The [coffee snobs'] espresso thread
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I wasn’t thinking booze, but come to think of it...i’m guilty as hell. Being of Italian descent, I’ve always enjoyed a shot of Strega or Sambuca in my coffee or Espresso. Baileys is good too!
My Faema E91 Diplomat 3 group machine. A HX type commercial which is really overkill, but if you can work on a car, you can restore one of these. Parts are still available as Faema still makes this automatic machine. Photos before and present and now goes on the bench for tear down,descaling and new parts.
I just wanted to share some amazing beans I've had recently... Traction's Ethiopian and Sumatran:
https://traction.coffee/store/
The Ethiopians are both amazing, the Yirg is natural and the Hambela is washed. Yirg has more sweet strawberry and chocolate notes.
Sumatran is a little different, it's less dense and can't be compacted as densely as other beans either, so for espresso you may find a ~10% less dose and a finer grind will work out best.
Traction is owned by a friend, so I may be biased but these beans are very special, some of the best I've had without spending over $50/lb.
https://traction.coffee/store/
The Ethiopians are both amazing, the Yirg is natural and the Hambela is washed. Yirg has more sweet strawberry and chocolate notes.
Sumatran is a little different, it's less dense and can't be compacted as densely as other beans either, so for espresso you may find a ~10% less dose and a finer grind will work out best.
Traction is owned by a friend, so I may be biased but these beans are very special, some of the best I've had without spending over $50/lb.
Here's one of my latte art attempts, I'm now going for hearts, tulips, fleur de lis... I watched some youtube vids and have made progress wrt milk steaming but am having issues with the milk running together instead of making nice wavy lines of milk/crema/milk/etc...
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
As it was said in Twin Peaks when asked how he likes his coffee he replied “Black as midnight on a moonless night.”
Me too
Me too
I think straight espresso is the best way to fully appreciate all the nuances of a coffee, but I like cortados too.
Thank you for this.. I have been spending time at https://espressocoffeeguide.com/3-parts-espresso-shot/ where on the right hand side there is a guide menu to top coffee beans - really educational articles on each type of bean and its origin, including the Yirgchaffe you are referencing.
Excerpt:
I am unable to source Harrar Longberry, it feels like each year it's sold out the moment it's released...
It's fun to talk like that, but I must admit once in a while I want a big cup of foo foo, made up all pretty. Once in a while. A small benefit is that the diuretic effect isn't as strong so you don't feel as dehydrated as bad if you have something else in the coffee.
Poured this earlier today. Thought my non-standard latte art came out looking quite cool.
Like some weird Chinese character.
Like some weird Chinese character.
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steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
That’s very cool Justin, the woman next door taught me how to read Greek coffee grinds when I was a kid... I’m thinking there’s an anorexic mermaid or selkie doing a backflip into the ocean in your future... does this resonate with you.
All jokes aside a bit of random latte art is fun, but usually the best I get is a distorted rabbit or the occasional bird... your one earlier actually looks much more impressive.
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Good start!
Latte art is extremely difficult to learn, IMO steaming milk perfectly is hard and learning how to pour it is even harder. Check out some YouTube vids on hearts and tulips.
Thanks all.
It's clueless pouring but I actually like that more than the hearts and tulips of proper latte art. Really! I am up for the challenge of the more regular stuff, though.
Yeah I have watched a few videos. This one is probably the best I have come across.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
To all you coffeee snobs, what's your recommendation as to the best way to brew Blue Mountain Jamaican and how coarse or fine a grind do you recommend for coffee and same question if I were to serve it as an espresso?
Steve,
Simple answer...coarser for coffee and finer for espresso. I think it depends on your grinder and the machine or the method to brew. I would start with the grind setting you use for espresso and go from there. My grinder is set for espresso only and I do not adjust it for the type of beans. Maybe not correct, but it makes for good espresso for me. Maybe others can chime in on how they setup their grind setting to achieve good crema.
Maybe to basic....
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