In refer to the Italian traditions...
My question is to those barista's in America either on the west coast or the east coast. How is the italian tradition in preparing coffee viewed by you. As far as the cappuccino or espresso is concerned, I ask because I am here in the United States, (from Southern Italy) and though to keep this fair and respectful to all those who love coffee in their styles and traditions, is the italian way respected or is it seen as being condescending? For me I know my country's way to prepare the coffee that represents our culture, and this makes me feel at home here in the U.S.
Thanks in advance for anyone who comments
Giovanni
Thanks in advance for anyone who comments
Giovanni
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Fraser Jamieson on
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So long as you know that I made that remark about 25ml. espressos half in jest. Obviously, quality is what I'm after...I just happen to only drink doubles. ;)
Often, I'll order two doubles at the same time and let one of them cool to room temperature as I sit reading the paper and enjoying the first one. Coffee for me is never a grab & go product but always something I sit at a table with while in conversation with friends or reading by myself.
Friends of mine who travel the continent frequently continue to confirm that the espressos we are pulling are right up with the best found anywhere in Europe. The ones coming out of my Compak K10 (not where I work) are even better. Maybe it's the grinder; maybe it's the coffee blend; maybe it's a combination of both...but the quality is exceptional at 60 ml.
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Permalink Reply by Jared Rutledge on
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the k10 kicks copious amounts of ass.
Giovanni - have any of the traditional italian places experimented with conical burr grinders, as opposed to flat grinders? makes a world of difference
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Permalink Reply by Giovanni Caffarella on
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To understand the elements of a true Italian espresso, it is important to understand it as a coffee resulting from a precise blending process where each bean origin has been selected to give the end product very specific characteristics in terms of:
* Body
* Crema
* Acidity
* Aroma-rich Flavor
THE PERFECT SHOT
Now that espresso is so popular in America, it's important to understand that not every shot is created equal! In fact, as a student of great Italian espresso, you will want to understand the "Four M's" of a perfect shot:
The "Miscela" (Blend)
At least 50% of a perfect Italian espresso is determined by the original blend - delivering a harmonious rounded taste (not too acidic), a rich aroma, full body and beautiful lingering aftertaste.
For a perfect espresso experience, choice of blend is the crucial first step. All Academia del Caffe locations serve Miscela d'Oro - a Sicilian artisan espresso by third generation roaster Umberto Urbano. It is considered one of Italy's finest artisan espressos and the choice of educated American connoisseurs of true Italian espresso.
The "Mano" (Hand)
The barista plays a crucial technical role in delivering a perfect espresso shot.
A nervous hand - rushed and inexperienced - can ruin the shot by being careless about preparing the dose of coffee in the filter itself. If the filter is not filled completely, the incorrect amount of coffee can result in a bad pressing - the step where the barista packs the coffee down tightly into the filter unit.
If this layer of packed coffee is not even and very flat, water coming through during extraction won't successfully distribute itself equally around the whole circumference of the filter and not all of the coffee grounds will contribute to the espresso shot.
In addition, an uneven or tilted surface of packed coffee means that in one area the coffee density will be thinner and in the other area thicker, causing water to push through the coffee at different rates. The thicker side will be over-extracted and the thinner side will be under-extracted - resulting in poor flavor overall.
The "Macchina" (Espresso Machine)
Another fundamental element of the perfect Italian espresso shot is the interaction between water and the espresso machine itself.
Water is the vehicle that carries the extracted substances from the coffee into the cup - and the flavor of the final shot can easily be altered by incorrect water temperature, pressure, hardness (the amount of calcium and magnesium salt present in the water).
It is crucial that a water softening system be coupled to the espresso machine set-up to ensure that the calcium and magnesium salts are controlled. Build up of these minerals carried in the water can have a dramatic effect on performance of an espresso machine's boiler, heat exchanger and filter/extraction unit
And finally, it is crucial that the espresso system itself is carefully cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, so it can deliver the correct heat (ideal water temperatures between 88° C and 92° C) and water pressure (9-10 bars PSI) to deliver a 25 ml (1.58 fl. Oz.) shot of espresso in 22 to 28 seconds of extraction time.
The "Macinadosatore" (Grinder & Dosing Machine)
An authentic Italian espresso will always start with whole beans ground at the time you order your shot - to ensure maximum freshness of the coffee.
Correct grinding equipment and careful machine maintenance play a role in producing a perfect espresso. If a grinder's blades are worn down, this can result in forcing extra pressure - and therefore heat - on the grain of coffee going through the grinder.
As the flat blade of the grinder turns, it can force coffee to flow back on itself and you can see this effect at the mouth of the grinder.
A dull grinder blade can accidentally and imprecisely reheat the coffee past its ideal roasting level, creating a coffee that has lost its creamy characteristics, becoming dark-streaked with a burnt taste.
In addition, a grinder/doser that is not cleaned out well allows decomposing left-over coffee powder to mix with new grounds, creating a significant thickening of the coffee mix itself. A thicker mix will result in incorrect dosing in the espresso machine filter unit that either over- or under-extracts the shot itself.
