Coffee Cups…. Buckets and Thimbles ….
There is a multitude of different drinks and different sizes
available to you when you order a coffee ….
I’m sure most ppl reading this have had the experience that results in you saying I just want a coffee mate ! I know I have! I remember vividly feeling
like an absolute idoit in Monmouth coffee in London when asked what coffee bean
I would like ! Thankfully being in a top class coffee shop like that I received
some great guidance or should I say the barista chose for me.
The trouble is there’s a multitude of fancy Italian names ,
a multitude of different sizes and a multitude of shops selling what seems like
the same drink. You can get a latte from a post office now a days and unfortunately
most of the places serving you these drinks only vaguely know what difference are
themselves . Its no wonder the consumer can get confused. Its actually really simple , so here goes ..
Excluding Filter style coffees, V60 Chemex French Press etc. etc. ..
The coffee you buy in
coffee shops is made with a shot of
espresso and mixed/diluted with Milk Water or soya(alternative) to make it
larger in volume.. in coffee talk this is a long drink
Espresso…. An
concentrated shot of coffee around 30ml of liquid …
This is then diluted to taste with yep Milk Soya or Water …… or any other
milk alternative..
Simple really. And as most stores will only do one type of
espresso shot and unless they double up the shots it’s the same amount of
coffee in all the drinks.
The Larger the cup the More Diluted the coffee.
As a general rule If you like your coffee milky and creamy
get yourself a large
If you like you’re coffee with milk but strong and not
overly milky get a smaller one.
This applies to black coffees as well as all you are doing is
diluting the espresso with water instead of milk.
What you are buying is a diluted espresso and it’s the ratio
you need to get your head around and of course its to your taste, there is no
right and wrong here.
Its easy to perceive value in the size of a cup, in
Speciality coffee the true value is in taste of the drink. Of course we also want the caffeine hit but
this should be a standard in all coffee drinks.
So how come most places only serves massive buckets of milk
mixed with espresso?
Now there’s nothing wrong with a large cup of milk if that’s
to your taste but specialist coffee houses have moved towards smaller cups with
a fuller sweeter intense flavour. This
is actually very hard to do well as the margin for error is small. You need to start with a great tasting shot
of espresso.
A great espresso will complement the milk. Milk blocks the taste of coffee so if you
have a sour or bitter espresso shot then you can cover this up with a large
amount of milk, plus a few sugars..
Actually making a shot of espresso is a very finite thing,
there is allot of work and skills that go into a great
shot. Each basket of coffee should be
weighed to ensure accuracy and the shot needs to be timed then the resulting
espresso should be weighed again to ensure the correct yield has been achieved
in the cup.
Its amazing how much of a few seconds difference can make to
the taste of a shot and it’s incredible how much a couple of grams (or ml) on
overall yield of espresso can make . A 2g gram change in yield can change a
sweet flavoursome espresso into a bitter or sour sharp tasting espresso shot.
Without checking every dose in and the length of time to
brew each espresso. A consistently good shot is almost impossible. There are
very few Coffee Houses that wish to go this accurate its speciality thing.
It’s a shame really there are a lot country’s around the
globe the coffee culture at this higher standard Australia America Italy etc
etc. the Uk is a long way behind the rest of the world. Especially outside the city’s.
Although we are catching up fast . In North Devon there’s a few Coffee houses
now offering this alternative to the normal … Coffee n Skate (self plug) , Love From Marjorie and a new one in Croyde I’ve heard is opening
soon .. fingers crossed more will open
and good old ND may start catching up with the world at large (big wish tht)
Hopefully this will help you understand how a coffee is made
up and in turn help you find your perfect cuppa Joe… also here’s a few things
to look out for ..
Small cups – Normal only offered in coffee shops that make a
good espresso
Cleaning- Machines baskets etc etc should be spotless at all
times.
Clean milk pitchers – Pitchers should be cold and clean
before every use.
If you see your local doing these things they most likely
really care about the product they are serving.. I know we do
