On espresso...

Espresso, the wonderful substance that has caused the coffee renaissance worldwide, allowing people to create sugary-milk beverages that still give them their coffee fix. For something that so many Americans consume every day in some form or another, there are a lot of misconceptions about what espresso is. It is my goal to clarify.

The Basics -

First and foremost, let's give a definition of what an espresso is. My personal definition is "1 to 2 ounces of liquid created by forcing hot water (190-203º F) through a puck of finely ground coffee with great pressure (~9 Bars) over the course of 20-30 seconds." While there is some wiggle room with this definition, I feel it captures the essence relatively well. Basically, the goal of making espresso is making a small cup of coffee quickly, and having said cup highlight and accentuate certain flavors in the coffee. It is strong, yes, but if made properly you can taste espresso that has a flavor you might never associate with coffee. Now that we've covered what espresso is, let's tackle:

What espresso is NOT -

Tons of people think they know espresso, and most of them have no idea what they are talking about. Here are a few things that you should dedicate to memory -

1) "eXpresso"

This is not a word. It has never been a word. It is also not a beverage or component of any beverage ever! Please strike it from your vocabulary.

2) A roast style.

Some people think that "espresso" means really dark roasted coffee. This misconception at least has some logic behind it. Back in the first boom of specialty coffee in the U.S., people were roasting their coffee darker, especially for their espresso blends. Secondly, the most commonly consumed espresso in the U.S., that of Starbucks, is not only roasted very dark, but they identify their espresso blend as "Espresso Roast." They then put this on the shelf next to their reasonably named Italian and French Roast which most would consider to be indications of roast style. It is not hard to see where the concept came from.

The problem with this however is that not all espresso is roasted to that degree. In fact, many people (myself included) enjoy espresso roasted much, much lighter. So when you try to say something is roasted like espresso, you are covering a huge spectrum of what an ideal espresso roast is to a great number of people. In the end, it is also just easier to not use this term than to try and force a meaning on it.

3) A type of coffee bean.

There are two types of coffee, arabica and robusta. From here, coffees have a varietal such as bourbon, geisha, typica, etc. From there the coffee is shaped by its place of origin, the soil it is grown in, what is grown around it, and its elevation. Nowhere on this earth is there a varietal called "espresso." There is no "espresso" region in Africa, the Americas, or Asia. There is no such thing as an "espresso" bean. Any coffee can be used in the creation of an espresso blend, and any coffee can be used on its own to make espresso. There are varying degrees of success depending on what you use, but regardless there is not only one bean that creates espresso.

4) A caffeine bomb*

People have it in their heads that espresso is laden with caffeine. In some ways they are right. Espresso has a high caffeine amount for a beverage of its volume. However, I have heard many times, "Oh, I stick to my normal coffee. I couldn't take all of that caffeine from espresso!" Well, that is just silly. The average American drinks at least 12 ounces of coffee every morning. A 12 ounce cup of coffee yields somewhere between ~97 to ~180 mg of caffeine depending on type of coffee, roast, brew method. A single shot (~1 oz.) of espresso yields ~30 to ~50 mg of caffeine. Ergo, to get the same amount of caffeine from espresso as you would from your normal morning coffee, you would have to have three shots of espresso, and even then in some instances your morning drip could contain more caffeine.

Hopefully this has cleared up some misconceptions for you. As always, feedback is appreciated, thanks for reading!

*The statistics I quote here come from CoffeeChemistry.com, which is ran by the Director of Science at the SCAA.

Where should I buy MY coffee?

The number one question I get asked by absolutely everyone comes in one of two variants, either the slightly aggressive, "Well, where do you get your coffee from?" and the sadly less common, concerned or excited, "Where should I buy my coffee from then?"

As always, there is a lot that one could write about this, but my aim is to pare down all of that and give you just the basics of selecting a coffee supplier. Towards the end of this post, I'll give a list of some of my favorites.

1) Make sure the coffee you are buying is fresh.

As mentioned in the last post, coffee should be consumed within 14 days of its roast date. Most reputable roasters or cafés will have no problem telling you what day the coffee you are buying was roasted on. Heck, most of them will have it printed on the bag. If they don't know, or don't care, DO NOT BUY IT. You will likely be purchasing stale coffee, and what is worse is that by purchasing stale coffee, you are telling said retailer that they can continue selling stale coffee. Make a stand for good coffee, always buy fresh.

2) Transparency

If you didn't already know, coffee is a fruit. The "bean" is actually the seed of the fruit. Long story short, there is a lot that goes into harvesting the good stuff and if you are paying a premium price for your coffee, you need to know where it is coming from. Sadly, some cafés or roasters who simply don't know, or don't care what good coffee is, will charge you $15 for a pound of their "Sumatra coffee" completely unknowing of whether it is quality or not. Look for someplace that can tell you why they selected the coffee they did, maybe for certain flavors. Even better, if the place can tell you the region, terroir, or farm's name that the coffee is from, they likely are going to be giving you a quality product.

3) A higher price

This is where I tend to lose people. "Can I not have good coffee at a value price?" Well it depends on what you see as value. Most people will gladly spend $15 on a bottle of wine that will yield 4-5 glasses and see that as a bargain. $15 can easily get you a pound of good coffee that can yield 28 cups. That to me is a great bargain for a premium culinary beverage.

Will specialty coffee ever be as cheap as Folger's? No. But you really don't want it to be. The "high" price you pay for coffee ensures that everyone who worked to get that coffee to you is making more money. And by paying more for certain "premium" crops, you are voting with your dollar for more high quality crops and giving incentive for everyone in the long chain of people involved to keep working hard at trying their hardest.

Alright, so some places to buy good coffee; let's start with the local guys:

-Elemental Coffee Roasters

Elemental was the first roaster in the Oklahoma City area to really stand up for quality in the cup in every roast, and for that I am very grateful. You can buy their stuff direct from them online, or pick it up at the local stores listed on their website.

-Coffee Slingers

While not a roastery (currently), Coffee Slingers sources some awesome coffee from those self-proclaimed "damn coffee hippies" at Barefoot Coffee in Santa Clara, CA.

-Gray Owl Coffee

This new café in Norman is serving up some fine product from the wonderful people at Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea.

-DoubleShot Coffee Company

Not quite as local, these Tulsa coffee craftsmen not only start some of the most entertaining debate in coffee culture, they also roast up and serve some great product in the process.

In today's internet age, one is never too far from good coffee, and nearly any roaster can have a pound or two on your doorstep in two to three days of the roast date for usually around $5 in shipping. Here are some companies that aren't nearby, but are doing some awesome stuff that you need to try.

-Counter Culture Coffee

Without a doubt, Counter Culture is my all-time favorite coffee roaster. I've never had a bad coffee from them, and believe me, I have tried a LOT. On top of that, the people who work there constantly push the industry to evolve, grow, and really put the focus on the people who make our morning cup so special, the farmers.

-Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Stumptown has a simple goal: to have the best coffee out of anyone, anywhere. One of the "big three roasters" (the others being the previously mentioned Intelligentsia and Counter Culture) Stumptown has a lot of resources and does a lot with them to always try to stay on top. You'll pay a hefty price for some of their coffee, but there is no denying that it is excellent.

-Ritual Coffee Roasters

Ritual always has a small, but interesting selection of coffees that are as full of flavor and personality as the awesome people who run the place. Plus, they have the coolest logo in all of coffee-dom.

Anyway, I hope that gives you some ideas as for what to look for when buying coffee. As always, comments are appreciated!

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