The Art of Espresso

March 10, 2008

A few days away from coffee coffee coffee at every turn and we were ready to rejuvenate CoffeeInAction in action. Our first stop was Ozo Coffee Company on Arapahoe Ave. Drip coffee in pint glasses was a neat spin on the traditional mug (although a little hot on the hands). Sipping our delicious drinks and creating an office space took up about an hour, when the owner was able to sit and chat.

We were introduced to the Baristas as well as the hand-lever espresso machine in the shop. Woah! Our Fort Collins host had been talking about hand-lever espresso machines, but we had never heard of such a thing. What a treat we found in Ozo. Are you ready for some technical stuff? Here is Sara’s best explanation:

Pulling a lever allows a certain amount of water to fill a chamber. A spring causes the lever to pull back to its original position, pushing the piston down and creating the appropriate pressure (9 atmospheres for espresso) to push the water through the espresso, through the portafilter, and into the shot glass or ceramic cup. The barista can control the speed at which the lever goes back to its original position, therefore controlling how fast the piston is allowed to push down on the espresso. What control! What science! What art! See below for more information on these machines.

A very fascinating fact is these crema creating contraptions only need a power source to heat up water. With our limited knowledge of engineering, Melanie and Sara discussed the possibility of providing an alternative energy source to heat this water. We envisioned solar powered espresso shops all over the world! A friend suggested a hand cranked power source. After some discussion we agreed – hand cranked power would probably be great for a home machine like the one pictures above. However, for commercial machines (see picture of Sara pulling an espresso shot) this would be way too time consuming. Here is a call to engineers and inventors (Arthur, are you out there?): how could a commercial spring piston lever machine (apologies for the lack of descriptions and details here…we could not find them) be powered in a way that leaves a small carbon footprint?

Another appealing idea is that espresso can be an art form. Automatic machines, like ones used at certain corporate coffee shops, do nothing for the individual flavor profiles of one espresso over another. They do not allow the barista any control or influence on the drink. Yes, this is great if you want efficiency, standardization, and quantity. This is NOT great if you are looking for excellence and quality. The hand lever machines mentioned give the barista complete control to make the most delicious espresso, as long as she/he has proper training and experience.

Since we are experts on neither physics nor espresso machines, here is an excerpt from a great website all interested in coffee should be aware of: CoffeeGeek.com. If not interested, keep scrolling down.

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A spring piston lever espresso machine is a “manual” espresso machine; that is, you, the user, provide the pressure needed to brew the espresso. These machines are different from normal piston lever machines in that instead of directly applying the pressure to water, the force of your arm is used to cock an internal spring inside the machines’ grouphead. Once you release the lever, the spring pushes water through the bed of coffee at a steady, high pressure (approximately 8 to 9 BAR). Spring piston lever machines are capable of producing the best espresso possible when used by a seasoned veteran, by nature of the constant pressure they provide (as compared to the pulsing action of rotary or vibratory pumps).

Machines in this class feature two different types of boilers. Dual switch machines maintain the boiler at brewing temperatures. Single switch machines maintain the boiler at steaming temperatures, but a heat sink design in the grouphead and the tubing between machine and grouphead reduce the temperature of the water that eventually is used to brew. The advantage of a single switch machine is that they can steam and brew at the same time. The disadvantage is that the machines can deliver brewing water that is too hot.

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The afternoon continued with a stop at Folsom St. Coffee; a venue truly committed to sustainable practices, which CoffeeInAction always loves to see.

We were directed to Moto Modern Markets (MoMoMa) by our friend Brian, which happened to be right across the street from Folsom St. Coffee. A recently converted gas station and garage now sells domestic fuel gas outside, organic and natural convenience food in the garage, and specialty coffee by the cashier. Creator and owner Michael Marsilio told us about the responsible practices of his business.

Boulder was certainly presenting an aware business culture.

-Sara Rose and Melanie