Espresso Guy blogs

Illustrated guide to espresso drinks

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:52:40 -0700

If you like espresso drinks but aren't sure exactly what's in them, check out this blog post by Lokesh Dhakar for an illustrated guide.

The page also contains pronunciations.

Link

Sexpresso

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:36:26 -0700

What do you get when you combine espresso and Hooters? The "sexpresso" craze is taking over the American Northwest, according to this article.

As one customer puts it, "If I'm going to pay $4 for a cup of coffee, I'm not going to get served by a guy."

Link to Seatle Times article

Aeropress

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:47:44 -0700

The Aeropress is a new and extremely cheap way of making espresso. It's from the folks who brought you the Aerobie flying disk and I'd like to get my hands on one and try it out.

My guess is these sorts of little gadgets won't be replacing full-size espresso machines anytime soon, but if I were going camping I'd totally get an Aeropress.

FREE (lousy) coffee!

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 20:21:41 -0700

On March 15th from 10am to noon you can get a free cup of coffee from any Starbucks in the US. FREE. For the asking.

Good coffee comes from good beans and careful technique. Starbucks offers the exact opposite. So go get your free coffee -- it's the perfect chance to experience what coffee SHOULDN'T taste like.

How caffeine works

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:45:28 -0700

Want to know how caffeine keeps you awake? Marshall Brain of HowStuffWorks put up a short film on Google Video explaining how caffeine works in your brain.

Link to video (requires Flash)

All in all it's just another espresso in-wall

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 20:34:03 -0700

Espresso machines can take up valuable counter space in a cramped kitchen. Fortunately you can now buy an espresso machine that fits into the wall from Zanussi.

However, the product page offers virtually no details -- a bad sign. If this was intended for serious espresso drinkers they should offer basic specs (such as the boiler type and material and what kind of device controls the temperature.)

But according to Gizmodo the price is $775 (USD), so it had better make some good espresso!

The importance of a good grinder

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 15:47:27 -0700

A recent NY Times article discuses the importance of a good coffee grinder (registration required.) And it's true -- you won't get good espresso without a good grinder.

At this point I couldn't tell you how many grinders I've been through. Most of them were terrible. But when I first got a Rocky Rancillio grinder, I was amazed at how much better my espresso tasted. With a better grinder, I was finally able to adjust the grind to level of perfection that otherwise would have been impossible.

Sound crazy? It's not. Cheaper grinders hide -- and in some cases destroy -- the flavor of the coffee. In addition, semi-commercial and commercial grinders let you set the grind to perfectly match your espresso machine's needs.

Site reorganization

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 02:39:12 -0700

I'm mixin' it up around here. Don't worry, your favorite pages are still on the site, but they may have moved, or even changed names. I'm trying to make the site extra friendly for people who haven't been here yet.

And speaking of which, there's a brand new guide to getting started making espresso. I've tried to make it a better place to start than the old guide, which was understandably too schizophrenic for most folks.

Also brand new is the tamper FAQ, which answers some common questions about tamping.

As always, please send any suggestions to me.

Naked portafilters

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 16:51:20 -0700

Sometimes when you make espresso, unbeknownst to you, the water will find an easy escape through the coffee instead of taking its time and going through evenly like it should. When this happens the water "channels" very quickly, hardly touching the coffee at all, and you're left with a cup of weak, watery coffee. Ick.

Today BoingBoing linked to EspressoPorn.com (safe for work), a site about using a portafilter which has had the bottom removed. This allows you to see if the espresso is pouring out evenly from the filter basket as opposed to channeling through in one spot. Plus it looks really cool.

If you're interested in learning how to use a bottomless or "naked" portafilter, check out this page on diagnosing your shots using a naked portafilter. You can purchase one from EspressoParts.com.

Homemade espresso machines

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 16:26:10 -0700

Occasionally people ask me if there's a way to build an espresso machine from scratch. My answer until now was "probably not." Even if your own labor is worthless, by the time you buy all the parts it'd come out cheaper simply to buy a machine someone else made.

Still, some people are not put off so easily. These people hear the calling, and that calling says "build an espresso machine." So let's take a look at what two folks have built in their spare time.

Turns out it's possible to build a very simple espresso-making device for about $30. Sure, you could just buy a moka pot for your stove, but this is more creative. And it looks sort of like a large gun.

Another guy took homemade espresso machines to the next level, building a very professional machine from scratch. He's even got a PID temperature controller and pressure gage on that thing.

So there you go, folks. Yes, you can build an espresso machine at home. It's possible.

Now stop asking.

Tamping

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 23:33:37 -0700

Lately I've been pulling more consistent shots, thanks to advice in David Schomer's book, Espresso Coffee Professional Techniques. He suggests leveling the coffee with your fingers, then tamping with thirty pounds of pressure, and finishing by twisting the tamper while applying a slight pressure. I've found this not only produces better shots, but also prevents coffee from sticking to the tamper.

As was pointed out in the CoffeeGeek forums, consistency is more important than achieving exactly 30 pounds of pressure. This is because the fineness of your coffee grounds must match your tamp pressure. You'll know if you got it right, because the espresso will be oh-so yummy.

If you're interested, you can practice tamping consistently on a bathroom scale. Just remember to wash your tamper when you're done or all your coffee will taste like feet.

Pimp My Machine

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 23:47:39 -0700

My trusty ol' Rancilio Silvia espresso machine now has a new friend -- a Rancilio Rocky grinder! One of my flatmates purchased it, and the two machines make a lovely couple. (I bet we're the biggest coffee nerds on the block.)

Also, this weekend I added a special type of controller called a PID to my Silvia in order to achieve a more stable brewing temperature. This prevents the espresso from having a burnt taste due to water that's too hot, or from coming out sour due to water that's too cold. I'm getting much more flavor out of my espresso with the PID, and a significantly more consistently colored crema. It's very spiffy!

Also: I added a new FAQ section, About the Espresso Guy (that's me!) If you have any questions not answered in the

Updates!

Fri, 22 Jul 2005 03:20:56 -0700

EspressoGuy.com has moved to a new server, and a fancy new backend system that lets me update more easily. Yay! And you can now see when this site is updated through a newsfeed, easily addable to any newsfeed client (including My Yahoo or My MSN) with the little buttons near the bottom of the page.

A warning though: some bookmarks may not work, and a few features here and there work a bit differently now. I hope this doesn't throw you off.

Hopefully there will be many future updates with this little blog I have now. I'll be posting links and photos to new coffee technology, espresso news, and a few things here and there about my own espresso adventures. Hope to see you back soon!