It’s National Espresso Day!

Since it’s invention in Italy in the early 1900’s, Espresso has gripped us all. In fact, Espresso is not the name of a specific coffee bean or type of roast but is in fact the name given to describe the brewing process and method used. Who knew? Espresso describes coffee which has been produced using forced, pressurised hot water through ground coffee and subsequently the foam called crema.

How do you make the perfect Espresso? According to National Espresso Day it’s a combination of the four M’s; Macinazione, the correct grinding of the coffee bean, Macchina, the espresso machine, Misclea, the coffee blend and Mano, the skilled hand of the person making the coffee.

How many types of Espresso coffee are there?

If like me , you are not too au fait with coffee variations, here is a little helping hand with these examples provided by Go coffee Go.

Single shot –  Just 1oz shot of espresso

Lungo – Otherwise known as a “long shot” this contains a 1 and ½ ounce shot of espresso.

Ristresso – Otherwise known as a “short shot” this only contains the first ¾ ounce of espresso extraction.

Double Shot – For those who need a wake me up or pick me up, this shot uses twice the amount of coffee and not a 2oz shot of espresso.

Espresso Machaitto – A shot of espresso with a layer of foamed milk.

Espresso Con Panna – A shot of espresso with a layer of whipped cream.

Café Breve – A shot of espresso with steamed light cream AKA “half and half”.

Cappucino – A shot of espresso followed by steamed milk.

Café Latte – One shot of espresso mixed with between 6 – 8 ounces of steamed milk and topped whhith milk foam. Without the foam, this is known as “Flat white”.

Café Americano – A watered down shot of espresso, similar to brewed coffee. Mix one espresso shot with 6-8 ounces of hot water.

Flavoured Espresso – The same espresso type as listed above but with flavoured syrup. An example of this is Café mocha, a latte with chocolate syrup added to the steamed milk.

With so many types of espresso coffee it’s hard to tell which is the best and find time to try them all!

Me? I’m not really a fan. Whilst I love the rich aroma of coffee, unfortunately the taste lets it down, so I stick to a cup or two of sugared tea. My other half however, loves coffee (specifically latte) so I’ve added a few of his tried and tested Da Vinci Syrup flavours below to keep the peace and for reader inspiration!

Or, if you’re feeling a little adventurous you could try making your very own coffee syrups as found in our Homemade Coffee hacks blog. So far, I think we’ve established that making coffee, particularly espresso is actually a work of art and very individual. With so many flavours and recommendations for producing the best taste it’s definitely worth investing in a home coffee machine – just as we did! Whilst there are many different brands and styles available, it’s important your coffee machine meets your needs and it may require careful consideration. Talk to one of our experts to find out which coffee machine is best for you.