[翻译over] Let’s Talk About Espresso

文章以黑体标题划分，有意翻译的同学请跟帖说明愿意翻译的文章标题；翻译后自己以blog方式发表中文翻译内容、并附上英文原文，俺将附上相关图片（如有）；文章为扫描后简单校对，错漏之处请保留英文原文以便核对，若有问题请于qq群讨论、或bbs留言。谢谢。

咖啡英文资料来源为jolly caffe 宣传资料，特别鸣谢提供者coffeeman [frank]（上海）；英文内容版权归原作者所有，翻译版权归翻译者所有，未经作者许可请勿转载，翻译仅作咖啡学习交流使用，切勿用于商业用途。

Let’s Talk About Espresso

Along with wine，and perhaps even much more so，ESPRESSO COFFEE iS considered most Italian beverage in the world in spite of the fact the esPresso machine is a recent invention．In fact．an engineer，Mr．BEZZERA patented the first ”Espresso coffee” machine that was to become the head of a glorious dynasty only in 1903．The need to make and serve the right of amount of coffee to satisfy the customer’s palate and the rapid organoleptic changes that occur in coffee that is not consumed quickly gave rise to this new method of preparation that makes the right number of cups exactly when they are needed．This elixirs of the spirit，this energy-giving nectar，this thick，creamy，masterful blend of aromas known as “Espresso all ‘italiana’” can only be obtained by using a fine quality blend．well maintained quipment and the skill of operators who really love their work．

More and more frequently we find ourselves looking for an establishment that “makes a decent cup of coffee”．Most of the time we are unlucky and this has doubtless contributed to the decline in the espresso bars popularity．Many families have already acquired small machines and make their own ”Espresso’’at a reasonable cost and at times with a much better taste than the coffee from the bars．the only way to bring customers back to the espresso bars(in tne past few years over one million home-size espresso machines have been sold)．is to serve a perfect CUP of coffee．TO make a good，thick，creamy—and even actrativecup of coffee，to create new enthusiasts and win back the old ones，three basic variants must be in perfect harmony：The COffee Blend，The Equipment(Espresso Machine and Grinder／Measuring device)，Skilled Personnel．

The Blend

No matter how good it is a single type of coffee is not enough to make a perfectly balanced espresso．A blend is usually defined as a mixture of different types of coffees from different origins．The coffees available on the market and made for espresso bars are not usually very large blends：

on the average they contain from four to eight varieties．The main purpose of blending is to obtain a taste．that is flavor and aroma，Which can bee reproduced consistently．In order to make its espresso that is perfect in sweetness，body and aroma，Iolly Caffe blends twelve different types of Arabica coffee from different origins after roasting．

This does not mean．however，that for reasons of space and economy of scale related to large companies，and especially those produce roasted blends for the food market，blending iS often done after roasting．This method，however，does nofguarantee consistent qualiiy since each type of coffee has to be roasted a specific temperature to be suited to other varieties in the blend．It’S a little like cooking different kinds of pasta all at once and then claiming the result is ”excellent”as compared to a classic dish of “spaghetti al dente”or maccheroni simply because will be a mixture of half—raw．“al dente”，cooked and soggy pasta．

The large firms that supply food stores(about 70％ of the market)with roasted coffee iust ignore the issue．But we cannot accept it as a positive sign of quality When comparecl with those of US,who roast the different kinds of raw coffee beans separately．That absurd idea iS similar to claiming that good quality iS an algebraic sum of good qualities and defects that compensate each 0ther．It’s just another way ot masking the truth with words．Blending after roasting each variety separately permits careful monitoring of gradual temperature increases and to make checks immediately after roasting to guarantee constant quality．If “sommeliers” have a special vocabulary to define the characteristic of wines，a real connoisseur of espresso coffee is iust as entitled to have the right words．The following are the terms normally used to describe the qualities and defects of a coffee：acidity，body，rough，dirt，winey，soft，woody．

Characteristics of the Main COffees

Brazil—Used for blends；the best iS Burbon Santos，soft，chocolate with balanced acidity．
Colombia—Full bodied．rich in aroma with a high level of acidity．
Costa Rica—Very aromatic．full bodied and rich with good acidity．
Equador—A lively taste，not much body；generally used in blends．
El Salvador—Soft，good body and good acidity，not much aroma；good for blends．
Ethiopia—Full，rich flavor，pungent and intense．
Gruatemala—Fastey，penetrating aroma．futl bodied．Haiti—Mellow，sweet and delicate，medium body and acidity．
Hawaii—Good aroma，medium body；slight nutty flavor．India—Mild acidity，good body and delicate aroma．
Indonesia—Rich and full bodies；the best is from lava and is often mixed with Yemen coffee．
Jamaica—Famous，0ne of the most prized and aromatic coffees．Kenya—Full，hearty clean flavor；marked aroma and acidity．
Mexico—Aromatic，intense，medium body．
Nicaragua—Good body and acidity．
Peru—Good body and acidity，sweet taste．
Puerto Rico—Full，rich and robust．Sweet taste．
San Domingo—Good body and aroma．
Tanzania—Rich flavor，full bodied．delicate aroma．
Venezuela—Low acidi tv，good body，delicate aroma．
Yemen—Known as MOCha with a rich ChOCOlate flavor．

