Whilst my brother FC has been on his usual ristorante tours around the island, yours truly has taken a seat in a local coffee culture appreciation club and learning what makes a good espresso tick. I've only recently come to appreciate (and am still learning) the GULF in taste and quality between Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Spinelli and outlets which claim to serve decent coffee versus D-I-Y coffee.
So how did I get hooked ? The last "decent" cup of coffee I had was from Spinelli's 4 months ago. I vividly remember suffering from a huge headache after consuming less than half a cup of harmless takeout latte. I thought it was the caffeine doing the work of the devil. Apparently not so.. read on to find out!
It so happened a friend of mine got hold of a non commercial Espresso Gaggia machine and Gaggia grinder around the same time I had that cup of horror. After toying around with it for 2 months and proclaiming the virtues of DIY coffee, he invited me over to his home for a cuppa. It was one fateful Saturday morning not too long ago that I rocked up to his mansion to see what the fanfare was all about.
I stumbled into his kitchen and into the presence of 3 "coffee geeks". Modelled somewhat after AA, this support group has a monthly meet up session with the aim to share the essential technicalities involved in making that perfect espresso. All of them own a basic set consisting of a roaster, grinder, manual/semi automatic espresso machine and are strictly available only from specialised distributors. Even a fully automatic Krups $1,900 machine from a good department store will not suffice!
Casually arranged on the table were a nice set of demitasse cups and saucers for the morning's brew. Seems everyone brought their own stash of freshly roasted coffee beans and everyone was eager to introduce their personal favourites.
It was drummed in me from the very beginning of my re-education that coffee has to be treated with the utmost respect. The DIY method allows total control over the freshness and taste of the beverage as it was meant to be enjoyed as opposed to buying freeze dried grounds of unknown origin/blend.
I sat in the corner, a passive observer, trying to absorb as much as I possibly could. After 10 minutes of studying intently, I was finally offered the first shot of the day. Oozing from the espresso machine's portafilter was pure bliss - a rich golden hue of almost syrupy consistency with an excellent layer of crema finishing off the shot. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung thick in the air and it smelled wonderful.
I put the double walled Bodum espresso cup to my lips and sipped gently on that rich liquid and slowly let it swirl in my mouth. Slight hint of bitterness in there, can't seem to taste the chocolate and berries...... and this was followed by a slight sourness on the tongue. Nonetheless, I had unknowingly consumed 3 full shots of espresso in that one single cup! No wonder my friend was cracking up as he failed to tell me that before I consumed it.
Six hours later, he rang me , apparently concerned that I might suffer from the same headache causing caffeine overdose that I thought was the guilty party in that "strong cup of coffee" from Spinelli's. Apparently not!!! I did not suffer from ANY side effects and thoroughly enjoyed another cuppa (so total 6 shots here). Finally, I was told that the cup of coffee I had at Spinelli's was either probably due to overextraction of the beans or that the beans were over roasted. They claim the local barista's are not well trained enough to deliver.
I was a convert.
Presently, I have 2 bags of green coffee beans sitting in my pantry. One bag hails from the mecca of coffee, Seattle's own Espresso Vivace. It's a decaf bean with most of the caffeine removed via the Swiss Water method. The other bag of beans is known as "El Placer Colombia Cup Of Excellence" or The Pleasure from well known US coffee distributor Sweet Maria's.
I am working towards getting a basic set of equipment after I sell some leftover audio equipment to raise the necessary $1,700 at least. Gulp. Heavy investment huh ? Indeed, but you gotta do it yourself if you wanna get it done right.
Have a great week!
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