What is Espresso? | Pump Pressure | Espresso Machines

What Is Espresso?

The majority of coffee experts considers brewing coffee fast and under high pressure the ideal process to extract maximum flavor and aroma from your coffee. The high pressure and the short brewing time prevent the extraction of bitter oils and release less caffeine than other brewing methods.

When you use this technique and brew one to two ounces of coffee it is considered an espresso. When the grinding, the tamping and the pressure brewing all come together in the right combination your espresso will always feature a foamy layer on top, called "crema". The crema traps the fine aromatics and the light gaseous flavors that register on the palate. It keeps the flavors, which would other wise escape, locked in. The crema is the hallmark of a well prepared espresso.

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Pump Pressure

Pressure is the result of the packed (tamped) coffee giving the water resistance to pass through. The pump forces the water through that resistance and the power it needs to do so is commonly measured in bar (= kg per square centimeter). Good pumps should be able create more pressure (power) than they need to produce perfect espresso so that they don’t break when the right combination (fineness and consistency of grind, tamping, amount of ground coffee) are not prevalent. A good pump has a capacity of creating 15 or more bars.

To produce a lasting crema on top of your espresso the water should pass through the coffee at approximately 7 to 9 bar of pressure. If the pressure is lower, the crema will disappear before you can enjoy your coffee and the coffee will taste thin and watery. This is mostly the case when there is too little coffee in the filter holder or brewing chamber or if the coffee is too coarsely ground. If the pressure is higher than 9 bars, the coffee will taste bitter and the espresso will have no crema on top. This is mostly the case when the small metal sieves are dirty or clogged or when the coffee is ground too fine. As a result coffee extraction is too long, resulting in a bitter taste.

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Espresso Machines

Capresso "Ultima™" (#121) $299.99
The only semi-automatic pump coffee/espresso/cappuccino with automatic tamping and used coffee removal technology.

EspressoClassic Luxe (#113) $199.99
A modern pump espresso machine with a stainless steel lined thermo block,separate brew baskets (sieves) for ground and pre-packed coffee. Separate hot water release for tea and Coffee Americano.

Capresso Mini-s (#302) $59.99
4-cup safety espresso/cappuccino machine with steam boiler technique and easy "how-to-cappuccino-video".

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