
Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam - dpflan
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3140933/
======
matthewmcg
One of the authors is Ernesto Illy--yes _that_ Illy[1]. He passed away a few
years before this article was published but led the company's various multi-
decade applied research projects.

[1]:
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Illy](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Illy)

------
HoppedUpMenace
My first machine to make espresso was a espresso/drip coffee combo. Not
knowing any better, I was merely pulling strong coffee and not espresso shots.
Then I got a stand alone espresso machine, much closer to the real deal but
still a far cry from what a coffee roaster like Temple Coffee could make in
their store. Finally, invested in a Breville BES870XL and after many trials
and errors, my espresso shots are fairly indistinguishable from what the pros
at the coffee roasting shops make.

Getting the beans from a roasting store like Temple or Verve or Ritual
(Sac/San Fran area) makes all the difference in the world for taste and crema
IMO.

The amount of crema is definitely tied to air exposure so the quicker you can
use up your beans the better (under 2 weeks or so from exposure to air).
Additionally, its been my experience that I have to adjust the grind setting
to 1 step finer if the beans have been sitting for a very long time, past the
2 week mark or so. I do this because at original setting, the extraction
begins at a much lower pressure threshold than usual, leading to under-
extraction and weak, watered-down espresso with little to no crema. It'd be
nice to know if anyone has studied this particular aspect of coffee beans
needing to be ground finer to compensate for age to maintain consistency.

~~~
luckydata
Ritual's coffee is terrible: acidic, unpleasant to the palate and lacking in
aroma. I hope your coffee is better than theirs.

\- disclosure: I'm Italian and I believe espresso in San Francisco sucks
almost universally

~~~
bkkk
It took me a while to figure this out.

I also grew up with italian espresso and I always wondered why all these
crafty, specialist roasters (all over the world) can't do a drinkable espresso
and always end up with undrinkable acid in a cup.

A lot of italian espresso blends are a mix Arrabica/Robusta. Robusta beans
create the sought-after strong/bitterish italien espresso flavor and probably
also reduce/mask/balance the acidity.

Robusta beans according to the crafty roasters are low quality garbage, and
they only care about arrabica beans. Clever marketing by the arrabica
industry? Robusta beans have a bad reputation because they are majorly used by
cheap coffee brands - but not all robusta beans are the same either.

So because third wave/hipster coffee shops only do arrabica, but italian style
espresso needs a blend. That's why we can't have a good things.

I simply order espresso machiato when i want an espresso, the bit of milk foam
reduces acidity to an acceptable level.

There is a longer article somewhere on nytimes about this topic. can't find it
anymore.

~~~
meowface
Thoughts on Lavazza? I've settled on them for all of my home espresso making,
and I think it tastes great. Definitely open to alternatives, though. (Local
specialty shops isn't really an option for me; online ordering preferred.)

~~~
sjg007
Not a fan. Illy is by far the best option for espresso. Otherwise the best
cheap alternative I've found is actually cafe la llave. Makes a great espresso
and americano.

~~~
meowface
Thanks for the tip. I'm hunting around for alternatives, and will try a few to
see if I prefer them to Lavazza.

------
crispyambulance
Espresso is a remarkable concoction. The crema, aroma, and taste is as much a
product of the process (pressure, temperature, time, and dose) as it is the
raw ingredients (the beans, roasting, freshness). Everything has to come
together at the same time and in the right way with little room for error,
otherwise you end up with bitter hot liquid.

Pulling a righteous shot of espresso takes a serious amount of practice and I
am glad that there are attempts at quantifying the magic of a skilled barista.

~~~
nickbauman
The coffeeshop in my building (Spyhouse on 945 Broadway) just won #1 roaster
in the US award. It takes 3 months for an employee to certify as a barista.
The coffee they make is the best tasting espresso I've ever had in my life.
Clearly they know what they're doing. The coffeeshop down the street has a
similar setup, but it's not even 80% as good. I'm ruined.

~~~
jazzyk
For me, the only espresso which comes close to the Italian original (I visit
southern Europe every year) is served at Eataly (the Flatiron location in
Manhattan). I've tried many smaller coffeshops in Manhattan and Boston - often
highly rated on Yelp - but they are not even close. Always a bit burnt or sour
- a well done espresso is neither.

