Espresso - more than just a simple drink
A certain Luigi Bezzera (he was granted a patent for this in 1902) and a little later Mr Desiderio Pavoni (a coffee house owner who bought the rights to the patent) invented the brewing of coffee under high pressure at the beginning of the last century and built the first espresso machines under the Pavoni brand in a small workshop. Since then, the drink known as espresso has made a triumphal march around the world from Italy.
A classic espresso is prepared with 7 grams (sometimes 10) of ground coffee, preferably freshly ground. These coffee grounds are then "extracted" under high pressure for around 25 seconds. This means that the hot water is forced through the ground coffee under 9 bar pressure.
Why does espresso require so much pressure? In contrast to other methods, this preparation not only breaks down the water-soluble substances, but also the insoluble oils and so-called colloids. These tiny particles contain many volatile flavourings. Due to the high pressure during preparation, they are then distributed in the water, even though they are insoluble. These small particles play around the fine taste buds and thus ensure the perfect coffee experience.
The four Italian M of espresso making
Miscela - The coffee blend
Coffee is cultivated in over 80 countries around the world and grows in tropical and subtropical highland rainforests. The best-known species are Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora (Robusta). As the term blend (miscela) suggests, a blend of different raw coffees is generally used for espresso roasts.
Macinatura - The Grinding
No matter which coffee preparation method is chosen, only by freshly grinding the coffee shortly before brewing can the flavours contained in the coffee come to the fore in the cup - and not "evaporate" beforehand. However, not every grinder is suitable for use with an espresso machine. A very fine grind is required to maintain the correct parameters, which can only be achieved by grinders from a certain price range upwards. We use a Fiorenzato grinder with an infinitely adjustable disc grinder.
Macchina - The Espresso machine
What sounds so simple requires a great deal of effort from the developers. At the same time, it means that a proper espresso machine can only produce espresso drinks of the best possible quality. In use here: A VBM Vibiemme Evolution with two brew groups.
Mano dell ’Operatore - The operator's hand, because espresso is made by hand
A perfect espresso can only be made if the operator's hand knows what it is doing. If they do, then a result is achieved that no machine can even begin to achieve. We practise every single step every day.
