| All professional coffee makers (baristas) will have their | | | | Too much exposure to the air makes it oxidize and |
| own technique for making the perfect cup of coffee. | | | | absorb nearby smells. Garlic infused coffee would be |
| Here my home-grown suggestion... | | | | horrible! |
| The whole process begins with simple water. This | | | | A great cup of espresso requires a clean and top |
| water has to be good or no amount of decent coffee | | | | quality espresso machine, or the experience is not |
| grounds will matter. Water should be fresh and piping | | | | worth it. What does this mean? Without a 9 bar pump |
| hot. Water should not be stale, mildewy, unclean and | | | | pressure or more, the machine will be unable to |
| not properly filtered. The perfect temperature is just | | | | generate thermoblock or boiler heat to properly stew |
| about at boiling point. | | | | the grinds. The boiler will heat the water to the right |
| Now for the coffee - choose any coffee that is | | | | temperature. Avoid steam-pressurized machines and |
| grown above 3000 feet above sea level. There are | | | | be careful not to burn yourself. |
| many varieties - Brazilian, Bogotan - my favourite is | | | | The next step is to make the coffee! Warm up your |
| espresso. It should be pre-roasted, fresh within at least | | | | machine and clean it by running fresh water through it. |
| three days and smell good. | | | | Simply turn it on, allow time for the water to heat up |
| Robusta is one type of coffee that some people use | | | | and flush the system and warm the inner surfaces by |
| for espresso machines, but it is not the best because it | | | | pouring a cup of water instead of coffee into it. |
| has very little flavour and way too much caffeine. It is | | | | Now carefully add your grounds and slightly pack them |
| considered an easy to grow plant and fairly disease | | | | down like you would with pipe style tobacco. It should |
| resistant than other coffee trees. | | | | feel slightly springy, but it should not move around |
| Coffee should be ground in what is called a burr. Burr | | | | suddenly when you remove your finger. |
| blades are pyramid in shape and have plates with two | | | | Put the hopper back into the machine in a firm manner. |
| teeth that force the coffee to be ground in between. | | | | Warm your espressos cup and stand it underneath |
| However, coffee types like Viennese or French roasts | | | | the outlet. Press start and in under five seconds you |
| are darker and are best chopped in grinders. Grinder | | | | will have a shot's worth of piping hot espresso. |
| blades chop only. | | | | Cappuccino is easily constructed by heating a half-cup |
| The fineness of the grind is determined by the space | | | | of milk in your microwave for 90 seconds until it froths. |
| between the plates. Good-sized grains are the size of | | | | Add this to your espresso. Garnish lovingly with |
| sand. Avoid grains that resemble dust or gravel. Be | | | | nutmeg, chocolate or cinnamon. I like all three. Then |
| speedy when removing ground coffee from a grinder. | | | | sprinkle with brown sugar. Enjoy! |