Types of Espresso

What leads people to wait in long, long lines for a cup of gourmet-brewed coffee beverage? Just what is espresso, cappuccino and macchiato?

Basics

Espresso or café espresso in the U.S. is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing very hot, but not boiling, water under high pressure through coffee beans ground to a consistency that is somewhere between extremely fine and powder. A common misconception about espresso is that it must be made from a specific bean or roasted to a specific level. This is not true, any bean or roasting level can be used to produce authentic espresso. Espresso contains approximately twice the caffeine content as regular brewed coffee. Espresso’s flavor components quickly degrade with loss of temperature and any exposure to oxygen, so fresh, made-to-order is the best service option. (In Italy, espresso simply means made to order - quickly.)

Brewing

Properly brewed espresso has three parts: the heart, the body, and the crema or schiuma, a reddish-brown foam on the surface of the espresso. The defining characteristics of espresso are: a thicker consistency than drip coffee, a higher amount of dissolved solids, and a serving size that is measured in 1 ounce shots. Ordering uses terms and slang terms taken from the Italian and the French languages and can be intimidating at first.

Menu

Shots of espresso are served in combination with various steamed milks, creams and flavorings to produce coffee drinks that have become stellar retail performers all across the U.S. Here are just a few of the most popular combinations:

• Café Latte: equal parts espresso and steamed milk. The steamed milk is poured over the espresso. Remember, the order of building the drink is important.
• Cappuccino: equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk foam (topped with cocoa powder or non-traditional cinnamon).
• Macchiatto: equal parts espresso and milk foam.
• Latte Macchiato: essentially an inverted cafè latte, with the espresso poured on top of the milk and topped with foam.
• Caramel Latte Macchiato: The milk is vanilla flavored and caramel is drizzled over the top. This is the form of macchiato popularized by the U.S. specialty and boutique coffee shops.
• Mochaccino: equal parts cappuccino and chocolate syrup.

The reawakened craze in coffee shops can be intimidating with boards and boards listing numerous specialties and three serving sizes each. Baristas move with lightning speed from espresso machine to flavorings to steaming milk to counter with the talent of seasoned ballet dancers. It takes desire and compunction to jump into line and voice your order - don’t be tremulous - order that latte or shot with conviction!

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