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Espresso Makers:
Depending on Your Need, There's an Espresso Maker for You |
by:
Allen
Shaw |
Since Starbucks
first went International in the early 1990s, espresso has been
the number-one item on the minds of those who need a quick pick-me-up
to get their day started. It started out as a fad, but with the
onslaught of Friends on NBC in 1994 and Starbucks reproducing
like rabbits throughout the last decade of the 20th Century, it
has morphed into a worldwide phenomenon.
But what is espresso exactly. To put it in the simplest terms,
espresso is coffee's more aggressive and strong willed little
brother. Espresso is caffeine's answer to a shot of whisky. Just
as addictive in some cases, but will not get you thrown in jail.
Espresso is made by filtering 1.5 to 2 ounces of water through
tightly ground, espresso coffee, roughly the caffeine equivalent
of four cups of coffee. If everything goes according to plan,
what you get is 2 ounces of compressed caffeine with a small layer
of foam on the top. The resulting concoction looks like a dark
German beer with a head…only a lot smaller.
But how do you make espresso? Is it as easy as Starbucks would
have you believe? In a word…yes. So where do you start? Again,
the answer is simple…right here. There are five basic types of
espresso machines. Let's take a quick look:
Stovetop espresso makers are popular with hikers and tourists
because they do not require electricity. But since the stovetop
espresso maker is usually the "one-cup" variety, you won't get
the creamy foam layer top. What you will get though is a very
concentrated shot of espresso.
Steam powered espresso makers work a lot like the stovetop variety
but is fashioned more like the standard pump driven espresso makers.
Still convenient for tourists and hikers, the steam powered espresso
maker is not as popular with this crowd because of its bulky size.
The piston driven espresso maker is the grandfather of all espresso
makers and the reason most espresso comes with a foamy top. Invented
in 1938 by Achille Gaggia, the piston driven maker is still a
good way to make espresso, though not often used. This kind of
of espresso maker is sold as an antique as often as it is the
caffeine junkie's primary maker.
Pump driven espresso makers are the offshoot of the piston driven
variety and the most popular maker in commercial settings. Usually
hooked up directly to the building's plumbing, pump driven makers
heat the water as it is filtered through the coffee and uses a
built in shot timer to help insure every shot of espresso is exactly
the same.
Automatic espresso makers are becoming increasingly popular because
the machine does almost everything for you. Automatic machines
consistently produce the same espresso shot every time and require
less fine-tuning than commercial makers. In addition, this expensive
but consistent alternative to your daily trek to the corner coffe
house does everything from grinding the beans to disposing of
the spent grounds. The only thing the user has to do is turn on
the machine.
Now that you know how to make espresso, how do you decide what
your favorite concoction is? After all Starbucks has more varieties
of espresso than Baskin Robbins does ice cream. You do not want
to make a fool of yourself when you when you are late for work
and don't have time to make your morning wake-me-up at home. Yo
need to feel confident and proud when you walk up to the conter
and ask for:
ESPRESSO - For those who prefer the simple things in life, a single
shot of espresso, no foam, is probably best.
ESRESSO DOPIO – Or a double espresso is for those days when you
just cannot wake up.
If you are feeling a need for some balance in your life, try an
ESPRESSO MACCHIATO (a single or double shot of espresso with a
whipped cream top).
For those sweet and sour days, try an ESPRESSO ROMANO, a single
shot of espresso topped with a sliced lemon peel.
For amateur espresso drinkers who prefer a foamier, creamier,
more chocolaty taste than a straight shot of espresso, CAPPUCCINO,
CAFÉ LATTE and MOCHA CAPPUCCINO is probably the safest bet.
So now that you know everything there is to know about espresso
and why there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner of every
city in every state in every country in the world, you can decide
whether you want to join in on this worldwide phenomenon. But
beware...if you decide not to join the crowd on this one, you
will likely be left behind. A caffeine-powered work force is what
made the world what it is today.
About the author:
Allen Shaw is a successful author who provides information on
espresso
makers for A1 Coffee
Makers. "I am the news director at USA News Network and have
been working as freelance writer for 2 years. I've been published
in a few magazines, newspapers and websites and my specialty up
to this point has been movie and music reviews."
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