What makes a good espresso?

It is kind of hypocritical to judge something if you have not provided a basis to judge it on. This is my guideline. Most people strive to make the espresso taste like the coffee smells. I am no exception.

An espresso should be very pleasant, a drink you can and would want to roll around in your mouth before swallowing. I emphasis this point because for the first 6-months I made horrid espresso that I thought was good, but it was like strong liquor; something you chug to prove how tough you are. 

There are no guidelines for espresso taste and aroma. You can find many different notes in coffee, and many people prefer some styles of coffee to others. That being said there is a standard for the oral sensation, the feeling it generates in the mouth: full-bodied, round and smooth; A good espresso should coat your tongue like condensed milk, and its taste should linger. Of critical importance is how coffee is extracted. I've taken beans just a little out of the desired extraction range and the flavours fell apart. Just a little under extracted for example can destroy things. The means of extraction is another thing.  The human race discovered that there was goodness in the coffee bean and the art over the past centuries has become to extract that. 

It's easy to forget that coffee comes from a fruit, since hardly anybody outside of coffee-producing countries ever gets to see the stuff ripening in its natural state. With my father working in the diplomatic agriculture sector, I have had the opportunity to chomp on a few of these little beauties while visiting coffee farms in Mexico. 

Coffee grows on spindly, bush-like plants, and its cherry-like fruit ripens over the course of several weeks to about nine months after the shrubs' jasmine like blossoms bloom and fall. When ready for picking, most coffee cherries are anywhere from a lovely blood red to a kind of deep, romantic burgundy, becoming sweeter as they mature. Some varieties are yellow when they reach their peak; under-ripe ones are an almost avocado green.

The fruit's skin is hard and snaps like a ripe paprika when you pierce it. Inside there's a sweet, sticky pulp layer that tastes something like watermelon, hibiscus, roses, oranges and vanilla beans all at once. Just note that there is hardly any fruit behind that thick skin and cracking the cherry too hard may result in some serious dental repairs. 

The flavour is very delicate and fleeting, and you'd have to mow through quite a few of these caffeinated suckers to fill up at snack time, so I recommend sticking to the brewed stuff instead.  For anyone interested in getting as close as possible to tasting coffee fruit, try “cascara”; this is a tea-like infusion made from the dried husks of the coffee cherries. “I Need Coffee” was the first place in Prague where I saw cascara on the menu. 

As for the bean, that is where the goodness is extracted; The original coffee was a stew from green (unroasted) beans, or rather, the whole fruit and the extraction process has been adjusted and perfected by discovering that if the beans were shelled and roasted, the caramel and chocolaty notes made a pleasant entrance. I can probably write a book on the different types, roasts and variations of coffee but right here I will stick to espresso and try to deviate only occasionally. 

There is a range of grades to which coffee roasters roast their beans. The classic filter coffee roast is medium and results in golden chocolaty coloured beans. Freshly roasted beans are ground just before the extraction process by adding hot water. The grind is generally quite coarse.  For espresso, the roast is usually a tone or two darker. These are known as French or Spanish roast; the grind is also finer and here comes the kick in the nuts for many. Espresso is a brewing and extraction method rather than a type of bean. 

Brewing coffee was time consuming. Each individual broth hat to be brewed and it took an average of 2-5 minutes to get a brew which closely resembles today's Arabic and Turkish coffees. 

In 1884, in Turin, Italy, a chap named Moriondo designed a device with which he could speed up the extraction from the coffee beans by pressing steam. The first espresso machine was patented and just over a century later, the espresso conquered the world. 

The espresso machine was a device designed to extract the goodness from the beans in as short a time as possible. If you are interested in the tasting notes of various types of coffee, I would suggest that you check out “coffee cupping” which is the art of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. 

Taste is subjective as to what we like, but talented and trained palates can really find a lot in the little bean.

The standard coffee extraction is the espresso (a single espresso shot). Although you can get double or triple espressos, if you are comparing quality, the single or double espresso are the standard. Regardless of which type of shot you order, if you are comparing quality across different cafes, you should always order the same thing (ie don't order a single at one cafe and a double at another).

Once again for standardization, I order a standard straight espresso each time.

My explanation of good espresso will be about straight espresso (no milk, no sugar) in an espresso cup.

Here are some characteristics of a quality shot: 

Temperature:
The espresso should be quite hot when served. If it is only lukewarm or warm right after it is made, then the barista did not heat the cup that it was served in.
It should be to the temperature where it is too hot to drink (for most people). It should only take a minute or so to cool off. 

Crema:
There should be a nice layer of crema on top of the espresso (a few millimeters thick, completely covering the espresso). This comes from the release of carbon dioxide when the espresso is extracted under pressure.
The colour should be golden-brown to dark brown.
The colour will not always be uniform, it will sometimes be slightly lighter where the shot actually poured in the spot on the crema.
The crema should remain for at least three to five minutes if not longer.
 
