Brewing espresso at home

Feb 23rd, 2006

I cannot do without coffee. It doesn’t really matter if they are instant, brewed or from the most expensive brands. I must have my coffee everyday, except when I was pregnant and lactating. I am not finicky about what I drink as long as the tastes suit my tastebuds.

The above is the Lavazza Espresso Coffee. My hubby who has Italian colleagues is very picky on what he drinks and he only likes espresso. We have an espresso pot at home which I have never learnt to use!

Therefore, I took the task of capturing the step-by-step of brewing espresso at home to share with everyone.

STEP ONE - THE POWDER

The pot is bought from Italy and of the right size for one person. There are several parts to it which boggle my mind. First, pack the coffee powder into the appropriate level. It has to be firmly packed. (roll eyes) The coffee powder has to be the very best and only a few brands ‘passed the test’. (more roll eyes LOL)

STEP TWO - THE WATER

Note that I spelt expresso in my photos with an x and not s? I even spelt wrongly! LOL. Ignore the hot water. Actually, according to my fussy hubby, the water must be only of certain brand. (roll eyes more) The water is placed at the bottom level of the pot. The whole pot is placed on top of a hot plate.

STEP THREE - BREWING

The powder now is on the top level. The water in another chamber. The whole pot must be screwed real tight so that when the water boils, steam will push out of the little chimney. LOL, I am confused now. What about you?

STEP FOUR - THE STEAM

See that the chamber is empty? A few minutes is need for the water to start boiling…..

STEP FIVE - READY!

There…the steam comes out of the funnel/chimney like hole and coffee is ready.

That is how espresso is brewed at home.

I found a site linked from Lavazza call The Coffee Science Information Centre. If you are guilty of gulping down the quantity of caffeine like I do, you may find this site ‘comforting’. LOL.

Personally, if I go to coffee joints, I prefer to drink a normal brew, latte or tall black. I found one gulp of espresso too fast, too quick for my money. Usually, I need a double shot. With a bigger mug, I can sip longer.

Here’s a picture of the machiatto I ordered from Haagen Dazss. Machiatto is espresso with a portion of milk to make it less ’sharp’.

At home, I have tiny spoons and tiny espresso cups, all courtesy of my fussy hubby! If he doesn’t brew the espresso, I would prefer my three-in-one Aik Cheong white coffee or Nescafe Gold black, without sugar.

Ahhh…I am a coffee addict. How about you?

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11 Comments on “Brewing espresso at home”

#1 5xmom ~ Humour, Life, Lies, Sex blog » One flaw in women
on Feb 23rd, 2006 at 11:01 pm

[...] Woohoo, I think I worth millions! Gotta go, my atm just brewed me the kau-est expresso! You like coffee? I blogged the step-by-step of espresso making. Check it out! [...]
#2 may
on Feb 24th, 2006 at 12:13 am

I used to be an addict, then I wasn’t, then I am again. LOL! I prefer brewed coffee myself using the press, though I sometimes go for the instant mixes when I’m lazy. can’t take espresso though. I love a bit of sugar and lots of milk in mine.
#3 SkyJuice7
on Feb 24th, 2006 at 12:47 am

Not me lah, Lilian. I’m sensitive to caffeine. I get headache if I consume non-decaf coffee. I don’t take carbonated drinks also. I’m a fresh fruit juice (and skyjuice) person.
#4 Wuching
on Feb 24th, 2006 at 7:01 am

give me a strong one lilian, i’m gonna need it after eating my plate of rojak!
#5 Rodney
on Feb 24th, 2006 at 8:36 am

After drinking freshly brewed coffee I can never go back to nescafe or even the 3 in one… I’m spoiled..

Anyway if you can look for Kopi Luwak
#6 Rodney
on Feb 24th, 2006 at 8:37 am

hmm….
#7 Chrissy
on Feb 24th, 2006 at 9:20 am

don’t tempt me lah…still lactating…
i’m a caffeine junkie but havent had a sip of coffee since i was pregnant with no.1 “”O_O help me……
#8 Prometeuz
on Feb 25th, 2006 at 12:24 pm

I am no cofi driker but after reading ur blog, i decided to go and buy the brewer and make myself an xpreso….oh i also need to buy some cofi.
#9 boo_licious
on Feb 26th, 2006 at 3:25 pm

I love my Aik Cheong too but nowadays it’s the one which is just plain kopi-o as the 3 in one has too much sugar for me.
#10 echo
on Mar 15th, 2006 at 4:39 pm

i once worked part-time in Starbucks during my study days. just love the smell of the first brew coffee of the day when i was doing the opening of the coffee bar. espresso is very different from the brewed coffee, it’s strong but smooth, and you can transform it into many variation like mocha, latte, cappuccino.
but freshly brewed coffee (black w/o sugar) and the best with cheese cake. and different coffee bean from different region of the world taste very different too!
#11 mercjung
on Mar 24th, 2006 at 12:05 pm

Lilian
Wahlau,your kopi looks and smells tempting for kaki like me. Yes, I am a kopi addict - I need a good & strong kopi for my morning to kick in during weekdays. At work, I usually go for takeaway cappucinno or mocha with lots of milk. At home on weekends, I settle for a brewed coffee - no sugar & no milk. Sometimes I feel I am so pampered that I hesitate to visit friends house for coffee because they usually serve the instant variety which I have “outgrown” from. Manja betul lah. jadi, i drink teh si at other people’s house or sky juice ajelah. Keep on bringing more coffee places, coffee brands & pictures of coffee….