The World Atlas of Coffee: From beans to brewing - coffees explored, explained and enjoyed

by James Hoffmann

  THERMOBLOCK MACHINES

  The cheapest domestic espresso machines use this technology to produce espresso. There is a single unit inside the machine with an element to heat the water. Most of these machines have two settings: one to heat the water up to a suitable temperature for brewing coffee, and the other to boil water to generate steam. This means that the machine can only perform one function at a time, and I would recommend brewing coffee first, and then heating up the machine to steam milk.

  Broadly speaking, thermoblock machines do not produce a very consistent water temperature, and the lack of ability to perform both brewing and steaming at once limits how many drinks the machine can practically make, which can be frustrating for the user. However, when paired with a good grinder, they can certainly produce good espresso.

  Thermoblock machines usually use a vibration pump to generate pressure. These have two disadvantages: they are quite noisy, and they are rarely accurately set. The desired pressure for espresso is around nine bars (130psi). These pumps are usually set much higher and manufacturers will often proudly boast that their machine can produce fifteen bars (220psi) of pressure, as if more is somehow better.

  The machines have an overpressure valve that opens above nine bars (130psi) to alleviate the excess pressure. These valves are not usually very well calibrated, and may need adjustment over time. However, I do not recommend opening up your machine as you will probably invalidate your warranty.

  Thermoblock machines are undoubtedly the most popular and widespread of espresso machines, but many people who enjoy making espresso soon begin to feel constrained and start to think about an upgrade.

  Customers in Rome in the 1950s are served their espresso by a smartly dressed barista. Though a gleaming machine is a delight to look at, it is more important to have an excellent coffee grinder.

  HEAT-EXCHANGE MACHINES

  Although it is still common in commercial espresso machines, this technology is available in home machines too. The machine still has a single element, but it heats a small boiler of water to around 120°C (248°F). This generates plenty of steam, which is always available for foaming milk. However, the water in this boiler is too hot to brew coffee, so the machine pumps fresh cold water through what is called a heat exchange. This is usually some sort of tube that passes through the steam boiler. While the coffee-brewing water is kept separate from the boiler water, heat from the boiler is quickly passed to the brewing water to bring it up to the desired temperature.

  These kinds of machines are often referred to as ‘prosumer’, as they straddle the divide between consumer prices and professional performance. The disadvantage of heat-exchange machines, certainly domestic ones, is that changes in the boiler temperature will affect the temperature of the brew water. If you want more steam, you have to increase the boiler temperature, which will also increase the brew temperature. If you want to noticeably reduce the brew temperature, your steaming performance may suffer.

  Many of these machines use mechanical thermostats to control the boiler temperature and these can result in some variation. Better machines have more reliable control over the steam boiler temperature.

  Heat exchange machines can be fitted with either a vibration pump (see above) or a rotary pump. Rotary pumps are used on commercial equipment and are quieter and easier to adjust, but there is not a lot of difference in performance between the different types of pump if they are set to the same pressure.

  DUAL-BOILER MACHINES

  The idea here is to separate the coffee brew water entirely from the water used to generate steam, and as the name suggests the machine does this by having one boiler and element for the brewing water, and then a separate small steam boiler that heats its water up to a higher temperature for producing steam and boiling water for tea or americanos, for example.

  The temperature in the coffee boiler is usually very finely tuned with digital controls, allowing easy adjustments of temperature and greater levels of stability. These machines can undeniably produce coffee as good as any commercial machine, but they often come with price tags to match.

  ESPRESSO GRINDERS

  A grinder suitable for use with an espresso machine will need to do two key things: it must be able to grind the coffee finely enough to make good espresso, and it must be easily adjustable to make very small changes in the grind size.

  More expensive grinders tend to have better control over the grind setting, and a more powerful motor inside, which will be quieter. At the top end are the burr grinders with cutting discs inside, which produce fewer very tiny pieces of coffee that can add bitterness to the cup.

  Many people who are passionate about espresso end up with a small, basic commercial grinder, rather than a top-end domestic model. However, there are good domestic machines out there. Ideally, try to find a grinder described as ‘grind to order’, which means that it does not have a chamber to store large quantities of ground coffee, but is instead designed to dispense the grounds straight into the basket in the brew handle.

  A WORD OF ADVICE

  A great espresso machine can be a beautiful object, a satisfying tool and a technical marvel but it will be a waste of money if you are pairing it with anything but an excellent coffee grinder.

  I would always recommend upgrading your coffee grinder first, rather than your espresso machine. A good grinder and a thermoblock machine will make better coffee than a cheap grinder and a top-of-theline dual-boiler espresso machine. Spending money on a grinder gives a greater return on investment when it comes to how good your coffee will taste at home.

  ESPRESSO-BASED DRINKS

  Whether they are long, short, milky or dark, there is a wide variety of coffee drinks that start with an espresso as their base.

