Espresso vs. Coffee

I like coffee more than I like espresso.

I have have tried a lot of things. I have tried lattes, straight espresso shots, macchiatos, americanos, mochas, favored lattes, espresso con panna, iced coffee and so on down the lineup. And yet, when customers ask what I drink, I honestly inform them that I drink coffee.

I like the taste of coffee. I drink it very fresh, from a 6oz cup, without any additions. My favorite are medium - dark roasts with round, complex flavors. I haven't experimented with enough origins to know which ones I like best, but give me a few years.

Some of the issue is probably that it is so much easier to get a good cup of coffee than a good shot. There is less equipment, and it is cheaper and easier to use. Pulling a good shot takes a lot of skill and practice. Pulling a shot that can stand along, without milk or sugar, seems to be very difficult. I haven't had very many that I truly enjoy drinking.

I want to be good at my job, and I pay attention to my shots. Most of my customers think they are very good. I consistently pull shots with thick nut colored crema that holds up to the "sugar test." And yet, something is missing.

Of course maybe I just don't like espresso and I could drink a "godshot" and still walk away with my cup of coffee clutched protectively in both hands. Maybe I'm just not "barista enough" to handle the essence of the coffee bean.

On the other hand, I totally macgyverd my milk pitcher today. I disassembled a handy pen and used the spring to replace the lost spring in our pitcher that controls the open/close mechanism. It was very satisfying. Maybe I'll make a good barista some day after all.

Fun caffeine fact: The German housewife Melitta Bentz invented the paper filter method of brewing coffee in 1908.

Beginning

After two years pulling shots and steaming milk I still feel like an enthusiastic beginner. I didn't think that I would fall in love with the coffee world when my friend suggested that I work with her at a tiny local coffee shop. It was convenient, so I followed up. I got the job despite the fact that I had no experience and didn't know why anyone would water down espresso to make an americano. Now I have fallen irreparably under the spell of the coffee bean and all its derivatives. I still drink my coffee black and unsweetened, but now I roast it at home in a popcorn popper.

As I mentioned before, the coffee shop where I work is tiny. In fact, I am fairly certain that you know someone with a larger walk-in closet. Mostly I like the close quarters, but the 15 minute shift change can get a little claustrophobic. Luckily we work our shifts alone, and my only companion is our two-group espresso machine and the other appliances. Of course, if I get bored or lonely there are always the cast of characters that we call regulars. I may not know their names, but when they walk in the door their usual is already half finished.

When not at work or exploring some other cafe or coffee shop, I spend my time researching both practical and trivial coffee knowledge. I buy books, read forums and watch latte art tutorials. Sometimes I just sit, and wonder how I every survived before I was aware of the species of coffee Coffea excelsa which is closely related to Coffea liberica.

So, to conclude, I leave you with this fun filled caffeine fact: caffeine acts as a natural pesticide, paralyzing and killing insects that eat the plants that produce it.