Café Cubano : The Traditional Cuban-style Espresso

Café Cubano ( Cuban coffee, Cuban espresso, cafecito, Cuban pull, Cuban shot) is a type of espresso which originated in Cuba after espresso machines were first imported there from Italy. Specifically, it refers to an espresso shot which is sweetened with demerara sugar as it is being brewed, but the name covers other drinks that use Cuban espresso as their base.

Traditional Cuban-style espresso is made by adding demerara sugar to the container into which the espresso will drip, allowing the espresso to mix with the sugar as it is brewed – compare Vietnamese coffee preparation. Some people believe that this results in a smooth, sweet espresso.

A method commonly used to prepare a café cubano is to initially add only the first few drops of espresso to the sugar and mix vigorously. This results in a creamy, light brown paste. The remaining espresso is then added to this paste and mixed, creating a light brown foam layer, or espumita, atop the coffee. A proper cafecito can be made using either an espresso machine or an Italian moka pot, macchinetta.

The heat from the coffee-making process will hydrolize some of the sucrose, thereby creating a sweeter and different tasting result than adding sugar at the end.

There are several variations of café cubano: Cortadito (espresso topped with steamed milk), Café con Leche (coffee with milk), and Colada. A common variant is that the drink is sweetened while the espresso is being brewed. In this version, the sugar (most often brown sugar) is packed above the coffee grounds in the espresso machine and allowed to pass with the hot water through the espresso puck while brewing.

It is common for Cubans to drink café cubano first thing in the morning, after meals and sometimes as a social and cultural activity. Whether someone comes to visit your home, or a chance meeting on the street, following the initial "hello," an offer is always extended to have a "café."

Gourmet Cuban restaurants will serve a patron a glass of water to cleanse the palate before drinking the espresso, although some Cubans think the water is to dilute the café once it hits your digestive system. For purist coffee drinkers, drinking water after the espresso brands one as a non-appreciative espresso drinker. In some circles, an acceptable end to a Cuban espresso is to lightly dunk the tip of a Cuban cigar in the bottom of the demitasse and then light it up. [source : Cuban Espresso]

Espresso Coffee Machines

An espresso coffee machine is used to produce the traditional Italian coffee beverage called espresso.

Since their invention in 1901, multiple machine designs have been created to produce espresso. Several machines share some common elements.

Varying the fineness of the grind, the amount of pressure used to tamp the grinds, or the pressure itself can be used to vary the taste of the espresso. Some baristas pull espresso shots directly into a pre-heated demitasse cup or shot glass, to maintain a higher temperature of the espresso.

An espresso machine may also have a steam wand which is used to steam and froth liquids, to include milk, for beverages such as the cappuccino and latte.

A steam-driven unit operates by forcing water through the coffee by using steam or steam pressure. The first espresso machines were steam types, produced when a common boiler was piped to four group heads so that multiple types of coffee could be made at the same time. The design is still used today in low-cost consumer machines, as it does not need to contain moving parts. Many low-cost steam-driven units are sold in combination with a drip-coffee machine.

The piston, or lever, driven machine was developed in Italy in 1945 by Achille Gaggia, founder of espresso machine manufacturer Gaggia. The design generically uses a lever, pumped by the operator, to pressurize hot water and send it through the coffee grinds. The act of producing a shot of espresso is colloquially termed pulling a shot, because these lever-style espresso machines required pulling a long handle to produce a shot.

There are two types of lever machines; manual piston and spring piston design. With the manual piston, the operator directly pushes the water through the grounds. In the spring piston design, the operator works to tension a spring, which then delivers the pressure for the espresso (usually 8 to 10 bar).

A refinement of the piston machine is the pump-driven machine, which was introduced in the Faema E61 in 1961, and has become the most popular design in commercial espresso bars. Instead of using manual force, a motor-driven pump provides the force necessary for espresso brewing. Commercial or some high-end home machines are often attached directly to the plumbing of the site; lower-end home machines have built-in water reservoirs.

In recent years air-pump driven espresso machines have emerged. These machines use compressed air to force the hot water through the coffee grounds. The hot water is typically added from a kettle or a thermo flask. The compressed air comes from either a hand-pump, N20 or CO2 cartridges or an electric compressor. One of the advantages of the air-pump driven machines is that they are much smaller and lighter than electric machines. They are often handheld and portable. The first air-pump driven machine was Handpresso Wild, which was invented by Nielsen Innovation SARL, a French innovation house, and introduced in 2007. [source : Espresso Machine]

Espresso Coffee : The Base for Coffee Drinks

Caffè espresso, or just espresso, is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee.

Compared to other coffee brewing methods, espresso often has a thicker consistency, a higher concentration of dissolved solids, and crema (foam). As a result of the pressurized brewing process, all of the flavours and chemicals in a typical cup of coffee are very concentrated. For this reason, espresso is the base for other drinks, such as lattes, cappuccino, macchiato, mochas, and americanos.

The first machines were introduced in Italy at the beginning of the 20th Century, with the first patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901, who invented a steam pressure system. In 1938, Cresemonesi introduced a piston based espresso machine, which eliminated the burnt taste associated with the steam pressure units.

Espresso is made by forcing hot water under high pressure through a tightly compacted finely ground coffee. Generally, one uses an espresso machine to make espresso, although there are stove top espresso makers and hand operated devices such as the AeroPress. The act of producing a shot of espresso is often termed "pulling" a shot, originating from lever espresso machines which require pulling down a handle attached to a spring-loaded piston, forcing hot water through the coffee at high pressure. Today, however, it is more common for the pressure to be generated by steam or a pump. This process produces an almost syrupy beverage by extracting and emulsifying the oils in the ground coffee.