  ESPRESSO

  There are many definitions for what makes an espresso an espresso, some extremely precise and some more general. I would define an espresso as a small, strong drink made using finely ground coffee under high water pressure. I would also add that an espresso should have crema. More precisely, I would say the ratio of the weight of ground coffee to the weight of the finished beverage is about 1:2. I would rather have an open definition and treat espresso as a broad church, than be overly prescriptive about what is right and wrong.

  RISTRETTO

  This translates from the Italian as ‘restricted’ and the idea is to produce an even smaller and stronger cup of coffee than an espresso. This is done by using less brewing water for the same amount of ground coffee. The grind of the coffee should be finer so the brew time remains long enough to extract all the desirable aromatics from the coffee.

  LUNGO

  The lungo, or ‘long’ coffee, was until recently considered deeply unfashionable in the speciality coffee world. It was usually brewed using an espresso machine but with two or three times the amount of water to the same weight of coffee to make a much longer drink. The resulting cup was much weaker and, while a longer-lasting experience for the consumer, it was considered inferior due to the lack of body and mouthfeel. In fairness, most coffee brewed this way is terrible, and tastes very bitter and ashy.

  However, recently there has been a movement within the speciality coffee industry to brew lighter roasted coffees this way, resulting in a complex and balanced brew that I think can be delicious. If ever you are struggling to balance the acidity in an espresso blend, try making it into a longer drink by adding more water to the same amount of coffee. The grind will need to be made a little coarser to allow a faster flow and prevent overextraction.

  MACCHIATO

  This drink takes its name from the idea of ‘marking’ or ‘staining’ an espresso with some milk foam. In Italy it is not unusual to see a busy barista line up several cups of espresso on the bar for the customers. If one of the customers likes just a drop of milk in their drink, it is important to add a small dollop of milk foam as well to mark which cup it is. If you pour just a little milk into a freshly made espresso it will disappear under the crema, and y
ou won’t be able to spot it.

  In the last decade or so, many quality-focused coffee shops have done something quite different with the drink. They have turned a macchiato into an espresso topped up with foamed milk. This is often done at the request of the customer, who wants a longer, weaker and sweeter drink. Sometimes, however, it is done because the barista likes to show off and pour latte art in very small cups.

  To further confuse matters, Starbucks have a drink called a Caramel Macchiato. This is an entirely different drink, much closer to a caffe latte that has been ‘marked’ or ‘stained’ by caramel syrup. This has created some customer confusion, especially in North America, so it is now common to see coffee shops refer to what they offer as a ‘traditional macchiato’.

  CAPPUCCINO

  There remain a great many myths around the cappuccino. One to get out of the way quickly is that the name has nothing to do with the hoods of monks’ robes, nor the bald spot on their heads. The original name for the drink was a kapuziner, and it was a Viennese drink in the 19th century. It was a small brewed coffee mixed with milk or cream until it attained the same shade of brown as the Capuchin monks’ robes. Essentially the name implies the strength of the drink.

  Another recent myth surrounding the cappuccino is the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is passed around to this day, and describes a traditional cappuccino as being one-third espresso, one-third milk and one-third foam. I was taught this very early on in my coffee career but this recipe has no root in tradition. I have read quite a few books about coffee and the first reference to the cappuccino rule of thirds I can find was written in the 1950s. It describes cappuccino as ‘an espresso mixed with equal amounts of milk and foam.’ This sentence appears almost verbatim a number of times in the book. The phrase is a little ambiguous as it could be saying that only the milk and foam are in equal quantities, or that all three ingredients are. So instead of the recipe being 1:1:1, the author could easily have meant it was 1:2:2. The 150–175ml cappuccino made with a single shot of espresso in the ratio of 1:2:2 does have a long tradition, and is still widely served in much of Italy and the parts of Europe that haven’t yet succumbed to more generous portions of coffee as fast-food retail. This drink is also, when well made, absolutely delicious.

  I think a great cappuccino is the pinnacle of milk-based espresso drinks. A rich layer of dense, creamy foam combined with sweet, warming milk and the flavours of a well-brewed espresso are an absolute delight. The closer to lukewarm you can enjoy a cappuccino, the sweeter it will be, and I confess that the best ones I’ve drunk disappear in a few greedy mouthfuls – impossible if the drink is too warm.

  ONE CAPPUCCINO A DAY

  There is a tradition in Italy of having just one cappuccino in the morning, then drinking only espresso for the rest of the day. I believe this is a fascinating example of culture reflecting diet. Like most southern Europeans, many Italians are lactose intolerant. However, a lactose-intolerant person can consume a small amount of milk without a problem, hence the daily cappuccino. A second or third cappuccino, however, even a small Italian one, could result in some gastric distress, so Italian culture prevents the excessive consumption of milk by making it a small cultural taboo to keep drinking cappuccino throughout the day.

