Espresso Drinks Blog

Intelligentsia Coffee

paulyokota — Tue, 11 May 2010 02:38:00 +0000

To some, espresso is more than a drink, it’s a passion. This amazing video takes you step by step through the process of making the perfect espresso, with the help of someone who is clearly passionate about the subject. Just watch.

Intelligentsia is a company created by and for the coffee connoisseur. They have roasting and coffee bar locations in Chicago, California and New York. While still a fairly small business, the company is one of the most respected and well known upscale/gourmet coffee bar chains in the country. Team Intelligentsia regularly performs well in the annual US Barista Championships, taking home 1st, 3rd and 5th place in the 2010 competition.

www.intelligentsiacoffee.com

The film was the work of The Department of the 4th Dimension. You can find more info, and other examples of their excellent work at dptdddd.com.

An Espresso Timeline

paulyokota — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:33:10 +0000

While coffee has been around for centuries, espresso is a relatively new invention, and not just here in the states. You might think that America was just slow to get on board, and that the Italians had been drinking delicious espressos forever. You might think that, but you would be wrong.

The fact of the matter is that the first espresso machine didn’t appear until the 20th century. It took a few decades after that for the machine to become the kind of espresso machine that we know and love today.

If you’re interested in this and other facts about the development of early espresso machines, you should definitely check out An Espresso Timeline which traces the development of the machine since 1901 (and also contains some cool pictures of early espresso machines).

So Fresh and So Clean

paulyokota — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:38:46 +0000

Espresso is all about flavor. That flavor can be affected by many things, the bean, the roast, the grind, and the quality of the machine. But many overlook the effect of improper cleaning on your espresso flavor. The residue left behind in your portafilter, and even in the machine itself contain the essential oils that give coffee its flavor. However, when that oil is left behind on surfaces, it rapidly goes rancid. It’s then reabsorbed into the next shot you pull. Over time this process can seriously affect the quality of your espresso.

An espresso machine is no different than any other mechanical device, be it an elevator or a 454 Chevy big block. It requires regular maintenance. Just look at the difference between a poorly maintained portafilter and its brand-new counterpart:

Don’t let this happen to your espresso machine. Don’t let it happen to your espresso drinks. Check out this article from home-barista.com for the how, why and when of espresso machine cleaning.

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

paulyokota — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:51:41 +0000

In honor of this most Irish of holidays, how about a recipe for (what else?) a latte with an Irish twist. We’ve all heard of the classic “Irish Coffee”, but how here’s a great espresso-based version:

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Irish Whiskey
1.5 oz. Irish Creme liqueur
1.5 oz. espresso
10 oz. cold milk or half-and-half

Combine the whiskey and the espresso in the bottom of the glass. Begin steaming the milk (or 1/2 & 1/2) as you would for a free-poured latte. When the milk is about 50-75% done steaming, pour in the Irish Creme. Pour the mixture over the espresso/whiskey mix in the glass and serve immediately.

Recipe from “yankeehatinactor” on the coffeegeek.com forums.

For your health

paulyokota — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:36:11 +0000

It turns out that your daily dose of caffeinated goodness may be more than delicious – it’s good for you too!

Recent studies have shown that drinking coffee (or espresso, as they both come form the same bean) protects against a host of ills, including, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, chronic liver disease and some cancers.

Better still, studies that showed links between coffee and pancreatic and fibrocystic breast cancer, heart arrhythmia and high cholesterol have been debunked by larger, more rigorous studies.

In fact, as long as you aren’t pregnant (there is evidence that more than a cup or two a day increases the chance of miscarriage) the most you have to fear from coffee is a case of the jitters and maybe some heartburn.

For more info check out this article from US News & World Report.

Affogato Mocha

paulyokota — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:54:00 +0000

When is an espresso drink not a drink? Why when it’s a delicious Italian dessert, of course.

“Affogato” is Italian for “drowned” and can refer to a variety of deserts consisting of ice cream, gelato or sorbet “drowned” in some liquid, such as a liqueur or, yes, even hot espresso.

One delicious example is this recipe for an Affogato Mocha, from www.epicurious.com.

Ingredients:

1 pint chocolate ice cream
8 tablespoons finely chopped bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate
8 tablespoons hot freshly brewed espresso coffee
8 tablespoons dark rum

Divide ice cream among 4 dessert bowls or coffee cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons each of chocolate, espresso, and rum over ice cream and serve immediately.

An Espresso Maker with a Twist

paulyokota — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:16:11 +0000

Every once in a while an out-of-the-box thinker will dream up a way to truly revolutionize a product. The Twist espresso maker is just one of those ideas. If you had asked most engineers a few years ago to take an espresso machine, a large complicated device filled with scalding hot, highly pressurized water, and turn it into a handheld device, they probably would have thought you needed to have your head examined.

But that’s exactly what The Twist is, an espresso maker you can hold in one hand. Just put grounds in one side, water in the other, assemble and pull the trigger to get fresh, hot espresso. The Twist is powered by small gas cartridges of the type available at most kitchen goods retailers.

You can read more about The Twist, or buy one for your very own at www.mypressi.com.

Mug Shots

paulyokota — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:57:58 +0000

One of the most important parts of enjoying a delicious espresso drink is having something to drink it out of. Pulling a shot directly into your mouth is generally a bad idea, unless you’re a big fan of second-degree mouth burns.

The mugs people drink espresso drinks vary widely, from tall and clear to wide and colorful and just about everything in between. But if you’re still drinking out of a mug that’s just a mug, you’re missing out. Over the past few years, a large number of incredibly creative and clever coffee mugs have come on the market.

From mugs that double as brass knuckles or look like part of your camera to saucers that double as air-tight lids these are just some of the inventive and unique designs out there. See these and twenty others collected on geniusbeauty.com.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

paulyokota — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:02:00 +0000

If you read the last post, you now know all about latte art, as created by both humans and robots. Now it’s time to try it for yourself!

Making latte art may seem intimidating, and many of the more advanced designs take many hours of practice to master. But the design that most latte artists cut their teeth on is one that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day: the heart.

Because making a heart requires a minimum amount of movement, it is one of the easiest shapes to achieve. But to quote Levar Burton, don’t take my word for it. Heres a video to take you step-by-step through the process of creating the most romantic of latte art shapes:

Now get out there and make your honey a valentine’s day latte!

The Future of Latte Art?

paulyokota — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:20:21 +0000

If you’ve spent much time around local coffee shops, you’ve probably run into the phenomenon that is latte art.

By precisely pouring white milk and foam through the dark espresso, baristas are able to stain the foam, creating images from simple hearts to leaves, plants, even animals.

But just as inkwells and quills gave way to Microsoft Word, the future of latte art may be machine-assisted. A company called OnLatte has developed a machine that “writes” on foam using a computer-controlled mechanical arm. The machine can produce stunningly detailed images, with precision even the most talented latte artists could only dream of.

Of course, like all machines, the latte art machine is only a tool. The images it creates are only as artistic and creative as the designs it is programmed to reproduce.

Here’s a video demonstrating what the machine can do:

(P.S. Apparently the company has discovered the machine also works on the head of dark beers like Guinness!)