Espresso coffee is one of the world's favorite pick-me-ups. It's a tasty, yet complicated beverage and recently, scientists have discovered the key to brewing the perfect cup.
The norm for espresso making has always been water and a large amount of finely ground coffee. But apparently we’ve been wrong this whole time.
According to a new study led by researchers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, there is a more efficient way to brew espresso.
What is Espresso?
Espresso a rich, concentrated form of coffee.
It’s one of the most popular methods of brewing coffee, but also one of the most complicated. An espresso machine, like the MILANO pushes water through finely ground coffee beans at a high pressure. Giving coffee lovers the full flavor of every coffee bean.
Many coffee shops' best selling drinks are espresso based, including mochas, lattes, cappuccinos and Americanos.
How To Make Better Tasting Espresso
Last month, a group of researchers published a study revealing the science behind making better tasting espresso. According to the researchers, its not only the key to tasty espresso, but it’s also cheaper and better for our planet.
The norm when brewing an espresso is to finely grind a large amount of coffee beans. When the researchers tested the norm, they found that it resulted in inconsistent flavors.
So, upon further study they found a way to improve espresso taste; use less coffee grounds.
“One way to optimize extraction and achieve reproducibility is to grind coarser and use a little less water, while another is to simply reduce the mass of coffee,” said Christopher Hendon, co-senior author of the recent study and computational chemist at the University of Oregon.
If you replace a large portion of fine grounds with a smaller portion of coarser grounds, there will be more room in the coffee bed for water to move through. This will increase the extraction yield, creating a higher espresso concentration and different flavor.
So, if you want a more consistent and better tasting espresso, swap out the 20-gram standard, and only use 15 grams of coarsely ground coffee.
Why This is More Sustainable for Coffee Shops The Environment
The researchers tested their new grind size protocol at a local cafe in Eugene, Oregon in 2017.
Over the course of a year, the cafe was able to save $0.13 per drink by reducing their ground mass by 25%. That’s an extra $3,620 saved per year.
In addition to their monetary saving, the cafe's efficient coffee bean usage also led to a decrease in their daily waste. This is advantageous to coffee shops and the environment as we live in a time where climate change is increasingly affecting coffee supply.
The best tools for homemade espresso
Want to try this new method and up your coffee game? Here are some of the tools you’ll need to make better tasting espresso at home!
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