Traumatized by Espresso

[abiquiu]

I now know how not to make coffee, at least.

WHY ARE MILKSTEAMERS SO INTIMIDATING?

this is the best reason I have ever had to use this tag.

Overextracted espresso tastes like meat.

Comments

[darker_likeness]

LIVE AND LEARN DR DALLAS

[abiquiu]

LEARNING TASTES LIKE BURNING.

[sano_ryuujin]

THE ONES I KNOW OF ARE LOUD THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO BE INTIMIDATING

just make hot chocolate forever problem solved

[abiquiu]

HOT CHOCOLATE IS NOT NEARLY CAFFEINATED ENOUGH.

[ink_tree]

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS, my newly-acquired job requires that i latte and cappuccino on a regular basis and it's SCARY Q^Q

[abiquiu]

I HAVE A LOT OF TIPS first off where do you work not in a creepy way but what kind of shop?

I do know that if you are steaming milk you MUST keep contact with the pitcher to get it hot and you can tell when it's ready because the sound the steamer makes changes and the pitcher MUST be very hot!

And that when you are tamping coffee for espresso you must use very even pressure. But I don't know if where you work does the tamping thing.

[ink_tree]

BAKE SHOP Q^Q but we have to make coffees too...

WE JUST STOP WHEN THE MILK'S AT ABOUT 140 DEGREES?? we do tamp we have a tamper O^O what do you mean even pressure i just sort of...push it down really hard

[abiquiu]

There's a certain way to tilt the milk to get perfect microfoam and it is DELICIOUS. But if you do it by feel rather than thermometer you get a lot better control over it.

And as for tamping, WELL, apparently you have to push STRAIGHT down or you increase the packing of the grounds which increases the resistance to water and one of two things can happen. The water can go around the packed spots and come out too fast and under-extract your espresso, or it can take MUCH longer to go through the grounds and overextract which causes oily brew with an almost meaty taste. Do you have a timer for doing the espresso shots o3o?