Jan 02 2009
Espresso Beans
No matter how fancy or expensive your espresso maker is, you need to start off with good coffee beans if you want to make excellent espresso. Buying whole bean coffee is the way to go for freshness and taste.
Espresso beans aren’t any different from regular coffee beans, regardless of what coffee sellers might want you to think. Look for Arabica beans (as opposed to the lesser-quality Robusta beans) from countries such as Sumatra, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Hawaii, Indonesia or Kenya. These are all great coffee regions.
The next thing to consider is a good roast. Depending on the type of place you buy your beans from, you may or may not have much selection. A good dark roast is best for brewing espresso because you want all the flavour you can get. Anything darker than a medium full city roast will do. Dark roasts are sometimes called espresso roasts, or Italian roasts. And there is such a thing as getting your beans roasted too heavily. Anything darker than Italian will give your espresso a flat and somewhat bitter taste. A Spanish roast would fall into this category.
For the best tasting espresso, you should consider grinding your own beans. Grinding them right before you brew will give you the freshest espresso flavour. Set your grinder to one of the finest settings. If your beans are ground too coarsely, the water will flow between the grains and dilute your espresso. Getting your beans ground at the store should be no problem either, as commercial grinders should have a setting specifically for espresso.
Buying pre-ground espresso beans is easier, but never buy too much. It will go stale in just a few days. Don’t store ground coffee in the fridge or freezer, it won’t help it keep any longer.
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