Espresso in restaurants: old concerns, new products.

Expresso in restaurants: old concerns, new products

I have developed a love/hate relationship with restaurant espresso; I love to order it, but hate to drink it. I always order espresso when it's on the menu, but I'm usually disappointed in the quality and can't drink it. No matter how many times this happens, I keep with my usual routine just in case I'm pleasantly surprised.

Espresso is a complex beverage and many factors must work together to produce the perfect cup. Too many times, restaurant personnel are called upon to prepare espresso when they have little or no idea of how the beverage is supposed to taste of the machine is supposed to work. The grind is rarely checked in the rush to fill orders, and unless the customer complains, the espresso is considered palatable.

Espresso machines are becoming more and more sophisticated and mistake-proof, and I think that's great. What does worry me is restaurant personnel's lack of knowledge about the proper grind for espresso, and that's what this column is all about.

Grinding Coffee for Espresso

To prepare a cup of espresso, coffee beans are ground to expose the bean's maximum surface area to extraction. If ground properly, the coffee granuals will be fine and within a specific size range, allowing coffee solids and volatile compounds to be extracted by the espresso machine's precisely heated wate. The granuals should be of various sizes within a specific range because each will extract differently, contributing a different taste. Care must be taken to avoid grinding the coffee too fine or too coarse as either can affect the taste of the brewed product.

A properly maintained grinder is critical to good espresso, but too often it is neglected, the internal blades get dull and wear out because they are not replaced regularly. In many cases, grinders go months, even years without proper maintenance. If you grind 2-3 pounds of coffee a day, the blades should be replaced yearly; 4-8 pounds a day, every 6 months; 9-15 pounds a day, switch to a conical grinder.

A conical grinder requires less frequent adjustments, it grinds the coffee at a slower rate, provides a more consistent grind at lower temperatures, and the blades do not dull as fast. These grinders are expensive though, costing much more than a regular espresso grinder.