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Espresso

Straight from Italy, this is a beverage comprised of a little water, and the essence of what makes coffee what it is. Coffee?s very soul in roughly ~2oz (volumetric) of liquid pleasure. A portafilter contains a filterbasket which is filled with finely fresh-ground coffee (usually a blend, though not always) which is then distributed so an even density of coffee is achieved in the filterbasket. This coffee ?puck? is then tamped by hand with a tamper at ~30-40lbs of vertical pressure, and polished at the end. The portafilter is then locked into the group-head on the espresso machine, and the pump is activated. Heated water at ~200F is pumped through a shower screen to ensure even distribution of water on the bed of coffee, which swells upon contact with the water. The compacted puck of coffee provides resistance to the water, which reaches ~9bar of pressure before thick honey-like liquid begins to pour from the spouts of the portafilter and into the espresso receptacle. The liquid will pour from ~20-30 seconds, the timing dependent on the resistance provided by the coffee puck. The finished product is what we know as espresso.

Portafilter

The handle with a filterbasket inserted in the non-handled end often seen in the hands of a barista either preparing an espresso, or knocking out a spent puck.

Filterbasket

A metal, cylindrically shaped container with a perforated floor in which ground coffee is placed, distributed, and tamped.

Crema

This is what makes Espresso so special. Though it is not 100% understood what exactly crema is, it is known to be a foam created by carbon dioxide contained in emulsified oils, both of which have been forced out of the bean by the high pressure water during extraction. This is part of the anatomy of espresso, and is the sweetest, most flavorful part of the experience. If there is no crema, there is no espresso, and you would do well to find either another barista, or another establishment.

Body

This is the liquid portion and mouthfeel, or texture-like weight of the drink on the palate.

Heart

This is the complex flavor found in the espresso. This is the heart and soul of the coffee.

Naked Portafilter

This is a portafilter with the spouts removed, and the bottom cut out of it, so that the bottom of the filterbasket is exposed, and in plain sight. This enables the barista to watch as the espresso shot progresses, and to check for errors in technique. Ex: A naked espresso extraction on my home machine.

?Golden Rule?

The ?golden rule?, as it were, is the rule of ~2oz. of liquid in ~25-30 seconds for an espresso extraction.

God Shot

A shot of espresso that is so good, and inexplicable, that it is believed to be blessed by God. Whether or not God has anything to do with it is debatable.

Camping espresso

Made just like Moka, but with the upper chamber removed, the vertical spout turned to face downwards, and a place to set the cup is in place under the curved spout. Not real espresso, but great strong coffee if done right.

Tamper

A cylindrical shaped tool, usually aluminum or steel, used to compact the coffee into a puck. Ex: EspressoCraft tamper

Doser:

The chamber affixed to the front of a grinder where ground coffee is collected into the dosing chamber. Inside this chamber, are vanes that regulate volumetric amounts of coffee into sections. Each pull of the dosing lever dispenses a certain volume of ground coffee directly into the portafilter. Championship and great baristas never use the ?dosing? feature of the doser, as it requires more ground coffee than can be used in one doubleshot of espresso to work correctly, and since espresso is made by grinding per shot, the doser is relatively useless. It does, however, help to relieve clumping of the ground coffee before it falls into the filterbasket.

Doserless

A type of grinder that is not equipped with a doser. Considered by many home enthusiasts to be better based on freshness alone.

Hopper

The container on top of the grinder that holds whole-bean coffee waiting to be ground.

Demitasse

Literally a French word meaning ?half cup?, the demitasse is a (usually) 3oz. (volumetric) cup used for Espresso and Macchiato.

Spouts

The two (or one) spouts on the bottom side of a portafilter used to dispense the extracted espresso into a demitasse or other receptacle.

Boiler

The metal (often brass) container in an espresso machine that?s purpose is to hold, and heat water to either brewing or steaming temperature, depending on the design of the machine.

Steam Wand

The arm on an espresso machine that is used to heat and froth milk. Pressurized steam is released from the steam boiler through the steam wand, and through the nozzle on the end, and into the milk, which is frothed by the introduction of air made possible by the technique of the barista. A skilled barista can create beautifully sweet, beautifully textured microfoam.

Latte Art

Art on top of milk drinks such as Latte, Macchiato, cappuccino, and more. The ever-popular rosetta is common, as are hearts, and other designs created by Etching. Ex: A rosetta poured in a hot chocolate