All About Espresso Coffee Pods
Thursday, February 4th, 2010In the last fifteen to twenty years, esspresso coffee has really grown in popularity. It’s always been a popular beverage in Mediterranean countries, but now it’s increasingly being consumed in other parts of the world. It is a very distinctive drink. To make an espresso, you need a machine designed specifically to force steam (or sometimes hot water) through ground coffee at very high pressure.
The result? A small, very strong cup of good quality coffee.
Espresso coffee differs from the traditional variety in that, as well as being stronger, it has a thicker consistency with a nice layer of brown foam on top. This type of coffee is not for wimps! It’s not just strong, it has a very intense flavour too, that stays with you for a while after drinking it, even though you would generally only have a small “shot”. But that shot will give you a caffeine fix that will keep you going for a few hours! Espresso coffee can be used as the basis for other types of coffee too. For example, a latte is an espresso with hot milk added, whereas a cappuccino is an espresso with frothy milk added (and is sometimes served with a light sprinkling of cocoa powder).
Do be confused into thinking that espresso is a particular blend of coffee, or that it comes from an “espresso bean”. It’s nothing of the sort. You can make espresso coffee from any type of roast coffee beans, it’s the way it’s prepared that actually makes it an espresso.
So what about the espresso machines themselves? Well, they come at a range of price levels, from cheap to ridiculously expensive for designer-type models. if you spend about $100, you should be able to get something decent.
And the history of espresso coffee? The first espresso machine was patented in 1901 by Luigi Bezzara, a Milanese gentleman. So we can thank Mr Bezzara for the espresso we drink today.
Many people drink espresso with sugar, so it is both strong and sweet. Nothing wrong with that, in fact that’s generally how it’s drunk in Southern Europe, accompanied by a glass of iced water.
However you decide to drink it, an espresso is a great way to get your caffeine fix!
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