Taste:
The espresso should be bitter, but not too bitter (high levels of bitterness are more characteristic of espresso long shots).
It should be rich, but not too rich (again, high levels of richness are more characteristic of espresso ristretto shots).
It should NOT be sour. If it is sour, it has been sitting for too long before being served or was over-extracted.
It should not taste watery, this is usually a characteristic of under-extraction.
 
Smell:
Hard to describe for espresso and the aroma will vary a lot. One thing to avoid is a 'sour' smell, which usually indicates a sour taste, as described above, or that the coffee being used is inherently too acidic.
 
Consistency:
Espresso is going to be thicker and more viscous than regular drip coffee, but it won't be syrupy. When you are done your espresso, the drop or two that remain at the bottom of the cup, when dried should leave a distinct brown residue on the bottom of the cup.

These are just the guidelines that I go by. I love to stand corrected and I am open to discussion or debate. Any feedback will be welcome. Positive feedback is welcomed with open arms and negative feedback will be sneered at, countered and possibly be taken aboard. If I stand corrected, it implies that I have learned something new again and that can only be a good thing. 

OK, that was enough typing for today. I'm off for my daily fix. Have a fantastic Mothers day, for those of you who celebrate it today (like the French) and those who do not, make it count anyway.  

I Need Coffee

If you love modern design and watching people in a relaxed atmosphere, you will love I Need Coffee.  It is located on the corner of Na Morani and Dittrichova. There is something appealing about its bold black sign, large windows, and painted black ledges with menu items marked on the blackboard. The place is small, bright and quite hip but lacking the hipsters that you would find in similar style places in Berlin and Amsterdam. Unlike the other places, this espresso bar does not have WiFi, but who needs WiFi if you have books, company and great coffee. The name indicates coffee but the place has become an exclusive store for farmhouse products, yoghurts, chilled drinks, teas, soups and biscuits. The coffee was served with a smile and was pretty good though the Spanish roast is not to everyone’s taste. The overtone due to the slight over-roast is bitterer than most other espressos served in Prague. I guess that it comes down to personal taste. Spanish and French people will love this as this is, with no pun intended; just their cup of espresso. 

Is your daily dose of coffee just not enough for you?

Is your daily dose of coffee just not enough for you? Are you looking for something a little extra? Prague is a strange place. It is one where plain water is more expensive than a pint of lager. The same goes for an espresso, which would be approximately the same price as that large half litre jug of lager. Unfortunately I have not yet been converted to starting my day with a pint and my craving for a good espresso is hard to resist.

If you're a coffee lover, coffee geek, coffee nerd, or just someone looking for more information about coffee, here are my favourite sources of the black brew in the Czech Capital. Brew a fresh batch and start reading as it is time for me to start rattling about my favourite places to get a shot in Prague.

So, I’ll start with a bit of background information. My passion for coffee was not something I licked off the street but I inherited it from my dad, who is probably still the greatest coffee aficionado I know. Whenever I would come home, the smell of a novel brew produced from freshly ground beans, would welcome any visitor to the house and it was the smell that captured my initial love for the brew. The passion developed during my bachelor studies in hotel management where it lead me to participating in a national barista competition. I came second; first loser and I woke up from my dream of being the best. The lead was picked up again a few years ago when I opened an espresso bar with a friend. Most of my friends are well aware of how that dream ended. Nevertheless, it was the best opportunity to try different coffees, as our supplier was not monopolizing our stock but provided us with some of the best roasted beans available in France, from the Indonesian kopi luwak to the Jamaican Blue Mountain brew. Friends were made through various barista networks and visits to different espresso bars became the norm. New trends were implied. The coffee experience was mastered and preparation techniques were perfected. Anyone paying a visit to the espresso bar in Ste Foy will have had the opportunity to sample some of the rare brews for themselves. A perfect espresso was our goal and to be honest, we came pretty close. Italian baristas showed us how to achieve that and the selection, the preparation, the grind and the roast of the beans was adapted to each individual brew. Served with a genuine smile and in pre-heated cups our guests would get an experience; a voyage with a complex cacophony of aromas and odours… the perfect espresso. So, this is what I now look for when I go somewhere else and that somewhere else just happens to be Prague.

