The Secrets to a Perfect Cup of Coffee

Written by The Talking Stew

Secrets to the Perfect Cup of Coffee

The GrindAlong with using freshly roasted coffee (ideally within two weeks of roasting), a very important key to achieving spectacular quality coffee is the use of a grinder. Getting your grind of coffee right is a must! A good grind allows the water to pass evenly over all of your coffee. Grinding fresh, just before you need to brew your coffee, will ensure that all the volatile oils and aromatics in the beans are kept trapped within the particles. One common mistake of many is to pre-grind the coffee beans and fill the hopper. This is fine if it will all be used immediately, howvere, believe it or not, after being exposed to air for only ten minutes, the aromas and oils are lost and evaporated. This is a big factor in affecting the taste,

aroma and texture of coffee.

To create a quality espresso base, the water needs to be passing over the coffee grinds at the right speed. This is

controlled by the particle size of the grind.

A finer grind will produce a slower pour while a coarser grind will produce a faster pour. To start with, set your grinder to produce a particle size which feels somewhere between dust and sand when you rub it between your fingers. As a general guide, on a scale of one to ten (one being the finest), this will be around three to five. Humidity, weight of the beans and temperature all affect the size of the grind. Being on a yacht, within a controlled temperature and humidity level, you will find that you’ll rarely need to adjust the size of

the grind,and if so it will only be a matter of millimetres.

Espresso

An Espresso is a shot of coffee that is

roughly around 15-20 ml. Properly brewed,

an Epresso will feature a layer of rich

dark golden cream, called crema on the

surface. This crema is one indictor of a quality Espresso.

The secret to the perfect cup of coffee, which let’s face it, can only be made from a real espresso machine, simply depends on 2 factors. It’s getting these factors perfect that makes making the perfect cup challenging. But with plenty of practice, the perfect brew is only a matter of cups

away!

ESPRESSO

Pouring Your Espresso ShotEspressoMacchiato

A Macchiato is the classic shot of

espresso with a dollop of foam on

top. Macchiato means “marked” and the

dollop of foam marks the surface of the

espresso.

Remove your portafilter/handle from the already heated espresso machine and wipe the basket dry with a tea towel or a clean paint bush. Place your basket under the dosing mechanism of your grinder, turn the grinder on and fill the basket until about 4/5 full. Turn your grinder off and give the portafilter a couple of light taps with the tamper, or on the bench to collapse the coffee in the basket. Then go back to the grinder and heap up a little more coffee in the basket. Next, compress the coffee grinds down evenly with your tamper,

applying about 15-20kgs of pressure.

You should turn your espresso shots off when they lose their colour — the shot will progress from a rich, reddy brown to a tan, caramel colour and finally to a watery, white pour. This loss of colour indicates that the rich oils have been extracted from the grinds. If you keep pouring the shot, bitter, sharp compounds will be added to

the cup.

Using a double basket will result in two espresso shots of around 20–30mls. It can be quite useful to use a shot glass with a 30ml measuring line for the first couple of weeks to make sure you get the correct amount of espresso as a base for your

drinks.

ESPRESSO MACCHIATO

Cappuccino

There are a few Cappuccino

variations out there, but the standard

Cappuccino consists of an espresso shot and approximately 1 part milk to 2 parts

foam. Serving it with chocolate sprinkles

on top is optional, but always adds to the

appearance!

The Milk

Milk texturing: it’s often the difference between a sweet coffee and one that is better poured down the sink. Once you’ve mastered the art of pulling a perfect shot, you need to get to work on

developing your milk texturing technique.

You should always prepare your espresso shots first — the steamed milk holds the majority of the heat of your drink and if you steam first, the milk will lose temperature while you’re pulling your

shot, and the foam and milk will also separate.

“Which milk is best for steaming?” The answer, like many things in specialty coffee, is that this is largely a matter of personal choice. Many high end baristas recommend full cream milk, because its creaminess complements coffee’s natural flavours. But the choice is really yours. Experiment with different brands, find out a bit about the milks on offer in your area, and discover

which you like best.

‘The texture of the milk’ refers to the integration of the milk and foam, and the density of the bubbles. What you’re aiming to achieve is generally called ‘micro-foam’ — a foam with almost imperceptible air bubbles, a glossy sheen on top and a creamy,

dense texture.

CAPPUCCINO

Latte

A standard latte consists of an espresso shot and approximately 2 parts milk to 1 part foam.

There are different ways of serving Lattes, however, it is commonly served in a glass. To

layer your Latte so that the espresso, milk and froth are separated, first pour your milk into the glass, ensuring you have about 1cm of froth on top. Next, pour your espresso shot

into the glass over an upside-down spoon.

The Stretching and Rolling of the Milk

Milk steaming can be summarised in two steps — the Stretching Phase and the Rolling Phase. In the stretching phase you need to position the steam wand tip right on the surface of the milk so that you can hear the distinctive “tch, tch, tch” or hissing sound. This sound indicates that you’re injecting air into the milk to create foam. During this process you’ll see the volume of your milk rise, hence the ‘Stretching’ title. Continue to lower the milk jug very slowly so that you continue hearing the same stretching sound, and create more foam. The more slowly you lower the jug, and the more gently you introduce air to the milk, the denser your foam will be. This will avoid those nasty, sea-

foam-like air bubbles.

Once you’ve created enough foam for your drinks, or if the jug is feeling too hot to hold comfortably, you should move into the second, Rolling Phase of the milk texturing process. Raise the jug till you no longer hear the stretching sound, submerging the steam wand approximately 1cm below the surface of the milk. Angle the jug slightly so that the steam pushes the milk around the jug in a whirlpool. This phase combines the milk and foam, and heats the milk to a good serving

temperature.

In relation to judging the temperature, keep one hand under the milk jug and stop the Stretching Phase when the jug becomes too hot to comfortably keep your hand underneath, then slowly count to 3

before turning off the steam wand.

To burst any larger bubbles on the surface of your milk, tap the jug a couple of times on the bench. Finally (and this is one of the most important steps, so don’t be tempted to skip it!) swirl the milk within

your jug to fold in the foam that you’ve created.

After pouring your coffees, aim to have a minimal amount of wastage left over, allowing you to quickly rinse out the inside of your milk jug so that next time you can start with fresh, cold milk. Attempting to re-

steam milk is a definite no-no!

LATTE

Vietnamese Ice Coffee aka Liquid Gold!The Ice Coffee we have featured in this article is not one of the usual suspects. The Vietnamese Ice Coffee is simply divine and it’s very unique. This a great beverage to impress your guests with, and the best thing is it’s so simple to make!

In Vietnam the coffee beans used are locally grown and roasted, and the method of extracting coffee differs a little. However, the same result can be achieved with espresso coffee.

The Method?- First fill a highball glass with ice. -Pour a fresh, hot double shot of espresso over the ice. -Top up the glass with cold condensed milk.

Serving Suggestion?We suggest serving this heavenly treat in true, traditional Vietnamese style. Pour the coffee over the ice before serving, but let your guests participate in the experience by pouring their own condensed milk. Serve the condensed milk in a small jug with the coffee, and don’t forget to serve it with a long handled teaspoon for stirring!

VIETNAMESE ICE COFFEE