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Permalink Reply by Adam Wilson on
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Hi Giovanni,
Your original question was directed towards the East Coast and West Coast (for good reason, as they tend to have the most well defined styles), but don't forget about us down here in the South East! ;)
I'm a barista at a shop in Alabama, and I've only been in the industry for about 3 years (and only REALLY into it for part of that time) so I'm still learning the history and differences between "Italian", "West Coast", etc. styles. I only know what we pull in the shop where I work, so I'll just stick with that!
Unless they request otherwise, a customer ordering an espresso will get what we refer to as a double ristretto, ~40ml (~1.5oz) of coffee pulled in 19-22 seconds from a 14gram dose. As with any respectable shop (yeah, I said it!), the beans are ground, dosed, leveled, tamped, and pulled to order—NEVER before hand. We use Mazzer conical burr grinders and a La Marzocco Linea machine.
Our cappuccinos are ~190ml (~6.5oz) drinks made with the shot described above and "micro-foamed" milk at 140-150°F making up the rest of the volume. As with the espresso, the milk is prepared to order.
Macchiatos are the above shot of espresso with a dab of milk foam on top. What a "dab" is, exactly, depends on the barista and on the customer's preference.
That said, I would say that my shop holds the Italian tradition in extremely high regard, but still allows for a little variance based on what we think is desired by our customers.
I'll also say, and I think everyone here will agree with me, that no matter our preferred style of espresso preparation, we in the US are all keenly aware that our roots are in the Italian tradition—we may vary and expand, but wouldn't be here without you!
Adam.
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Thank you Adam for your kind words!
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i understand all the steps you describe, giovanni, and for the most part i think they're fairly standard for most serious shops. but have you found any issues with flat blade grinders heating up beans regardless of blade sharpness? from my understanding that's a very common problem, which is why i went with compak k-10 conical grinders for my shop. do any italian shops take that into account?
as far as the blend, if i went with a blend such as your miscela d'oro, wouldn't it be stale by the time it got from italy to north carolina? i blend in-house at my shop, and i feel like my espresso has all those characteristics. what origin coffees are in the miscela d'oro, or is it a trade secret?
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Giovanni, may I butt in with a little question?
What's the story on sugar use? Here, I find that my European clients tend to use plenty of sugar, whereas, my North Americanized clients don't. Some use some; most use none.
Would this be typical? Do you think that more people in Europe use sugar in their espresso than don't?
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Well as far as the grinding goes that is my least knowledgeable field. I have not studied up on that more as I should...
And as far as the sugar goes, as the italians would do, we do use sugar most of the time with espresso. Not too sweet because we do like the bitter taste.
I generally use just two spoons of sugar and oddly enough I carry my own homemade limoncello to put in the espresso!
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Permalink Reply by David Brown on
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So you like a little lemoncello in your espresso. I'll have to try that. I have a bottle an Italian friend made and it's a little too sweet for me to drink straight.
I think the way the Italians have blended their coffee and alcohol traditions could pick up some traction here in the US.
Giovanni Caffarella said:Well as far as the grinding goes that is my least knowledgeable field. I have not studied up on that more as I should... And as far as the sugar goes, as the italians would do, we do use sugar most of the time with espresso. Not too sweet because we do like the bitter taste.
I generally use just two spoons of sugar and oddly enough I carry my own homemade limoncello to put in the espresso!
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Permalink Reply by Shari Coia Fulton on
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I love this thread, and being of Italian heritage, and having lived in Italy for 4 years, I can tell you my shop is extremely dedicated to the Italian tradition of espresso Giovanni! We are in Northern California east of Sacramento. My shop also makes gelato from scratch! I am 100% with you on sticking to the traditional Italian coffee style.
I agree with the poster, that I have seen a variance on the traditional macchiato on what constitutes a "dollop" of milk. I've seen them free poured to look like a mini cappuccino - filled all the way to the top of the demi-tasse, and I've seen one small spoonful lifted from the steaming pitcher and "plopped" in the middle of the espresso. Giovanni - does this vary from region to region in Italy? Also - in Italy I really don't recall seeing too much hand tamping of the grinds - most shops use the tamping tool on the grinder because they are pumping out hundreds of espresso drinks non-stop...no time to hand tamp....e vero?
Second - my shop has its beer/wine license, and I know it is OK to cook with liqueurs...is it ok to put a splash of grappa or amaretto in an espresso (caffe` corretto) or do you need to have a liqueur license for that (not just a beer/wine license) I would love to do more of that...anyone know?
Grazie mille!
Auguri Giovanni!
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Ciao Shari! I am glad to know that you like to follow the traditions accordingly.
Well, first the question of macchiato. Alot of times most people may believe it to be a mini cappuccino. But the word macchiato means marked as in a reference to distinguish between a shot of espresso and an espresso with a lil bit of milk. Mark with foam and it becomes easy to serve the correct espresso!
Second about the tamping. When you are really cranking espressos, you do not have time to use a heavier tamper, but for sure it makes the coffee that much better!
And lastly about the liqueur. I know that if I was to ask for a caffè with liqueur, you would only be able to serve it with out charging me for the liqueur. Think of it as a high class condiment for the coffee.
I hope that helps Shari! I have been working on my music skills, and not the book of Italian Coffee traditions. The way I always work is I will start a project and have it outlined and then stop for months, come back to it and finish it in about 2 days. I hope to have it ready by the end of the year!
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you always have time to tamp with a proper tamper. my grinders don't even have the attached ones, thankfully. they just get in the way
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