 I genuinely believed that I used to serve the best coffee in the world till I stepped inside Caffé Vescovi, Újezd 429/36, 118 00 Praha-Malá. They are responsible for me starting this review. The greatest surprise was that I did not expect it. There was a huge queue of tourists waiting for the funicular that transports people up to the Prague version of the Eiffel Tower. It was a petty cold day and to wait out the queue, we decided to step into a small café across the road. One wooden two seater bench outside did not promise much but once inside, the smell of freshly ground beans already provoked an initial smile. The shop was not very big. Two thirds of it was occupied by the bar with a freshly baked cakes counter. The walls are decorated with coffee related photos and a young lady behind the counter greeted us with a beaming smile. The shop was busy, with about 12 people standing around the counter and sitting at the window bar and a single table with two wooden chairs. In my best Czech I ordered two espressos, but I might as well have done it in English as the young barista addressed the next customer in fluent English. Beans were ground, tampered in an espresso portafilter (the handle with cup thingy that you attach to the rolls Royce of espresso machines and through which the steam is pressed to extract that perfect extraction), the taps were meticulously cleaned with a quick blast of steam and hot water. A swift wipe with a clean cloth and with supreme cheffing instinct, the lady extracted a slow stream of golden brew in preheated cups. Two espressos were presented with love and the same beaming smile as with which the lady had accepted our order. We were offered two works of fine art. The dosage was perfect. The brew was hot. The cream was creamy and about an hour later, the taste still lingered. This was perfection and for the first time in my life, I felt that my own brews had not quite measured up to the brew that we had been served here. The price was 39ck per shot. These were the best 39ck I have spent in Prague to date. We returned here a few hours, days and a few espressos later and discovered that the quality was consistent and it remains unbeaten.

Would there be a better place to try an authentic Italian espresso than at an Italian market? Probably not. Near Smichovske Nadrazi is an Italian wine and food shop. The formula is unique. Around a covered hall filled with tables, you will find a range of fresh food and drink market stalls. You order and pay at each individual stall and the food is delivered to your table. This is the place where you can find anything authentic Italian, from wines to home pastas, Parmesan ham and cheeses that would make the pope blush. There is also an espresso bar with a very modern and warm atmospheric feeling to it. It was time to sample the espresso. The coffee was ground and measured by the machine. The perfect dose was prepared. The gentleman who prepared it was not a pro but he had served a few in his time. In a robotic way two espressos were brewed, and placed on beautiful long saucers; unfortunately the cups were cold which killed the espresso experience. The brew which was served had lost its passion as the cold cups cooled it too fast. The presentation was great, the service was snobbish and a bit too routine and the price, 89ck per shot, did not turn out to measure up to the high expectations.

Costa Coffee on the other hand, at 50ck per shot, turned out to be surprisingly good. I was on the lookout for a place with wifi, which I expected to have found at Starbucks but exceptionally their internet service did not work that particular day. There were two ladies behind the bar who were rather preoccupied with their mobile phones rather than with the guests whom they were serving. Yet again, much to my surprise, the espresso that I was served was remarkably good. The cup was hot, the brew was steaming, a small shot of water was provided with it and even an individually wrapped biscuit. The only downside was the bitter aftertaste of the coffee which indicated an improperly cleaned portafiller, filter or spout, or a mediocre grade coffee. I seriously doubt that the latter would be the case. The espresso was good, but nowhere near a perfect brew. Most of the Costa Coffee bars have been in prime locations as well. My favourite in Prague is near Mustec within the Lucerna Palace, located in a hallway or "passage" that connects Vodičkova and Štěpánská streets near the historic Wenceslas Square, in the New Town area of PragueThe place is probably best known for David Cernys hanging sculpture of the king riding a dead horse… Costa Coffee is near the entrance and in contrast to the classic historical feeling of the passage, the espresso bar is modern, with large monochrome photos and comfortable lounge chairs. Together with small tables around most of which you will find two chairs. The ceiling and floors are a similar straw brown tone. One wall is dark red and one has been wallpapered with an Italian roof top scene. The bar is modern, metallic and wood, like the rest of the place. The lighting is fitting as well, from suspended globes to numerous spotlights. Most of the Costa Coffee Shops have all been decorated by the same Interior designer and it has been done with taste. This is a place where you come to chat with friends. The purpose is to be seen and to meet in a central location. This is where you go for “a” coffee, rather than “the” coffee.

I will skip Starbucks, which I tried five times and the only good things that I can say about them is their location which is always at a prime spot in the city and the fact that they offer free wifi. If you go for a latte macchiato with soya milk, two sugars, a dash of maple syrup and a good chat with friends, this would probably be a great place to go but I’d seriously give the espressos a miss.
 