Caffeine

Caffeine is an alkaloid found it coffee．It stimulates the central nervous system and in the right amounts in causes adrenaline to be released，ad can enhance heart function．The current belief is that espresso coffee made at the bars，so creamy，rich and fragrant has a high caffeine content． Actually, the opposite is true．In fac t(but this only applies to espresso bars that use fine blends) coffee from the ARABICA species has a caffeine content that varies from 0.9％ and 1.5％． definitely lower than the caffeine leve in ROBUSTA coffee which ranges from 2 to 3.5％．The direct result of all is that if inexpensive，poor quality blends consisting of Robusta coffee are used the espresso will not be beneficial and the excesscaffeine it contains is not readily absorbed by the body． Caffeine，in the right quantities is healthful，it helps with intellectual and even sexual activities and it defends the body．

Once and for all，it should be made clear that the right limits are 5 or 6 cups a day，but made in bars that use fine blends；less if the coffee is made at home with less expensive blends or in establishments that use poor quality blends．We should also clear up another misconception：there is a general opinion that by asking for a watered—down or medium strength espresso the beverage is less harmful．Nothing can be more wrong because the increased quantity of water that atfects the ground coffee transfers a greater amount of tannic acid found in the woody part of the ground coffee to the drink．The right thing to do would be to ask for a strong coffee and then add hot water to taste．For our expert bar personnel an alternative response to an incorrect request could make work all that more ratifying．

The Grinder／Meter

The purpose of the coffee grinder is to prepare the coffee beans so that release all their fine fragrance and aroma when the espresso is being made．It’s a vitally important process and the golden rule is to grind the coffee iust when it。s going to be used．The fineness of the powder，and its homogeneity are essential to the success ot the following procedures．The importance of a good coffee grinder made for the amount of coffee to grind for the espressos to be made is often underestimated ln manY restaurants and even in some espresso bars．We will concentrate on protessional coffee grinder／measuring machines tnat are used in most public establishments fwithout going into the general aspects ot many existing versions on the market，from the rotating blade to manual types)．The main components of the grinder／measuring machines：Bell：on top of machine it contains the whole coffee beans．Grinder：two metal disks teeth at an adjustable distance from each other．Measuring device：contains the ground coffee and measures out the exact amount needed to Prepare one cup ot espresso.

Flat Grinders

The flat grinders consist of a pair of toothed steel disks．One disk is generally mounted on the top ot the driving shaft and fastened with three screws；the other one is put on a threaded ring nut so that the distance between the two can be adjusted． Coffee can be ground finer or coarser by decreasing or increasing the distance between the two can be adjusted．

Coffee can be ground finer or coarser by decreasing or increasing the distance between the two disks，respectively．The disks are subject to constant wear and therefore have to be replaced every 400／600 kg of coffee；the amount varies according to the type of coffee used(the Robusta varieties are harder and woodier)．the type of steel and the diameter Of the disks．It’s very easy to replace the disks．However，their seats have to be cleaned carefully to make sure that the disks are always perfectly parallel．to prevent the driving shaft from getting out of alignment．The coffee beans come down from the bell and fall to the middle of the grinders which，rotating at speeds from 900 to 1700 rpm create a centrifugal force that pushes the ground coffee out and into the measuring device．This type of grinder is not recommended for coffee sold by weight；extended use overheats the grinders and this．in turn．will have a negative impact on the coffee’s flavor．

Conical Grinders

As opposed to the flat and identical grinders．the conical devices differ completely．The part fastened to the driving shaft is truncated cone and its diameter is much smaller than that of the part fastened to the ring nut and which regulated grinding．The internal part，a reversed truncated cone，holds the part fastened to the driving shaft．

This model is generally used to grind large amounts of coffee；the larger toothed surface is 1ess susceptible to wear (and can grind from 900 to 1300 kg of coffee)．The machine yields more coffee in less time and overheating only occurs when grinding really 1arge amounts．The coffee beans from the bell fall onto the top part and come out the bottom because of gravity without the need for centrifugal forces (in fact a speed of 380／480 rpm is sufficient)．

The Measuring Device

The measuring device iS a cylindrical container with a six—pointed star at the base，each sector of the star holds enough coffee for one cup of express．The amount of coffee per cup can be adjusted by raising or lowering the plate located above the start．

The very fine or impalpable part of the coffee may stick to the walls of the star and change the volume available in the various sectors SO that they do not deliver constant amounts of cottee．

Storage

Roasted coffee beans must be stored in hermetically sealed cans is hygroscopic(remember that during roasting it loses up to 22％ of its moisture content)and therefore it absorbs moisture and odours．

The temperature in the storage area should never be less than 10。C because it would freeze the naturaI oils and fats and ruin the quality of the espresso．If even only one of the above conditions should occur，the product would deteriorate and lose the organoleptic qualities that make it possible to serve a fragrant，thick and dark hazelnut coloured coffee.

