The song goes, “Morning has broken/Like the first morning/Blackbird has spoken/Like the first bird.” That song strongly evokes the sense of the arrival of a new morning. I celebrate the arrival of each new morning with a fresh hot cup of espresso coffee. That deep dark black elixir has the power to awaken my mind and body to the wonderment of a new day. I face the day imbued with a zest for life!

Espresso coffee gets its name from the Latin origin of the word referring to “pressed out” which is the method of espresso coffee preparation since the coffee is “pressed out” by hot water. There is some speculation that the word “espresso” like the English word “express” relates to “just for you” and “quickly” which describe the method of espresso preparation. Whatever the origin of the word is, I know that I like to enthusiastically express myself with espresso!

Basically, espresso coffee is defined as “A concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee.” Espresso was developed in Milan, Italy in the early part of the 20th century. Until the mid 1940’s it was produced solely with steam pressure. Once the spring piston lever machine was invented and it became a commercial success, it changed espresso into the modern espresso as it is known today.

Espresso coffee is characteristically thicker in consistency than drip coffee having a higher amount of dissolved solids than drip coffee in the same amount of volume. The serving size is usually measured in “shots” which are around one fluid once in size. Oxidation breaks down many of espresso’s components. You could say espresso coffee has an “oxidation breakdown” every time it’s brewed! The reddish brown foam that collects on the top is composed of proteins, sugars and vegetable oils. Interesting combination for what simply appears as foam. The high pressure brewing process concentrates all the chemicals and flavours in a cup of espresso. Espresso coffee is under a lot of pressure to taste good!

Espresso coffee certainly has a strong taste. This does not mean it is overloaded with caffeine. It contains three times the caffeine content of regular brewed coffee. That may seem like a lot but when you compare it based on usual serving sizes, a 1 fluid once shot of espresso has about half the caffeine of a standard 6 fluid once cup of regular brewed coffee. So based on a cup per cup basis, you can get a lot of kick out of espresso for half the caffeine!

Some espresso lovers say the best espresso is made with an espresso machine like the ones you find at your local espresso bar. When you produce a shot of espresso from this type of machine it known a “pulling” a shot. In pulling a shot of espresso a metal filter basket is filled with about 1/3 once of ground coffee for a single shot and about 5/8 once for a double shot. The ground coffee is usually “tamped” evenly into a firm puck of coffee. The filter basket is locked under the grouphead’s diffusion block. When brewing begins, pressurized water at 185 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit and 130 pounds per square inch is forced into the grouphead and through the ground coffee in the portafilter. The temperature of the water is crucial to a good cup of coffee. If the water is cooler than the ideal zone, it causes sourness. If the water is hotter than the ideal zone, it causes bitterness. A high quality espresso machine will control the temperature of the brew water within a few degrees of the ideal temperature.

Of course, we would all love to have a commercial size espresso coffee machine in our homes but it is not very practical for both economic and space consumption reasons.

I use the old standard stove top espresso maker. I invested in a great stainless steel model that has faithfully brewing my espresso for a number of years. Basically, stove top espresso makers work on the same principal of forcing hot water through ground coffee like the commercial machines.

Stove top espresso makers are easy to use. First you remove the top part of the espresso maker. Then you remove the filter funnel insert. Fill the lower part of the espresso maker with cold fresh water. Be careful not to fill past the little safety value. Put the empty filter funnel into the lower half of the espresso maker. Fill the filter funnel with fine ground espresso coffee. You can experiment with the type of grind to get your preferred coffee flavour. Screw the top part back onto the lower half firmly but not forcefully. Place the espresso maker on the stove set at high heat. Remove espresso maker from stove immediately once the top part of the espresso maker is full with coffee. Use caution because the espresso maker will be hot. Pour yourself a cup of freshly brewed espresso and enjoy!

It is a commonly held misconception that espresso coffee must come from a certain espresso type coffee bean and that it must go through a specific roasting level. The truth is that any coffee bean or combination of beans from different origins or roasting level can be used to make authentic espresso coffee. Some major North American companies use a dark roast as their espresso roasts.

Interestingly enough, some of the winning blends used in the World Barista Championship were a medium or “City” roast. In this case there is no visible surface oil on the coffee beans. In Italy, roast levels vary quite a bit. In Southern Italy a darker roast is the preferred choice. The further north one goes in Italy the choice of roasts tends to be of a lighter variety.

The darker espresso roasts contain more body, chocolate, mild bitters and other carmelized flavours. These flavours are a result of the higher roasting temperature and a prolonged roasting time. It is these flavours that have been historically associated with espresso for many espresso coffee drinkers. The lighter espresso roasts ampifiy the specific flavours of the coffee beans used. The wider range of taste characteristics include citrus, pectin friut, floral, herbal and other delicates tastes not usually associted with a typical cup of espreeso. Other coffee roasters will use a combination method of roasting some beans dark and some beans light. This is to create a blend that produces the best of both the dark roast and the light roast methods.

The popularity of espresso has gone way beyond the Italian border and beyond the traditional section of Italian espresso drinkers. Espresso coffee is the main type of coffee consumed in most of southern Europe particulary in Italy, France, Portugal and Spain. It is also popular throughout much of the rest of Europe and in Argentina, Brazil and Cuba. In Australia and New Zealand most of the commercial café, coffehouse and restaurant coffee business are based on espresso coffee business. In North America espresso has become enormously popular. In Canada and the United States you have coffee francishes like Starbucks dotting the map and brewing up espresso coffee.

Espresso drinking is also more popular in the home. This is evidenced by the sales of home espresso machines and stove top espresso makers. It has become increasingly easier to find and purchase espresso equipment in kitchen stores, department stores and through online vendors.

Espresso coffe is the old but new espression of coffee. The most important espresso expression is, of course, “I’ll have an espresso please!”