Brewing process
Espresso is made by forcing hot water under high pressure through a tightly compacted finely ground coffee.[3] Generally, one uses an espresso machine to make espresso, although there are stove top espresso makers and hand operated devices such as the AeroPress. The act of producing a shot of espresso is often termed "pulling" a shot, originating from lever espresso machines which require pulling down a handle attached to a spring-loaded piston, forcing hot water through the coffee at high pressure. Today, however, it is more common for the pressure to be generated by steam or a pump.
This process produces an almost syrupy beverage by extracting and emulsifying the oils in the ground coffee.
Espresso roast
Espresso is not a specific bean or roast level; it is a coffee brewing method. Any bean or roasting level can be used to produce authentic espresso and different beans have unique flavor profiles lending themselves to different roasting levels and styles.
In Italy, roast levels can vary quite a bit. In Southern Italy, a darker roast is often preferred, but the farther north one goes in the country, the trend moves toward lighter roasts.[4]
Baristas
An expert operator of an espresso machine is a barista, the Italian word for a bartender.
Popularity
This article's section called "Popularity" needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)
Espresso is the main type of coffee in many parts of the world, though this is a recent
phenomenon.
With the rise of various coffee chains in the 1990s, espresso-based drinks rose in popularity in the United States, with the city of Seattle viewed as one of the origins of modern interest. In addition to the Italian style of coffee, coffee chains typically offer many variations by adding syrups, whipped cream, flavour extracts, soy milk, and various spices to their drinks.
Espresso has become increasingly popular in recent years, in regions where coffee has traditionally been prepared in other ways. In Northern Europe, specialty coffee chains have emerged, selling various sorts of espresso from street corners and high streets.
Home espresso machines have increased in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso. Today, a wide range of home espresso equipment can be found in kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors, and department stores.
