentrates the various essence flavor compounds in coffee, creating a rich taste with a strong profile that many find "too bitter." Therefore, besides Italians, few people drink it on its own. People typically dilute it with water or milk, gradually giving rise to popular beverages we commonly see today, such as Americanos and lattes. This article from FrontStreet Coffee explores what exactly espresso is.

Why is Espresso So Bitter?

Espresso, as the name suggests, originates from Italy in Europe. The development of espresso was aimed at increasing the speed of coffee preparation. Initially, espresso referred to a method of making coffee, with "espres" meaning "fast," indicating that a cup of black coffee could be prepared in a very short time.

In 1884, Angelo Moriondo from Italy designed the first espresso machine, featuring two independent brewing boilers with 1.5 bar pressure and steam, extracting a relatively viscous coffee liquid with a richer taste than drip coffee. As coffee machines were continuously improved, factors like water temperature and pressure became better controlled. In 1948, Achille Gaggia, a café owner in Milan, invented a lever-driven coffee machine that could produce what we now call crema through high pressure. From then on, crema became considered one of the quality indicators of espresso, and espresso became specifically defined as high-concentration coffee made through pressurized methods containing rich crema.

Because Italians prefer mellow, full-bodied strong coffee, they are accustomed to roasting coffee beans very darkly, and even adding Robusta beans to make the crema richer, the aroma more concentrated, and the taste more intense. Today, consumers have begun to pursue more diverse flavor variations, and many fresh-tasting coffee beans are also used in espresso. For example, the espresso served at FrontStreet Coffee's stores uses "FrontStreet Coffee Sunflower Warm Sunshine Espresso Blend," which presents fermented wine notes, berry sweetness and tartness, with obvious vanilla aromas upon entry, accompanied by soft fruit acidity, creating an elegant yet rich taste.

What is Espresso Crema?

We can observe that freshly extracted espresso has a delicate, dense golden-brown foam layer floating on top, commonly called coffee crema.

Coffee beans produce large amounts of gas (carbon dioxide, etc.) after fresh roasting. Commercial espresso machines typically achieve pressures above 9 bar. Under the high pressure of the boiler, carbon dioxide gas is squeezed out from the cell wall surface due to thermal expansion and contraction, while the coffee extracted by hot water also contains some oily substances that allow the coffee liquid to emulsify, trapping the gas and simultaneously squeezing it out, thus creating dense bubble substances. The lighter bubble groups float on top.

The amount of crema is mainly related to the degree of coffee bean roasting and the roasting date. The deeper the beans are roasted, the more bubbles the coffee beans have. The fresher the packaging date, the more carbon dioxide, and thus the richer the crema. A moderate amount of rich crema not only adds significant aroma to the coffee but is also very beneficial for creating latte art when making hot milk coffees. However, excessive carbon dioxide can hinder the release of coffee substances during extraction, so "bean resting" is necessary to allow some gas to be expelled from the beans, making it more conducive to stable extraction during brewing. FrontStreet Coffee recommends a resting period of 7-10 days for espresso beans, meaning it's better to start using them 7 days after roasting.

How to Drink Espresso?

As consumers, we rarely order a straight espresso at coffee shops, as not everyone can accept that bitterness, but friends who enjoy "strong flavors" will still order a cup of espresso and sit down to savor it slowly.

If you're also curious about this intense taste, next time you visit a coffee shop, you might as well order a cup of espresso. Observe and experience the color, aroma, texture, and aftertaste of the coffee liquid, and experience a bit of Italian tradition. But if we really can't accept the thickness and intensity of espresso liquid, then choose classic options like Americano, latte, cappuccino, flat white, etc., which can also allow you to experience the charm of coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that although espresso is rarely served on its own, with some stores not even offering it, it is the soul of any coffee shop. All types of specialty coffees use ideally extracted espresso as their base. Whether the coffee in the cup can highlight the flavor characteristics of the coffee beans used, whether the extraction is stable, and whether there are any taste defects—all these require the barista's consideration, combined with their experience to make quick adjustments, ensuring stable quality across all coffee varieties.

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