This isn’t your typical shot dropped in a glass of orange juice. This time around it’s an espresso shot. Over on the HB forums there’s a thread going on for people to share their favorite iced coffee drinks to help beat the summer heat. SiD- has mention his favorite and I couldn’t resist.
La Pavoni Europiccola Naked Extraction
I’m constantly striving to make better espresso. I scourer the internet reading up on techniques, machines, coffee varieties, grinders, and all sorts of other gear. It’s shots like this that make me feel a little less like a “n00b” and a little more like a novice on the verge of a becoming true espresso geek. A few months ago my first step into truly obtaining espresso geek bliss was to chop my La Pavoni’s portafilter in order to diagnose my possible weaknesses in pulling shots. The beginning was a little rocky. Now I feel like I might just know what I’ve been talking about since getting into espresso and all the choices I’ve made.
Two Toddies Brewing in a French Press
It’s been freakin’ hot lately here in Southern California. And when it’s hot, the last thing you want to think about is brewing coffee. Fortunately there are some things you can do to keep your coffee habit and chill out at the same time.
Sweet Maria's Puro Scuro Blend, Light French Roast
Sweet Maria’s Puro Scuro is absolutely meant for dark roasts. I tried to play it a bit safe with this blend and start with a Full City+. I was not enjoying the flavors I pulled at this level. Kind of like drinking earthy V8 with coffee. Not terrible, but not exactly enjoyable. So, I decided to be a bit bold and head into the roasting realm I rarely like, French.
Something like a Latte
This is currently my finest state of milk frothing. To the untrained eye it looks rather good. But in reality it truly is a disaster. Steaming and frothing milk is all about bringing out the milk’s natural sweetness and creating lovely microfoam. If you really wanna get into the nitty gritty behind milk frothing, CoffeeGeek.com has a great (and intense) Milk Frothing Guide.
As it stands right now, I really am no good at steaming and frothing milk. But, I’m willing to learn.
As I dive through more blends I am starting to realize that I might not enjoy complex coffee as much as I thought. I am finding I really miss the nice clean flavors single origin espresso offers. While there are blends I like, the majority of the time I am still feeling like my cup is muddy with flavor. But don’t let my reaction to blends keep you clear of ‘em. It very well could be I am not an experienced enough roaster to get these right. So, lets talk about Sweet Maria’s Espresso Monkey Blend.
Espresso Tamped in Prep for Extraction
I’m sure everyone has noticed by now that I tend to get all my green from one supplier, and right now that has been Sweet Maria’s. In this installment of your favorite home roasting journal, I’ll be exploring their New Classic Espresso Blend.
Sweet Maria's Espresso Workshop #10: Espresso Profundo, Vienna Roast
After all the light roasting I’ve done in the past month and a half it is so nice to hit the dark stuff again. Sweet Maria’s Espresso Workshop #10 is a great blend to kick off our next espresso experiment. I’ve decided to go with all blends this time around. I have one or two for light roasting but most are meant for the Full City+ to Vienna range.
Espresso Shot made with the Ecuador Zumba Microlot
Not my usual coffee shot to accompany a short review of my current coffee trials, but I figured I’d break it up a bit. The Ecuador Zumba Microlot Especial marks the end of our light roasting experiment.