Espresso is not a specific bean or roast level; it is a coffee brewing method. Any bean or roasting level can be used to produce authentic espresso and different beans have unique flavor profiles lending themselves to different roasting levels and styles. [source : Espresso]

The Robusta Coffee Origins

The Robusta Coffee (Coffea Canephora) is a species of coffee which has its origins in central and western subsaharan Africa. It is grown mostly in Africa and Brazil, where it is often called Conillon. It is also grown in Southeast Asia where French colonists introduced it in the late 19th century. In recent years Vietnam, which only produces robusta, has surpassed Brazil, India, and Indonesia to become the world's single largest exporter. Approximately one-third of the coffee produced in the world is robusta.

The Robusta coffee plant is a hardier and more easily cultivated variety of coffee. It will grow at lower subtropical altitudes and is less susceptible to diseases and pests. It also has a higher yield than the Arabica.

The Robusta coffee bean lacks the depth of flavor of the Arabica bean but has a higher level of caffeine content. The Robusta variety is believed to have originated in Uganda, and is now widely grown in Africa, Brazil and Vietnam.

Robusta coffee plants

The value of Robusta beans is lower because it is easier to care for and cheaper to produce. This economic consideration has led to the common use of Robusta beans in coffee blends. Their lower price has also led to most instant coffee being derived from Robusta beans.

However, the higher caffeine content, the Robusta bean's role in creating the famous crema top found on a good espresso, and the sheer volume of demand for coffee, are other reasons for the popularity of Robusta coffee. Processing methods have been developed that can reduce the less desirable harsher "burnt rubber" taste of Robusta coffee. [source : Coffea Canephora]

Different Types of Coffee

Regardless of coffee’s origins, all beans go through a similar process in preparation for brewing. trees reach maturity between three and four years when their clusters of fruit turn deep red. Farmers pluck the ripe cherries by hand and transport the full baskets by mule or truck to the processing plant. Since the coffee bean is the seed inside the sweet cherries, the fruit is forced through a manual machine to extract the seeds. While the pulp is salvaged for use as fertilizer, the seeds – or coffee beans – are soaked in cool water to stimulate a fermentation process. Next the beans are spread over mats to dry in the open sun. Rotten or disfigured beans are removed so only the highest quality coffee beans remain. Next the thick, parchment-like hull is removed to reveal a coffeebean. 

There are several species of coffee trees but most commercial growers use primarily the Arabica and Robusta species. trees are believed to produce the highest quality . However, Robusta trees are more economically viable due to their heartiness. Coffees are rarely designated as Robusta or Arabica . The soil and environmental conditions play such a significant role in flavoring the beans, that all coffee beans are labeled according to their geographic origins. Kilimanjaro coffee comes from the Tanzanian foothills near Mount Kilimanjaro, for example, while Java coffee derives from the Indonesian islands. 

Coffee roasting process

For many years, consumers purchased green coffee beans and roasted them at home. Today nearly all beans are roasted by the manufacturers who possess the appropriate equipment. Roasting the beans enhances the coffee’s flavor and releases pungent oils. Although there exist no strict conventions for classifying different types of roasts, there are some well-known roasts that have maintained a certain consistency between manufacturers. American roast produces a medium bodied coffee. This roast is used almost exclusively in average American store brands and in restaurants across the country. Brazilian roast is a slightly darker roast than the American roast. Despite its name, the roast has no connection to Brazil. An increasingly popular roast is the French roast. French roasted beans are the color of dark chocolate. The roast produces a deep, hearty brew and a touch of the bean oil should be visible on the coffee’s surface. The darkest roast is Espresso. Beans are roasted until they are nearly burnt which gives the roast its distinct, sharp flavor. 

Coffee grinder

All coffee is best bought as whole roasted beans. The minute the beans have been ground their flavor diminishes. Whole beans can be frozen for several months, but ground beans will last in an airtight container no longer than a few weeks. Coffee is brewed by two methods: decoction or infusion. Decoction refers to boiling the beans until the flavor is released. This method was popular before coffee machines but is now only reserved for traditional Turkish coffees. The most popular means of brewing coffee is by infusion. Infusion includes steeping coffee grounds in hot water or filtering the grounds with hot water through paper or cloth. The ideal cup of coffee depends upon one’s preference, but the standard ratio is two tablespoons of coffee grounds to three-quarters a cup of water. Brewed coffee must be served immediately as oxidation will ruin the flavor.

Many coffee drinks have become popular with Americans in recent years. Espresso, made by brewing espresso roasted beans under high pressure, is a strong, black coffee served in small cups. Machiatto is espresso with a touch of steamed milk. Cappuccino is even thirds of espresso, steamed milk, and a ‘cap’ of milk foam. Café latte is one-third espresso and two-thirds steamed milk. The favorite French drink, Café au Lait is made with strong coffee (never espresso) and generous portions of hot milk. Flavored coffee -- such as hazelnut, maple walnut and raspberry -- is produced by adding flavored oils to the beans during roasting. Depending on the manufacturer, the flavors can be natural or artificial. 

Coffee connoisseurs rate coffees based on their aroma, acidity (liveliness), body and flavor. High quality coffees have strong, fragrant aromas. High acidity levels in beans is preferable, but their body can range from light (Mexican coffees) to heavy (Sumatra coffees). Connoisseurs describe the flavor using adjectives such as earthy, mellow or grassy. Although your average coffee consumer in America could not distinguish an earthy flavor from a mellow one, the busy neighborhood Starbucks is evidence enough that Americans love all varieties of coffee regardless.

[source : Coffees]