PROTECTING ESPRESSO QUALITY

KEEP IT FRESH AND GREAT!

As you likely know, with coffee, fresher is better. However, many baristas fall into habits without paying attention to how those simple daily actions steal from coffee quality. As a starting point, here are the basics we avoid and why.

Oxygen. Grind. Temperatures. UV Light. Moisture. Oils. Change.

Someone may say, "but I thought we wanted to age or degass our espresso before use." While it is true that some amount of freshness (within 3-5 days of roasting) can increase the presence of CO2 in the beans (and CO2 has an astringent bubbly effect to crema) this degassing habit is not a reason to buy large amounts of coffee to leave them sit on your shelves. Speak with your espresso bean provider and find out if you can get regular weekly deliveries. By restocking your coffee every 7 days you should find a good workflow for optimal quality.

An area of warning (which many baristas overlook) is filling the espresso hopper entirely and leaving the beans in the hopper all day and overnight. By leaving beans in the hopper for extended hours those beans are subject to many dangers above: oxygen, UV light, steam from nearby wands and more. Beans should be emptied each closing shift and placed back into their original packaging. Beans should be freshly stocked in the morning. Unless you have a super busy shift ahead, try filling your espresso hopper 25-50% full to avoid exposing beans for extended hours.

Please leave other questions and comments below. Thank you.

Discussing roast impacts on espresso.

Today, specialty coffee roasters and cafes have taken huge steps forward in crafting artisan coffee beverages. However, there are some dangers which emerge when throwing espresso roasting and blending traditions to the side for modern experiments at the espresso machine. A new era of light roasted coffees has gone mainstream without considering fully the impact to espresso beverages.

I am referring to the many "ristretto" and "light roasted" espressos commonly found in certain coffee markets. As a rule, coffee must be fully developed in the roast. This means that the time and temperature variables are applied to ensure that both the inside and outside of the bean are roasted equally. Roasting discussions will be left for roasting courses and Barista Skills Intermediate and Professional, but for now you should know that our goal with espresso beans is to have them roasted thoroughly to enhance sugars and sweetness. This may be a sweet light roast or a sweet dark roast.

Lighter Roasted Espressos = More Acidity.

Darker Roasted Espressos = More Bitterness.

ALWAYS - Seeking sweetness and balance in the espresso.

FURTHER TIPS TO TRY

Try pulling light roasted espressos slightly longer @ 25-40 seconds.

Try grinding dark roasted espresso coffees more coarse to soften the bitterness.

Generally the darker the crema surface, the greater your extraction level.

or tiger stripes. That's as far as you want to .

Much more could be discussed about the roasting and blending of coffees for espresso. Many artisan roasters today are developing specific roast profiles which optimize beans for either brewing or espresso. Many beans and blends are more suited to espresso than others due to their variety, processing methods and more.

If you'd like to go deeper in selection optimal espressos or creating your own blends then future courses and some professional consultation will go a long way towards helping you find that optimal espresso.

Well Done!

Keep Going and I Welcome Questions.