The Perfect Cup

There's nothing like a good cup of coffee, especially espresso.The problem is not many know how to make it at home. Most have to rely on their local barrista to give them the perfect cup. Yet with the right guidance that heavenly brew can be created.

It was the main article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Matt Raichtel, a Dining newcomer had the fun task of not 0only tasting but being shown how to make the right cup of espresso.There are classes called Camp Pull A  Shot that last for four days  for making every kind of cup from creamy lattes to adreleine boosting espresso. Students, who range from barristas to the average joe(pun intended) learn the basics. They sample different beans  along with understanding the mechanics of La Marzocco Liena t a variety of espresso machines, Then they get to try their hand at it. Mr Raichtel did pretty well with it.He did have help though thanks to top barrista, Tristan Walach or as he's also known as Ant.

What makes a good cup? Both the beans and the steamed milk help however knowing how to run the coffee machine properly helps the most. Without the right stream of water ,espresso can turn out to be watery. Even the best tasting beans can have their flavor destroyed.With practice, however anyone can make a good cup. Properly steamed milk also helps too,The sugars in the milk have to cook and that usually happens at 135 degrees F.It makes for a sweeter taste. More or less it all boils down to grinding the beans properly and running water through it for 25 seconds.

A good cup of espresso is always a treat.If you can make it at home, it' even better .It just takes some work to make a tasty treat.