Crafting the Perfect Espresso

Making an espresso coffee is a process which extracts all the properties of roasted coffee beans required to produce a drink experience that has unequalled characteristics which gratify and satisfy the palate of the consumer. In order to make a real Italian espresso, there are certain golden rules that need to be followed and here we will mention just a few for you to keep in mind:

Good coffee starts with the water, therefore a good quality water filter must be used.

Particular care must be taken in the maintenance and cleaning of parts, which are directly in contact with the coffee, such as filter-holder, filters, dropping device and packages as well as the grinding/measuring device.

Periodically you should check the coffee doses (no less than 7g and verify the grinding degree of the coffee, which being hydroscopic should be courser on wet, rainy days and dryer on fine dry, windy days).

In order to identify a quality espresso, it is necessary to have trust in your senses: sight, smell and taste. It's a test that should be done in the correct way since all of the judgments are subjective in any case. We need only to make an espresso in a coffee cup and observe the crema.

APPEARANCE is Everything

A one-ounce shot of espresso should brew in 19-23 seconds. The espresso should flow out of the machine at a slow, but steady dribble. If your espresso has been perfectly brewed, the surface will be covered with a thick, foamy, golden brown crema. Crema, homogenous in color and stripe, ensures an espresso with the perfect extraction. It must be compact, thick and long lasting. A sign of good crema is that when you pour sugar in your espresso, it will float on the surface for a few seconds.

Draw in the AROMA

To value the intensity, finesse, richness and persistence of the aroma of coffee, we can guarantee that after drinking a Portioli espresso, you will notice the intensity of the aroma from your nasal passage to the back of your throat. Hot and humid conditions will give you a lot of different sensations simply from smelling the coffee in the cup. These are the most common:

Roasted sensation - the dominant characteristic of every espresso
Chocolate-like sensation - most desirable aroma in which we can recognize a strong chocolate taste and may have hints of vanilla
Fruit sensation - it is typical of clean coffee beans and different fruit scents especially citrus
Peanut sensation - negative characteristic
Floral sensation - a pleasant sensation, typical of the very clean coffee bean. We can also find a particular aromatic scent
Grassy - smell unpleasant if predominant
Hay - this sensation derives from the wet hay sacks that the coffee has been stored in
Straw - it is like the scent of a dried tree trunk, a typical note of non-aromatic coffee beans
Unclean water - it is caused either by dirty water filters or dirty water filter holders
Smoky - a negative characteristic deriving from bad roasting
Rancid - this reminds us of the smell of rotten ham or oxidized butter
Riato (rio flavor) - similar to the cork's smell from certain wines
Rotten flowers - smell caused by fermentation of coffee fruit not picked in time

TASTE the Difference

When tasting an espresso, the taste buds define sweet, acidic and bitter tastes. Sweetness is due to lightly roasted beans that contain a high percentage of glucides. Next, acidity is derived from the presence of organic acids that decrease during the roasting phase. Bitterness, in the end, comes from caffeine, sugar and wood compounded in the transformation that happens during the roasting process.
Above all, these characteristics, which change according to the coffee quality, can achieve a smooth tactile sensation (roundness and body) or a tactile sensation of stringency, due to the wood elements present in the coffee bean that causes dryness.

Espresso drinkers use the following words to describe and identify their coffee:
Mellow
Velvety
Full bodied
Intense
Strong
Sweet
Aromatic

Coffee aficionados seeking the ultimate experience will savor the unique finish of each cup of Portioli.