Is milk a must for coffee? What is the difference between espresso and pour-over coffee?

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We all know that coffee with milk is called latte or café au lait. For those who are not used to drinking coffee, drinking espresso alone will taste very bitter and need to be mixed with a little milk to make it smooth. There are also some people who drink black coffee directly without sugar or milk, such as American coffee and single-origin coffee. Generally, we believe that American coffee and single-origin coffee are not added with milk. Adding milk will lower the temperature of the coffee and even destroy the flavor of the single-origin coffee.

Sometimes customers order espresso that is too bitter, too little, or ask for more milk. How to drink espresso? People with a more impatient temper choose to simmer it in one gulp. For baristas who adjust the grind every day and drink N cups of espresso every day, let's popularize how to drink espresso correctly.

Misconceptions about espresso:

When it comes to "espresso", many people will think of bad words such as "bitter taste", "thick", "high caffeine", "small quantity" and "expensive".

The bitter taste is mostly caused by the beans. The Italian dark roasted beans are used, so the espresso is more bitter. Some stores use commercial beans that have been roasted for a long time, which are seriously de-oiled and the aroma is discounted, and it always has a charcoal taste.

Then there is the reason for extraction and concentration:

Espresso (servings):

7-10 grams: Generally, 7-10 grams of coffee powder are needed to make a cup of espresso. After knowing this amount, you can increase or decrease it according to your taste.

25ml-30ml: The amount of coffee extracted for a cup of espresso is 25ml-30ml. This amount can bring out the rich aroma of coffee crema in coffee beans and give a comfortable taste. If it is less than 20ml, its stimulating taste will give people a heavy punch. Extracting more than 35ml will make the taste lighter and too soft.

9 atmospheres: This pressure is the ideal extraction pressure. If it is less than 9 atmospheres, the extraction will not be complete. The coffee will have no taste and will be white in color. If it is higher, the coffee will be mixed with other flavors or turn black.

90 degrees Celsius: This temperature is the most suitable water temperature for extraction. There is a device on the Italian coffee machine that can set the temperature to keep it at 90 degrees.

The above conditions are necessary to make a good cup of espresso. Good espresso has distinct layers from top to bottom.

Daily grinding:

Usually, for Italian espresso, single-head coffee grinding, 13 grams of coffee powder is taken for the first time, and 26 grams of espresso is extracted in 23 seconds. It is found that the flow rate is too fast, sourness appears, and the oil has coarse foam . The grinding degree is adjusted a little finer, and the amount of powder is increased for debugging. 14 grams of powder is used to extract 30 grams of coffee liquid in 25 seconds. It has the flavor of cocoa and almond, the sweetness of caramel, and a slight mint aftertaste at the end. The sense of balance is significantly improved, the oil is solid and beautiful, the coffee has a floral aroma, and the aftertaste is strong.

How to drink espresso:

Drink the espresso in three sips. The first sip is to enjoy the aroma and acidity of the espresso, the second sip is to taste the bitterness and nutty taste of the coffee on the tip of your tongue, and the third sip is to feel the sweetness and aftertaste.

In addition, many people think that "espresso" has more caffeine when they hear it. If espresso uses deep roasted beans, the caffeine in it can be volatilized after deep roasting. On the contrary, coffee that needs to be filtered and brewed for a long time has more caffeine, such as syphon pot, Belgian pot, Turkish pot, French press, American drip filter, and Vietnamese coffee set.

Espresso, which instantly extracts coffee crema, actually contains the least caffeine of all types of coffee.

Basic drip coffee equipment is cheaper than investing in an expensive espresso machine. In recent years, hand-poured coffee has become very popular. Many friends who want to enter this field want to buy a hand-poured coffee set but don’t know how to choose one. Of course, it is best to buy one with high cost performance within the budget. A set of hand-poured coffee equipment is necessary, including a filter cup, a hand-crank or electric grinder, a hand-poured coffee pot, a thermometer, an electronic scale, filter paper and a glass pot. The six essential sets for beginners of hand-poured coffee are relatively classic:

1. Hand brewing kettle

The hand-brewed kettle we often use is bonabita, which is made of stainless steel. It has a generous and beautiful appearance and can effectively control the water flow speed, flow and direction. The lines of the kettle are smooth and the feel is comfortable. The water flow is gentle and even novices can control it well. Generally speaking, it is very easy to use. Novices are suitable for thin-mouthed kettles (inner diameter above 6mm). The professional gooseneck thin and pointed mouth design can more effectively control the water flow speed and the flow rate is moderate.

2. Filter cup

3. Bean grinder

According to the working method, they can be divided into manual and electric. Regardless of the category, my personal advice is to buy a good grinder that your financial ability can accept!

Electric grinder: small steel cannon

There are three different types of knives: flat knife, cone knife, and ghost tooth.

[Flat knife] grinds coffee beans by "shaving" to increase the cell wall area. Therefore, using a flat knife can increase the concentration and extraction rate of coffee liquid in a short time, making the coffee aroma significantly improved in a short time;

【Ghost Tooth】Grinds coffee in a grinding method, the particles are closer to round, and the ratio of coarse powder and fine powder is more uniform, so the coffee tastes cleaner and the flavor is more three-dimensional and full, but the machine is more expensive. We use Ghost Tooth's small steel cannon.

4. Filter paper

Kono Unbleached Coffee Filter Paper 100 Pieces 01 Size 1-2 People, Almost No Paper Smell.

5. Electronic scale

The most easily overlooked thing about electronic scales is the simplest one, the amount of powder and the amount of water added when brewing coffee. How much coffee beans are needed to extract how much powder, there is a certain water-to-powder ratio.

6. Thermometer

Thermometers are used to measure water temperature. There are also corresponding cost-effective thermometers on Taobao.

7. Share the pot

The sharing pot is used to hold coffee. If you are drinking alone, you don't need to use a sharing pot, but can directly place the mug on the drip filter. If you want to extract multiple cups of coffee, you need a sharing pot. With the help of the sharing pot's own scale display and transparent material, it is easier to understand and control the extraction process. The sharing pot is not only used to divide the cups.

The next step is to buy coffee beans and make a cup of coffee yourself to enjoy~!