Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Choosing The Best Espresso Coffee Beans

Creating the perfect caffeine drink is the goal of every coffee shop in town, and espresso has been an all-time favorite of the many. Because of this, there is the constant search for the right kind of espresso coffee beans to make each cup a delightful one. It is the secret to make customers keep coming back for more.

Basically, espresso is concentrated coffee brewed through a unique process. This involves the use of high pressure when forcing hot water through more finely grounded coffee beans. Although it is the same kind of beans as the ones used with filters and percolators, they are grounded finer, which makes them different as well.

In espresso, the consistency is thicker compared to the output of other methods of brewing. The term itself comes from the French word express, which is translated to especially for. This is because espresso concoctions are stronger than other coffee mixtures. It comes in different variations, and cappuccinos and lattes are just two of the most popular ones.

Any kinds of coffee beans can be used to create an espresso. However, there is an unspoken agreement that Arabica espresso coffee beans produce the best drinks. This is due to the inherent qualities of the Arabica coffee beans blending in well with the unique procedure of creating an espresso drink.

Generally, espresso drinks end up with stronger taste compared to other kinds of brewed coffee. This is a result of the high ratio between the amount of water and the grounds plus the brewing method used. Furthermore, this strong taste has encouraged baristas and coffee lovers to try mixing espresso with other drinks.

This is where the famous cappuccino, latte and mocha drinks come into the scene. These drinks are basically espresso mixed with milk and other flavors such as mocha. Americanos, on the other hand, are the mixture of espresso and plain hot water while Red Eyes, or Shots in the Dark, is the mixture of espresso and brewed coffee.

The caffeine content of an espresso drink is significantly higher than that of an ordinarily brewed coffee drink. One can find around 64 milligrams of caffeine in an ounce of espresso serving. This is, more or less, the same amount as that in 5.5 ounces of brewed coffee.

To wrap it up, there is no need to be so picky when it comes to espresso coffee beans. Creating an espresso drink does not have to involve a specific kind of beans. One should just make sure to have fresh and good quality coffee beans to have a nice cup of espresso in the end.