Espresso is the heart of your cappuccino. It provides the nutty, chocolatey taste and the stimulating effect of the drink. The wide selection of espressos , the different properties and the many flavors don't make it easy when it comes to choosing the perfect espresso. Tastes and preferences also vary, which is why we want to give you a rough idea of which notes you can expect from which espresso in the end result of the cappuccino. Elias Fischbacher from the Wildkaffee Rösterei wishes you lots of fun discovering!
The best espresso for cappuccino - selection & differences
What we definitely have to tell you up front is that there is no such thing as THE perfect espresso for cappuccino . Everyone decides for themselves what taste they prefer, what fine notes they prefer in their cappuccino and what properties their favorite espresso should have. Can it be a blend, or perhaps a single origin? 100% Arabica, or perhaps a little Robusta for a stable crema? Chocolatey, or a little more floral? Intensely dark roast, or perhaps a little lighter?
There are no limits to the different espressos. We recommend that you be open-minded. Feel free to try out a few things, because even a bad end result will help you become a better barista. There's a good reason why the saying "you learn from your mistakes" exists. We also recommend that you pay attention to the taste preferences of your coffee friends/customers. In general, you should always differentiate between your preferences and those of your coffee friends or customers.
The best espresso for cappuccino - our favorite from the Wildkaffee Rösterei
Our "Online Barista Course" project is led by our barista Robin Matthijsse. We therefore asked Robin which espresso he prefers to use in his cappuccino and what taste characteristics he expects from a good cappuccino. The main focus was on a chocolatey coffee experience. The chocolatey taste combined with the full aroma of the milk creates an incredibly tasty fusion!
And which espresso does Robin use for this? It's our Bergsonne ! It's a real classic from our range and has been very popular for years. The Bergsonne is a classic 100% Arabica blend. We use the finest coffee beans from Brazil and Colombia . The beans from the Nariño region (Colombia) and Cerrado Mineiro (Brazil) are dark roasted in our roastery, which is typical for espressos. The blend impresses with its strong, spicy taste with intense notes of chocolate and brittle. The chocolate accents really come into their own in a cappuccino, which is why we definitely rate the Bergsonne as our favorite.
The best espresso for cappuccino - More delicious espressos from our roastery
But it's not just our mountain sun that tastes great in a cappuccino, our other selected varieties also provide exciting flavors in your cappuccino. Our house espresso also provides a spicy, chocolatey taste paired with notes of caramel. In the cappuccino, the chocolatey notes come through perfectly with fine caramel accents. In contrast to the mountain sun, the house espresso comes across even more intensely in the cappuccino.
If you like an even stronger coffee taste in your cappuccino, our Wilderer Espresso is a good choice. In the cup profile, you will also find chocolate in the foreground with the Wilderer. This taste comes through particularly intensely in the cappuccino. The counterpart to the Wilderer is our Wildsau, which is roasted a little lighter and therefore provides a certain florality in the cup profile of your cappuccino. Paired with the full-bodied taste and notes of cocoa, the Wildsau is the perfect espresso for a light, fluffy cappuccino. If you like it even milder, you can also go for medium roasts.
The best espresso for cappuccino - how much espresso?
Perhaps this question is already clear to most people. If so, then you can skip this paragraph. Now that we have hopefully chosen the perfect espresso for cappuccino, the question is, how much espresso do I actually use in the cappuccino? As a rule , a cup of cappuccino contains around 150ml .
The espresso makes up 30ml , so a single shot. The rest is poured over with milk and creamy milk foam to create the particularly tasty fusion - the cappuccino. The base consists of a single shot of espresso (30ml) and the foamed milk! Of course, you can play around with the recipe a bit. This is probably how the now very popular flat white came about! A drink similar to the cappuccino. The only difference is that the flat white contains a double espresso and the milk foam is much thinner than the Italian classic. You can find out more about the flat white here .
The best espresso for cappuccino - how to prepare it!
In our YouTube video you will learn step by step how to prepare a delicious cappuccino. We will go into detail about preparing the espresso and frothing the milk. In our online barista course we will show you how to prepare cappuccino and co in the portafilter. But now we will look at preparing espresso in the portafilter. We always use the double sieve for preparation, as the extraction in a single sieve is inadequate. The espresso would taste slightly sour. So we need: 1 double sieve, 17-19 g ground coffee
- Remove the portafilter and wipe it with a cloth.
- Now pour the weighed coffee into the carrier for a double shot.
- Distribute the ground coffee evenly, then compact it using your tamper and a pressure of around 15kg.
- Rinse the brewing group and clamp the portafilter.
- For a single shot, place a cup and a second container (e.g. a jug) under the spout and start the brewing process. This should take about 25-30 seconds for 40ml.
- Milk ready yet? Then you can start pouring your cappuccino!
Conclusion!
The fact is that there is no such thing as the perfect espresso for cappuccino. It is more a matter of personal taste or the taste that your customers or coffee lovers prefer. It is advisable to be open-minded, because this is the only way you can get to know many different varieties and flavors that may not taste so good but give you an excellent comparison to delicious espresso varieties. Our barista Robin Matthijsse recommends our Bergsonne .
The mountain sun ensures a particularly chocolatey taste experience in your cappuccino. We use a double sieve to prepare it. With a single sieve, the extraction may be insufficient, which is why the espresso may taste slightly sour. Now we have learned how to brew the perfect espresso and froth the milk perfectly. What is still missing is the ideal pouring and the creation of an artistic latte art . You will find out how this works in the next parts of our online barista course. We hope you have fun trying it out and #staywild !