  CAFFE LATTE

  This drink did not originate in Italy. When espresso first spread around the world, it was a bitter, intense and extraordinary coffee experience for most. For some people, the bitterness was a problem so they added hot milk to make the drink sweeter and less bitter. The caffe latte was created to satisfy the customers who wanted the coffee experience with less intensity.

  Typically there is more liquid milk in a caffe latte than a cappuccino, making the coffee flavour less intense. It is also traditional to have less foam in the milk.

  I am always careful to describe the drink as a caffe latte, rather than just a latte, because many people travel to Italy and if they order a latte there, they will suffer the humiliation of simply receiving a glass of milk.

  FLAT WHITE

  Different coffee cultures around the world have contributed different drinks, and while the argument continues over whether the flat white was invented in Australia or New Zealand, it is undeniably from Australasia and has been spread by those who have travelled to Europe and North America to open businesses there. In the UK, the name first became synonymous with the offerings of quality-focused cafés, to the point that it was adopted by the major chains and put on their menus. The drink probably had lowlier origins, however. By the 1990s it was common, almost everywhere outside Italy, for a cappuccino to come with an enormous head of dry, meringue-like foam. Sometimes this would rise up from the top of the cup like a mountain, carefully dusted with chocolate powder. Many consumers were frustrated to be sold a cup of coffee that seemed to be mostly air and began to ask for a flat, white coffee. No foam, just coffee and milk. These became sufficiently part of the culture there that when people started focusing on quality more and more, and on better milk texture and latte art, the flat white was remade as something delicious.

  The best description I can offer is that a flat white is like a small, strong latte. It should have a strong coffee flavour, and is usually made with a double ristretto or a double espresso, topped up with hot milk to make a 150–175ml drink. The milk has a little foam added to it, but not very much. This makes it relatively easy to pour intricate patterns, known as latte art, into the drink.

  AMERICANO

  The story goes that the American soldiers stationed in Italy after World War II found the espresso too strong. They often asked for their espresso to be served with some hot water, or diluted down to the point that it resembled the coffee they were used to at home. This style of drink picked up the name ‘caffe americano’.

  Although it resembles a cup of filter coffee, I think the americano is somewhat inferior. However, it remains popular with café owners because it allows them to serve filter coffee-strength brews without having to buy additional equipment.

  My recommendations for making an americano are simple. Pour some fresh, clean hot water into a cup, then brew a double espresso on top. If your espresso machine has a steam boiler, it should be able to deliver the hot water, although if you have not taken water from the machine for a while it may taste unpleasant. Some people claim that you should never add very hot water to an espresso, and always brew the espresso on top of the hot water. I don’t think it makes a great deal of difference, I just find the resulting coffee is cleaner and looks better.

  The one disadvantage of diluting espresso is that you increase the perceived bitterness slightly. For that reason, as soon as you finish brewing the americano, I would recommend scooping the crema off the top of the drink and discarding it. Crema is delightful to look at, but there are many tiny pieces of ground coffee trapped in the foam so the crema contributes additional bitterness to the drink. Removing the crema before stirring and drinking definitely improves the flavour of an americano. (I would also recommend tasting an espresso after you remove the crema – the difference in flavour is dramatic. While I actually prefer the taste of an espresso without crema, I don’t want the extra work and am happy enough to enjoy it as it is. With an americano, however, I really do think the extra work is worthwhile.)

  CORTADO

  This is one of the few coffee-based drinks that does not have Italian origins. In fact, it comes from Spain, most likely Madrid, where it is commonly served. Traditionally the Spanish brew their espresso slightly longer, often a little weaker than the Italians. To make a cortado, about 30ml of espresso is combined with an equal quantity of steamed milk. This is traditionally served in a glass. The drink seems to have spread and has been reinterpreted in a few different ways, but this is the basic idea behind it.

  A promotional poster for Perles des Indes, established in 1905 by René Honoré. The largest French importer of coffee, the company roasted more than 2,000kg (4,400lb) of beans daily.

  HOME ROASTING

&
nbsp; In the past, it was not uncommon for a household to buy raw coffee and roast it at home. Since the mid-20th century, however, the trend has undeniably favoured convenience. Roasting coffee at home is fun and relatively inexpensive, although it is a considerable challenge to achieve the same quality of roasted coffee as the very best commercial roasters.

  Home roasting allows you to roast smaller batches of raw coffees than you might be able to buy roasted, so you can explore a greater number of green coffees and learn as you go. Like any hobby, there will probably be terrible failures and surprise successes along the way. It is important to consider roasting coffee as a new hobby, not as a way to save money on buying roasted coffee beans. The time invested, as well as the equipment, means that you should be enjoying the time spent roasting and learning, rather than seeing it as a chore.

  An increasing numbers of companies are selling green coffee online. While raw coffee does have a longer shelf life than roasted coffee, I would caution against buying in bulk. Raw coffee does fade over time, and you’d certainly want to use any beans you buy within 3–6 months.