What are espresso beans?
16 September 2024
If its not Arabica or Robusta, it's not coffee
A recent Tim Horton's advertisement came up during an evening of YouTube indulgence stating their latest
beverage starts with the best espresso beans.
This made my eye begin to twitch. The problem here, is that there is no such thing as espresso beans. There fava beans, kidney beans, lima beans,
black beans, coffee beans, but there are no espresso beans.
So what exactly are they getting at here, as i've come across a number of people use the term espresso beans likely due to the marketing of massive coffee chain marketing.
Let's face it, espresso beans sounds more exclusive, more special, more sexy than regular old coffee beans. So what is really happening here.
Coffee roasters will create a roast or blend that they believe lends itself as a great flavor profile for those who enjoy espresso. Roasters may also provide options for pour over, drip, french press etc, but they
certainly won't be calling those roasts pour over beans.
The term espresso beans is simply marketing to convince the uninitiated that their product is superior to their competitors. But we are initiated, aren't we Bruce?
Coffee found on the grocery store shelf or at your local roaster may have espresso on the label, means it is roasted with the espresso
method in mind. Nowhere on the label will you see the term espresso beans. If you do, put it back on the shelf.
Most machines are capable
12 August 2024
Most machines are capable of producing decent espresso. Whether you have a $500 Breville or $4000 La Marzocco.
Scandalous I know. But let me put it to you this way. If you're using stale, poorly roasted, improperly ground coffee, I don't really care how espensive your machine is, the coffee it produces won't be great.
By no means am I saying you shouldn't buy a high end espresso machine, but if you're getting started, your money can be spent smarter and you'll learn on a more user-friendly machine that won't break the bank.
Focus on the Grind
Like with all things:
Consistency is key
The grinder should be the biggest focus point on building your home espresso setup. Starting here means you can upgrade your espresso machine later,
and keep the same grinder, no matter how far you decide to upgrade your espresso machine.
Taking from what I mentioned above, if you're putting inconsistent, poorly ground coffee in your machine, your machine can only do so much, and it will be far more
frustrating and time consuming trying to workout all your variables trying to get a good cup, especially when the most important variable: your coffee, is inconsistent.
What makes a grinder good?
Chances are you grew up, or new someone that had one of those coffee grinders that has a little metal blade that whirls around like a lawnmower and relentlessly shatters coffee beans
into submission. Creating a combination of coffee dust and coffee pebbles or boulders depending on how long you held the button down. This is the very definition of a grinder that will produce an
inconsistent grind, unsuitable for espresso. If you're using it in your Mr. Coffee, that's none of my business. You do you.
A good grinder for coffee will have conical or flat burr setups. Below I have links both options:
Conical Burr Grinders:
Flat Burr Grinders:
There are arguments on both sides as for which of these is better. There are articles stating flat burr setups will be more consistent, and more suitable if you're only grinding for espresso, while
conical burr setups are more of a jack of all trades, capable of grinding for both pour over and espresso. My general rule of thumb is that is something is designed to do it all, it will do none of those things
as well as something that is specifically designed to one thing. Having said that, I use a Commandante C40 for my home espresso setup and am quite happy with it... until I have company over. Then I crave a less manual option.