The Espresso Machine

The only way to make that thick，creamy and fragrant．”real Italian espresso”iS to use machines that force hot water through the ground coffee at high pressure．
The right balance between temperature and pressure iS the key to correct extraction of the proteins，sugars．oils and colloids contained in the ground coffee and for transferring them to the espresso．Since 1903(when Mr．Bezzera patented the first machine for making Italian coffee) to the early ‘fifties there has been a rapid succession of new patent and trademark registrations．
Pavoni and Vittoria Arduino in 1 905 were followed by Cimbali，San Marco，Marzocco，Gaggia and Faema．Nearly all consist of a boiler where the water iS heated by a gas burner or electric heating element；another unit iS connected to the boiler．It may a lever, hydraulic, distribution type and it pushes the hot water through the coffee in the filter baskel at a pressure of 9 atmospheres．

Lever Unit

The early machines moved the hot water through the thrust of the steam directly from the boiler to the distributing unit．This was complicated procedure because the operator had to create a perfect balance between steam and water to prevent the coffee from being ”attacked”by too much heat that would have ruined the aroma．

Subsequently，water temperature was set at 90。C and the desired pressure was obtained not directly from the steam，but mechanically．with a piston． The piston，pushed by a spring pressed the amount needed to make the espresso through the coffee in the filter basket．

Hydraulic Unit

Since the lever that loaded the spring could occasionally slip out of the operator’s grasp and cause accidents，an improvement was made． Pressure on the piston was produced by cold water on the top part：this was the birth of the ”hydraulic”or “hydraulic mechanical”unit that makes it possible to attain a Pressure of 9 atmospheres using two pistons with different surface areaS．

The top piston receiving the pressure from the cold water in the pipe has a larger diameter and it pushes down on the smaller，lower piston．The final pressure is directly proportional to the difference between the surface area of the two pistons and the pressure in the system．

Distribution Unit

The distribution unit created a revolution in the world of espresso machines．Until it was invented，it was hot water from the boiler that made the espresso．with a11 the problems related to its use．The distribution unit introduced the heat exchanger concept．A cylindrical pipe inside the boiler carries the water pushed at a pressure ot 9 atmospheres vive that goes into action when the esPresso 1s being made． There is one important note to all this．however．If on the one nand new technologies have improved and simplified the operator’s work in making espresso，on the other hand。 and precisely because the task is purely manual and very simple (there are machines that automatically grind， measure，adjust pressure，emulsity clean filters．etc．)there is often a lack of professionalism among operators who now iust have to push a button (just watch an ”espresso”being made in the many service areas along the highways)．

The Operator

It iS said that Beethoven was very fussy about his coffee and patiently counted out the sixty beans needed SO that his coffee would always taste the same．We’re not asking today’S operators to do that sort of thing．but it does help understand hOW much attention．imagination and pride in one’S work are needed to make an excellent cup of espresso．Even though operator’s task has been made easier and safer thanks to new technological developments，a careful and well-trained ”hand”iS need to understand the problems that arise and which．if left unresolved．will damage the final outcome and that is，the cup of coffee．

The operator’s task，therefore，must be re-evaluated．because it’s only real professionalism that will make a good espresso．enhance the establishment’S reputation and assure that customers will return again and again．A professional has to do everything possible to assure perfection：respecting and loving the iob and putting all the necessary dedication into each cup as it were．The following are the most important rules to follow：select the blend on the basis of the desired results．Excellent results mean starting with a fine blend even it costs more．Don’t buy blends in transparent bags；store the right quantities in a place Where the temperature never goes below 15。C． Make sure that the coffee is perfectly ground；adiust coarseness according to the season．Remember that colfee absorbs moisure．on rainy or humid days SO adiust grinding．Replace worn grinders immediately as they cause coffee to ”dust”resulting in waste and poor usage．Check quantity daily by weighing 10 portions at a time(remember that it takes from 6 t0 7 grams for a single cup of espresso)．If possible use automatic grinding／measuring machines，or if they are not available，grind the iust before use．Never grind large quantities(the grinders overheat)．Press the coffee uniformly in the filter basket using flat rather than curved pressers．

Put the filter basket holder into position after having drained off a little water(this will prevent the mesh below from getting clogged too quickly)．Every day，check boiler pressure：it should be between 1.1 and 1.3 kg／sq.cm．and make sure that the pump iS sending the water for the espresso at 9 atmospheres．Carefully clean the filter baskets and their holders every evening。and whenever the machine has not been used for any length of time．Every week regenerate the resins in the water softener with ordinary salt naci to prevent calcium deposits from building up on the pipes inside the machine．If this last procedure iS carried out scrupulously，the espresso machine will have a much longer service life.