The taste of coffee is probably familiar to all of us, as it is what wakes us up in the morning and gets us on our feet while preparing us for the working day. However, we must know that our knowledge of real coffee is probably very limited. If we want not only to enjoy the stimulating effects of coffee, but also to experience a truly excellent and pleasant taste, it is worth learning a little more about the process of preparing it.
Baristas' hidden secrets: techniques worth learning
What does coffee preparation look like for most of us? There is no denying that most people simply pour boiling water over their coffee. There may be instant coffee or ground coffee in the cup, but it is always poured over hot water. However, it is important to know that baristas, i.e. experts in coffee preparation, use much more sophisticated techniques. What secrets do they hold and what tricks should we learn from them?
There is no denying the fact that coffee not only tastes phenomenal, but also smells great. Specialists in coffee brewing are well aware of this, which is why they try to enhance the aroma of coffee by various means. Special grinders are very helpful for this purpose. This type of coffee grinder allows much more flavour to be obtained.
An extremely popular type of coffee is the version with milk. It is true that black coffee is characterised by its excellent colour, but the one with added milk delights with its interesting texture and colour. What is very important, however, is that for the best effect, it is recommended to use only reduced-fat milk for coffee. This will produce a beautiful, white and thick froth that will make your coffee look great. In addition, it is also important to bear in mind that if you want the best possible flavour in your coffee, the milk should not be warmer than 70 degrees Celsius.
Latte, cappuccino, espresso - what are the differences in preparation?
Although everyone has their own preferences and tastes and drinks one type of coffee on a daily basis, it is undeniable that there are three types of coffee that virtually everyone loves and drinks according to need and mood. These types of coffee include latte, cappuccino and espresso. What are the differences between them?
There is no denying that Espresso is the most distinctive. It is extremely small coffeewhich is approximately 25-30 ml and served in a small cup. This coffee has a huge caffeine content thanks to the very rapid passage of water through the beans in the machine.
A development of espresso is cappuccino. This first small and distinctive coffee forms the base, to which about 100 ml of milk is then added and made frothy. The finished cappuccino should have about 2 cm of milk foam.
If you add considerably more milk to the espresso, as much as about 200 ml, then you get latte, which in Italian simply means milk.
Choosing coffee beans - what to do to get an exceptional taste?
Of course, even the best coffee preparation technique is of no use if poor and low-quality beans are used. It is these that form the basis of any good coffee. It is no wonder, then, that baristas devote a great deal of attention and time to selecting the right beans. When looking for the right coffee beans, it is important to look at the type of bean, the degree of roasting and also the origin. All these nuances have a really big impact on the final taste achieved.
Extraction and grind - key factors in coffee quality
If we already have the right beans, it is now necessary to find out a little more about extraction and the grinder used. Why are these two things so important?
The right grinder is essential for extracting the right flavour and aroma from the coffee beans. The coffee must not only be ground very finely, but additionally extremely evenly.
But what is extraction? It is simply the coffee brewing process. In modern coffee machines, water can be forced through the ground grains under tremendous pressure, resulting in a truly wonderful flavour and aroma.
The art of milk frothing: A beginner's guide to frothing milk
Any lover of lattes and cappuccino knows full well that the key to achieving a good coffee of this kind, is the proper frothing of the milk. This is a difficult art and requires great practice.
The basis is, of course, choosing the right milk. If you want perfect foam, go for milk with as little fat as possible.
Another extremely important factor influencing the quality of the foam obtained is the temperature of the milk. For the best possible result, it should be cold, preferably taken straight out of the fridge.
Equally important is how fresh the milk will be. If we want our coffee froth to delight every drinker, the milk must be as fresh as possible.
But what do you use to froth milk? Fortunately, there is quite a selection of automatic milk frother machines that make the process relatively simple, so anyone can manage such a task.
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