~~~
lytfyre
There are different styles of espresso, with roasters and barista optimizing
for very different tastes - the Italian/Mediterranean style is one, the "third
wave" style that's more prevalent on the North American west coast and
Australia (Seattle/Portland/Melbourne/London UK) is another, and
Scandinavian/Northern European being a third.

Then there's the many people who go to a coffee shop for a drink with a ton of
syrup in it, so don't really get as much impact off the taste of the coffee,
and will generally care more about the atmosphere and service.

Between the two factors, general audience reviews like Yelp lose a lot of
their value if you're particular about your coffee.

~~~
gwynplaine
Completely agree, Italian espresso was considered great decades ago, but
standards have risen faster elsewhere since then. Italy still makes the best
espresso _machines_ such as Simonelli. My experience of coffee there is coffee
roasted so dark as to be considered burnt.

See the World Barista Championship winners, not a single Italian yet,
unfortunately.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Barista_Championship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Barista_Championship)

~~~
lytfyre
> Italy still makes the best espresso _machines_ such as Simonelli

Even that I think they're losing ground on - Slayer or Synesso out of Seattle,
or Mod Bar out of Indiana are pretty great, certainly right up there with any
Simonelli or La Marzoco.

For consumer level espresso machines, I think Breville (Australian) has been
blowing away just about everything under 2k$. It's been interesting to watch
them bring more modern control tech into the cheap market.

~~~
arcticfox
Also, I know some of the top Italian manufacturers have started sourcing at
least some of their most technical electrical components out of Seattle
already

------
nathancahill
I've always loved espresso, and it is indeed difficult to pull a great shot.
To learn more about the mechanics of it, I got a manual EspressoForge[0].
Combined with a good manual grinder (Lido 2), a thermometer, a scale, and a
pressure gauge, you can control the main variables* by hand. Steep learning
curve, but once you get it, there's something immensely satisfying about
balancing all the variables and seeing that perfect tiger-stripe crema pour
out.

I'll be studying this article for a while.

* I also roast my coffee beans, but a trusted coffee roaster will work too.

[0] [http://espressoforge.com/](http://espressoforge.com/)

~~~
nathancahill
Pro tip: If you make espresso, try an Espresso Tonic, and espresso shot pulled
over half a glass of tonic water and ice. It will change your world.

~~~
tedmiston
Also great in a flavored Pellegrino — one of the most popular drinks at my
local shop.

------
bch
I can't believe David Schomer's name hasn't come up yet, and only a passing
reference to his shop Espresso Vivace.

ftfa: > Only recently, some aspects of the Physics and Chemistry behind the
espresso coffee foam have attracted the attention of scientists.

Leaving the weasel-words aside, David at least initiated work on creama (and
much more) in 1990s w/ his work, recorded in Espresso Coffee: Professional
Techniques[0] c. 1996.

He is camped firmly in the space he helped define in the 90s, and doesn't
appear to be going away. He's (in)famous for touring the other shops in
Seattle and trying their coffee (espresso), and leaving the cups barely
touched, muttering of "lemon defects". After 20 years parked where he is
stylistically, he's not getting the attention of people looking for 'new
hotness', but if you're for a coffee with its roots in taking measurements,
iterating, iterating, iterating and sticking w/ principles at the expense of
current fashion, Espresso Vivace is worth a trip. I prefer the "cart" which is
a literal hole in the wall beside Chase Bank on Broadway[1].

I'm not a "fan" of many things, and his coffee isn't always my favourite, but
seeing no mention of him yet strikes me as absurd.

pre-edit: scanning TFA has me scratching my head even more -- referring to the
grounds as "powder" is just wrong. If you're going to bother to fuss this hard
over coffee and technique, pedantry here is required.

edit: more links, date clarification

[0] [https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-Coffee-Professional-David-
Sc...](https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-Coffee-Professional-David-
Schomer/dp/0897166159)

[1] [http://espressovivace.com/index.php/retail/sidewalk-
bar/](http://espressovivace.com/index.php/retail/sidewalk-bar/)

