| OUR HERITAGE |
| The Italians have probably been enjoying coffee since around 1600 following the arrival of merchant ships coming in from Constantinople. In the 18th Century, the Coffee House culture flourished in Italy and many outstanding Caffès opened in Italy’s major cities. |
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| At this time, coffee was made in the Turkish style and then filtered through a fabric strainer to remove the grounds. Many attempts were made to improve the way coffee was made and to find a way to produce excellent coffee rapidly and simply. The word espresso arose for coffee made and served quickly. |
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| In the 1940’s, a barista from Milan named Gaggia dreamt of improving the bitter espresso he was forced to serve his customers and started to develop a machine that would overcome the limitations of the existing coffee making methods. This machine had a mechanism for controlling the water temperature and pressure. Using an ingenious piston mechanism, Gaggia's machine was able to produce a higher pressure than the previous machines. As a result of this elevated pressure, the oils in the coffee become emulsified and hence produce the ideal espresso. |
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| WHAT IS AN ESPRESSO? |
| Espresso is a thick, satisfying, smooth full-bodied coffee, topped with a hazelnut coloured ‘crema’. The crema comprises of thousands of microscopic oil bubbles giving a thick, foamy cream which can remain on the coffee for some minutes. In Caffè Nero we have a golden rule which all our baristas learn at a very early stage in their training; ‘No crema, no serva!’ |
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| The correct espresso has an unforgettable aroma or ‘nose’ and a lingering taste which can last for many minutes after the coffee has been drunk. |
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| Caffè Nero has been producing the finest espresso available this side of Milan since opening in 1990. Whilst many consider the production of fine espresso coffee as a black art, the reality is that the perfect espresso is created through the blending of a number of key ingredients; |
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| The correct espresso machine, perfectly maintained and spotlessly clean. |
| A special blend of carefully balanced and perfectly roasted fresh coffee beans. |
| A grind fine tuned to match the espresso machine. |
| Highly skilled baristas with expert coffee making skills. |
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| THE ESPRESSO MACHINE |
| Espresso machines such as those Caffè Nero uses are still essentially the same as the original Gaggia although microelectronics and the latest composite materials have now replaced valves and pistons. Most of the modern professional espresso machines work at around 9 bar (or atmospheres) of pressure and maintain the water temperature at 95 degrees plus or minus 1 degree. Due to insufficient pressure, other forms of coffee machines or small domestic espresso machines cannot produce a true espresso. |
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| THE BEANS AND THE ROAST |
| To make the perfect espresso a special blend of beans is required which when correctly roasted will produce the thick highly aromatic espresso. The harvesting, roasting and blending of coffee is not unlike that of wine. To produce a really fine espresso the beans must be hand picked to ensure only the ripe red ‘cherries’ are selected. These are then processed and sorted to separate the coffee beans from the shell and the beans are sent to market. The job of a roaster is to evaluate the beans and to decide on the ideal blend to create the quality required. This intricate task can also be compared to the vintner. Finally the beans must be roasted to the level appropriate to the coffee required. An Italian espresso is a dark roast with a fuller flavour than many of the light roasts found in London. |
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| Caffè Nero uses only the finest hand picked coffee cherries and our roaster has developed our own house blends and roast which is ideally suited to an Italian espresso. The blends are a secret but consist of coffee beans from Latin and Central America and are either entirely or predominantly of the Arabica variety. Small changes are constantly made to allow for the natural variations in different harvests to produce consistently excellent espresso, never compromising on Caffè Nero quality. |
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| GRIND, DOSE AND TAMP |
| Even the most perfect of coffees can be ruined by a poor grind. Coffee must be freshly ground as the full flavour of a good coffee is soon lost as the ground beans oxidise. In Caffè Nero we only grind what we require for the next few espresso to ensure absolute freshness. The actual grind itself will depend on the type of coffee machine being used. In general an espresso machine will require a fine grind. Any small, improper variation can result in either watery coffee or burnt coffee. Rotating blade grinders should never be used as they heat the coffee and impair the taste. In Caffè Nero we use only burr-grinders which give a homogeneous fine grind. |
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| The dose of coffee is also critical and will depend on the coffee machine and the size of the filter insert. In Caffè Nero we use automatic dosers which give out exactly 7g of coffee which will fill a single espresso filter insert. A double espresso would use 14g. |
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| Tamping refers to the amount of pressure used to pack the ground coffee into the filter. If the tamp is too firm the coffee will be burnt and if too light it will be watery and tasteless. Getting the correct tamp is a matter of experience and training... |
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| If all of the above has been carried out correctly and the appropriate coffee machine is utilised you will end up with the perfect espresso! |
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| IS YOUR ESPRESSO PERFECT? |
...Watch it pour out of the spout. The 'rate of pour' is critical. It should look like honey pouring off a spoon! A slow and steady flow. In Caffè Nero we look for a 20 to 22 second pour for a double espresso. If it is too quick the espresso will be weak and insipid if it is too slow it will be too strong and have a burnt flavour.
...Look at the crema. It should be a good hazelnut brown and thick. It should reform if you give the espresso a stir and should remain on the surface for well over one minute
...Taste it! |
