Last Updated on December 14, 2022 by admin
This article provides all the information about Espresso, French Press, and their recipes.
Table of Contents
Espresso:
Espresso is a coffee-brewing method. More straightforwardly, we can say that it is a form of coffee but different. It is Italian in origin. Angelo Moriondo invented it in the year 1884. The main ingredients which are used in its making are nearly boiling water, crema, and grounded coffee beans. There is a variety of coffee beans in the world, and surprisingly, nearly all of them can make espresso. Another good thing about espresso is that it can be served both ways, i.e., hot and cold.
Crema:
Crema is full of flavor and aromatic. It is reddish-brown in color. It is formed by the combination of air bubbles, grounded coffee beans, and soluble oils.
Espresso shot:
It is an Italian way of serving coffee in the form of concentrated shots. One espresso shot is equal to 1 ounce. There are two basic ways to have an espresso shot.
- It can be taken in a small cup as a shot.
- It can be used as a base drink for a latte or cappuccino.
Benefits of espresso:
It contains antioxidants that help to boost the immune system of our body. It also reduces the risk of heart strokes and other heart diseases. Obese people should drink it on a regular basis. It also reduces the chances of a person to become diabetic. It allows the natural oils of coffee to be added to the final product, making it healthier than regular coffee.
Read More: 4 Mistakes in Brewing Coffee and How to Avoid Them
Taste of espresso:
The taste resembles to that of caramel. The taste depends on the careful measurement and proper ratio of the ingredients used in the making. Even the temperature of the water plays an incredible role in extracting the proper taste. It should never be sour in taste. If it is under-extracted, then the taste will become bitter.
French Press
There are many names of French Press, including Cafetiere and press pot. As the name suggests, it is French in origin. It was invented by two persons, Mayer and Delforge, in the year 1852. Over the years, it underwent many changes by many inventors. The modern or latest French Press has a narrow cylindrical beaker that may be made of glass or plastic (clear) and has a lid on it. It has a nylon mesh filter which aids in the filtration of the coffee beans.
Preparation:
Coffee is made in the French Press by adding extremely grounded coffee beans to the beaker, which is empty. After adding beans, boiling water is added into it. The temperature of water ranges from 93-96 degrees celsius. The ratio will be 500ml water in 30g beans. Coffee beans are pressed firmly to extract the oils and flavor out of them into the drink.
Making of Espresso in a French Press:
The question is can we make espresso with the French Press? And the answer is that nothing is impossible in this world. Yes, we can make espresso in the French Press, but it has consequences.
Espresso shot in the French Press:
If we do not have the equipment to make an espresso in the espresso machine, we can also use a French press to make it, but it will not be as strong as the espresso shot. It will be the weakest espresso shot you will ever have. The reason behind its weakness is the filtration of the beans, which does not happen in the espresso machine.
Most straightforward recipe to make an Espresso in French Press:
The basic steps involved in the making are:
- Grind the coffee: Half a cup of coffee beans to a medium-fine grind.
- Heat the water: Three-fourths of the cup should be heated to nearly boiling.
- Add coffee: After adding beans, we have to wait 4 minutes. Time should not be less than 4 minutes and not be greater than that.
- Plunge: Place the lid on it and move the plunger to its bottom.
Advantages of French Press:
It is healthier than that an espresso shot. The many benefits of coffee are extracted in this technique without using that much of it in quantity. We can say that it is more about quality than quantity. It is also more robust in taste but not in the intensity of the beans.
Disadvantages of making espresso in a French Press:
As we know, in the making of an espresso shot, we use firmly grounded coffee beans, but when they are added to the French Press for making, they pass through the stainless mesh of the French Press and accumulate in the base of the cup in the form of precipitates. Thus, tainting the joy of having a cup of coffee.
The ratio of Espresso and French Press:
There is no firm rule about the ratio, but primarily it is prepared in the following manner:
The coffee-to-water ratio is 1:12. If we add 30 grams of coffee beans, 350 grams of water should be added to make the tastiest cup of espresso.
FAQs:
The most frequently asked questions are:
- Is espresso stronger than coffee?
Espresso has 63mg of caffeine, but coffee has 12mg. So, espresso is more robust.
- Can we add milk to espresso?
If we add milk to espresso, it will become a whole other drink, so the answer is NO.
- How many shots is enough in one day?
A person should not exceed the amount of two espresso shots in a day.
- Should I make espresso in an espresso machine or a French Press?
It can be made in both, but the later will be less intense.
Conclusion:
Espresso can be made in the French Press because both are coffee-brewing machines. Still, we should prefer making it in a machine that is made exclusively for this purpose, i.e., an Espresso machine, to get the maximum taste and advantages.