~~~
netghost
Vivace is certainly one of my favorite coffee shops in Seattle. Thanks for the
background, I never knew all the work that was going into my cup.

~~~
inflagranti
Yeah I thought the same! Definitely been my favorite coffee in Seattle,
especially the Nico, which I haven't found anywhere else. Now that I know they
actually did all that research I like it even more :)

------
marcoperaza
You can actually simulate this at home with just a moka pot; no need for a
fancy ultra-expensive espresso machine. Pour just a tiny amount of the
espresso into a cup with sugar and beat it really hard with a spoon. Then pour
the rest of the coffee into the same container. Voila, crema, or at least
something that looks and feels like crema. I think this is a Cuban-American
(maybe originally Cuban) innovation and growing up it was always referred to
as "espumitas" (translated: little bubbles). The caveat is that you have to
like your coffee sweetened for it to be useful. (Cubans always drink espresso
sweet.)

~~~
hammock
Espresso machines need not be fancy or ultra-expensive. That's a terrible
myth. The best one I've found (in terms of quality espresso and reliability)
is the Delonghi basic model and costs $99.[1] The Italian Americans I know
also use this model, despite having tried others.

[1][https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-
Ma...](https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-
Maker/dp/B000F49XXG)

~~~
lobster_johnson
Those cheap plastic coffee machines actually are pretty poor, and tend to
break fast -- planned obsolescence at its finest. I recommend going a step up
and buying something like a Rancilio Silva [1]. All metal, has replaceable,
serviceable parts, has a good community of tweakers who document mods for
things like temperature control, lasts practically for ever.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-Espresso-Machine-
Stainless-1...](https://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-Espresso-Machine-
Stainless-13-4-Inch/dp/B00H1OUSD2)

~~~
hanklazard
Agreed. I have a similar machine, the Gaggia Classic, and couldn't be more
pleased with its overal build quality. Makes it a pleasure to use--I actually
look forward to making the next morning's espresso as I'm going to bed at
night!

------
donretag
Does an espresso really need the crema?

In Italy, espresso is simply called caffe. When you order coffee, you get an
espresso. At home, many still use a caffettiera (sorry, do not know the word
in English). A caffettiera will not produce any noticeable crema, but it is
still an espresso.

I never drink coffee (I am way too energetic as is), but in Italy I constantly
drink it since it is cultural. In fact, I leave tonight for Italy, so I expect
a coffee soon after landing (after many many hours).

~~~
nathancahill
Caffettiera = moka pot. I wouldn't be so bold as to argue coffee
technicalities with an italian :), but espresso is technically different,
mostly in regards to extraction through _pressure_ as well as heat.

~~~
donretag
It could very well be. Americans (or better yet, foodies) tend to care about
minute details regarding food. In Italy, you go to a cafe/bar and order wine.
No wine list, just red or white. You order a blonde/red/dark beer. No labels.
Of course, you can specify brands, but in the US, ordering something simply by
saying coffee/beer/wine is unheard of.

~~~
nathancahill
I think one of the reasons is that ordering red/white wine in Italy will get
you something palatable. While it's certainly _possible_ to order a house red
or a house white at many places in the US, it might be undrinkable. So there's
more of a need to specify.

Similarly with coffee. If I order coffee in the afternoon in the US, chances
are that I will get a pot that has been sitting on the hot plate for a couple
hours. Specifying an espresso drink will at least ensure that it's fresh.

------
benmarks
I'm curious what others may have to say about which regions have great
independent shops (or franchises, if such exist). I'm lucky to travel all over
the world for work, in part because I can taste-tour espresso culture
everywhere. There are scant few places with consistently good espresso (read:
flavorful, non-bitter shots with rich, oily crema). Australia has proven to be
the steady best. I've been thoroughly disappointed by espresso in Italy,
France, San Francisco, and so many other places.

I'm lucky to live close to one of the best espresso shops, which is the one
which taught me that espresso shouldn't be bitter (Metto Coffee in Mount
Pleasant, SC). They use beans from Zoka, specifically Espresso Cuatro, in
combination with great equipment, water treatment, and mentorship from the
owners.

In my experience at home, the beans make the most difference. Even a cheap
grinder and equally cheap Krups espresso machine can give you a decent shot if
you use distilled water and great beans (such as the Cuatro I cite above). As
others have said, there's great joy in iterating your way towards pulling
consistently good shots at home.

