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Julian Vrieslander

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Also I am pretty skeptical with his contention that an "Americano"
> (dilutted espresso) is ultimately better than other forms of coffee
> such as filtered, French-press, etc. I can't 100% rule out this
> possibility but I've never liked "Americanos".

An Americano, because of the dilution, has a similar texture to coffee
made in a drip machine, French press, etc. But the flavors can be
different. Whether you like it better is a matter of taste.

The difference will be more obvious if you are starting out with
espresso made with a pump machine. These machines force hot water (not
steam) through coffee at high pressure (9 atm). The stuff that comes
out of a pump espresso machine is different than what it produced by
drip brewers, percolators, moka pots and other steam gizmos. A
different profile of compounds, different viscosity. It's actually a
different physical state. The thick crema on a well-made espresso is a
colloidal suspension, trapping oils and aromatics which escape (or are
not extracted) in other processes.

There are lots of books that explain all this much better than I can.
For example, "Espresso Coffee, 2nd ed.: The Science of Quality," by
Rinantonio Viani and Andrea Illy.

Unfortunately, a lot of people form their opinions of espresso (and
other fancy coffee drinks) from what they have experienced at Starbuck's
and other big chains. Really good espresso is hard to find. It
requires good beans, expert roasting and blending, and a competent
barista working on well-maintained clean equipment. You'll know it when
you find it.

I live in Seattle, where there are espresso joints everywhere. The
stuff served by most of them (including Starbuck's) ranges from mediocre
to drek. But there are a few shops that stand out. If you come here,
try a straight shot at Caffé d'Arte, Espresso Vivace, or Zoka. You
don't have to a coffee snob to appreciate the dedication that these
folks put into their product. It's hard to get to their level of
quality and consistency with home equipment. But for a couple of
hundred dollars, and some practice, you can come close.

--
Julian Vrieslander