 If you want to go to a great spot, hidden next to the biggest camera store (FotoSkoda) in Prague, just off the Wenceslas Square, you will find a gateway to Styl&Interier. Yes, this is in fact an interior store with fabulous decorations but in the back you will stumble upon an oasis of peace in the heart of one of the busiest centres in Prague. In the secret garden, you can order a fantastic lunch and their garden is something to write home about. The service was slow. I have only been there twice, though I have only once ordered an espresso. When I received the espresso, I had the impression that it had probably been waiting on a counter in the back for a fair few minutes before it was brought out to me in the garden. The cream layer on top of the espresso had started to disintegrate by the time it was served. I am not ready to leave a verdict on this yet as I would love to try it agan by ordering an espresso at the bar. I would love to see how it is prepared and served straight from the machine as I have no doubts that they too use a classic machine with the possibility of producing a crafty work of art. Both times that I have been there, two young ladies were running large distances to provide everyone in the garden with their lunch orders and ordered consumptions which were produced in a kitchen quite a distance away. The place is great but a challenge for the few staff to manage, though they did their best.

At 9 o’clock this morning we walked into EMA espresso Bar at Na Florenci 3, near the train station Praha Masarykovo Nadrazí close to Namesti Republicy. This is a modern place with a light interior. EMA (Extra Medium Akorat) has become a local institution where foodies, bloggers, foreign hipsters and curious travelers mix with the suited-up lawyers and bankers getting their caffeine fix at all hours. It had to be tried out. It is a nice shop for coffee paraphernalia as one wall is entirely dedicated to fancy coffee gadgets. In the middle is a large wooden communal table and the individual seats, mainly bar stools along a bar running along the main counter and the paraphernalia wall near the window section make up most of the other seating. A staircase runs up the left side, probably leading to the toilets but I did not venture that far. The ceiling is high and globe lights are suspended in a high class Ikea style decoration. The place is warm and welcoming and when we entered, there must have been about 10 people queuing and most of the seats were occupied. The place was buzzing but much to our surprise, it emptied just as quick. The main product appeared to be espresso based drinks to go. The central feature is a stunning espresso machine and an experienced barista was busy measuring the right amount of ground coffee in a portafiller on a scale for the perfect cup. We ordered two doubles at the counter for 60ck each. This is very reasonably priced. A single shot would set you back 45ck. It was a pity that it took so long for the coffee to be served. It must have taken about 15 minutes and by the time the coffee arrived, the cream layer had broken up. The taste was good, fresh green coffee flavours with a deep bitter roast aftertaste. Unfortunately the coffee was not hot. The cups were but the quality had gone out of the door. I am convinced that the barista served a perfect brew but the overall quality diminished with the time that past for the servers to deliver the brew to the central table next to the counter. It is difficult to catch up to a disappointing first impression but I will check them out again tomorrow and see if I can avoid the middle man by staying right next to the counter to wait for the brew myself rather than follow the staff instructions to find a seat and be served. The place is well staffed as there were at least 3 people behind the bar and two running around in a space that would probably not exceed 60 square meters. Ill give them a new chance for a second impression... tomorrow.

photo by www.moloarchitekti.cz

8am, The following morning, second time round, I asked for a double espresso; “here or to go.”. “here please”, but it was served in a paper cup. When I asked why it was not served in a regular cup the gentleman asked me if I preferred It in a regular cup… well yeah. The contents of the paper cup were transferred without much thought to a cup which was taken off the top of the state of the art Rolls Royce Marzocco espresso machine. It was clear that the cups had not had time yet to heat up. The shock, again, killed the cream layer. All this time, I was observing the skilful craft of the barista, while he was creating latte art for another customer. The answer was there. It could be done, but some of the staff just had no heart for the product.

Third time lucky. The third time we entered while the place was empty and ordered straight from the barista. With a beaming smile he measured, ground and weighed the coffee and skilfully with theatrical allure extracted the greatness from carefully selected coffee beans. He prepared two saucers, two glasses of water and in one fluid motion he placed the semi filled espresso cups on the saucers, turning the ears to our right and finally waving his hands in a presenting motion as if he presented his latest masterpieces to the audience. Full marks for presentation. Even the taste was better. It is clear that it is possible. Bravo.

Kavárna Pražírna  Great coffee and fantastic service. Located just a few yards from the Pavlova metro station, this is a venue where the beans are roasted on location. I came during a rather busy lunch hour and I just came for an espresso. Rather than being told that the place was full and that I should have made a reservation, the lady informed me that I had come to the right place. The atmosphere was warm and very welcoming. The place is an underground cavern with blackboards and the ambiance was one of the most convivial and hospitable ones that I experienced to date.  It has a homely feeling that makes you feel as if you are lounging in someone's living room.  It felt like a dream I once had, before I started up Koffie, had been materialized here. The concept of roasting coffee beans on location, having the best staff, and radiating that warm homely feeling had been perfectly realized here. Every member of staff had a genuine smile on their faces and my perfectly served Honduras fresh roast espresso expressed that. Thanks Martin, for recommending me this place and you were right; this is a hard place to beat. Top marks!