~~~
netghost
Well if you like espresso made from beans by Zoka, then drop by Seattle some
time. Zoka has a few spots in town, great place to work, study or meet up with
folks.

Honestly there's a bunch of really great coffee shops around here, well and a
few terrible ones, can't say if they're the best, but it's not hard to get a
decent cup.

------
jpmattia
Several years before this publication, Ernesto Illy had an article in
Scientific American: [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-
complexity-of-...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-complexity-
of-coffee/)

The article is funny in one respect: SciAm is pretty strict against anything
remotely resembling corporate PR disguised as science reporting. However, it
was such a good article, and most of the science community is so caffeine
addicted, that the editors gave him a pass.

------
resolaibohp
Most people not familiar with espresso making believe the most important piece
of equipment is the espresso machine itself. The most important piece of
equipment is the grinder. A grinder that can grind beans to the correct
consistency will make a mediocre espresso machine seem amazing. You can buy
the most expensive espresso machine in the world and use a bad grinder and
always have bad results.

~~~
rvanmil
Exactly! Grinder > beans > machine.

------
ChuckMcM
My hat is off to any scientist can create a NIH funded research project out of
sampling espresso :-) Reminds me when my daughter got an independent study
project to understand social behaviors of associated players in shared
simulations. Basically I had complained that she was playing WoW instead of
doing her homework, so she found a way to make it her homework.

That aside, food foams? What is the reasoning for giving these their own
category?

------
fatdog
Hipster coffee and Italian coffee are very different. The former is
characterized by "fruit" flavors, which a lot of people taste as just acidic,
where Italian coffees are more base and tannic, owing (I think) to higher
levels of the cheaper arabica bean in their blends.

As someone whose drink is a "ristretto" (which is mostly the crema) the
espresso in a given little italy vs. something served by someone under the age
of 50 is very different. The closest thing I could find to a standard Italian
coffee in SF was at Mara's Italian Pastries in north beach.

Could a hipster do it? Sure. Would I ever line up or wait for their
explanation to find out? No.

~~~
justinator
Ristretto is just a shot that's pulled a few seconds less than "normal", so
all the coffee from the portafilter isn't extracted into your cup. If you tell
any barista to pull you a short shot, they'll understand (same thing). When I
was a barista, our normal espresso shots were always ristretto.

Our beans also came shipped from Italy. They had a use-by date that was months
in the future.

------
DiabloD3
Surprised to see no mention of the Aeropress yet.

Only way I'll make coffee.

~~~
zero_iq
Me too. I got one about 9 months ago, after wasting my life with various
machines, moka pots, etc. Ditched them all after trying the Aeropress, with
the "inverted method". Looks like some kind of cheap plastic sex toy, but
goddammit it makes fantastic coffee.

~~~
DiabloD3
So it _is_ a cheap plastic sex toy then ;)

A good cup of coffee is about as good a sex. It's in the same ballpark.

------
rcruzeiro
A bit off topic, but I've just spent 3 minutes trying to figure out how to
scroll this website on mobile before realizing that it scrolls sideways.

~~~
f_allwein
Huh? No it doesn't. Are you at
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12489523](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12489523)
?

------
caublestone
I thought this article was going to be about the sky rocketing prices of
coffee at artisan coffee shops and that a coffee bubble is upon us.

------
jhoechtl
I have been to Florida over the season 2015->2106\. It was practically
impossible to get anything palatable with at least a minuscule similarity to
what we call a coffee in Austria. Austrian coffee culture is close to Italian.
Starbucks has a hard time there as well. Why spend loadsvof money on a second
class mug when you get much better a lower price plus culture for free?

