The first drops come out of the portafilter at the bottom. They become more numerous and then your espresso runs into your cup at the right speed and forms a stunning crema. After just about 30 seconds you have a perfect cup of brown gold with caffeine. In a flash, right? No! You should stir before enjoying it or vibrate like in the newly invented coffee waving or shake it (if you like to take risks). One thing is clear, we'll tell you why you should move your espresso in this blog.
Why to Move Espresso – Extraction
Espresso and all other coffee preparations are extracted in certain phases. At the beginning of each extraction, the acidity, i.e. the fruitiness, comes out of the coffee grounds. The second phase extracts the sweetness from the coffee and at the end, in phase 3, the bitterness comes. All three phases together produce the perfect espresso, filter coffee, etc. To ensure that every cup tastes the same, these phases or layers must be mixed together. For a hand-brewed filter coffee, it is enough to swirl the pot with the brewed coffee a little and, for espresso, usually stir it once with a spoon.
Why to Move Espresso – the Normal Distribution
With espresso, for example, each of the three extraction phases takes around ten seconds. Ideally, you use a different temperature for each phase. This isn't possible with all portafilter machines, but there are a few on the market that can do this. Like the portafilter machine from Heylo . Here you can even program the temperature curve and then the machine does everything at the touch of a button. For an espresso, a temperature curve that looks like a normal distribution or bell curve makes sense. So start at one point, e.g. 93 degrees, and then rise slightly before falling sharply. As an example, we had the following settings with the Heylo and our Wilderer espresso: start at 93 degrees and slowly rise to 95 degrees and then a sharp fall to 88 degrees. This means that each extraction phase is treated with its optimal temperature. Acidity needs a high temperature, sweetness similarly, but bitterness needs less heat.
Remember: you have to develop a separate curve for each coffee you use, as not all coffees react the same.
Why to Move Espresso – It's All in the Mixture
And just as the crema sits on top of the rest of the espresso, the sweetness, acidity and bitterness also lie in layers in your cup. That's why you should mix these layers; your espresso will taste much more balanced. How you mix them is up to you. The easiest method is to stir with a spoon.
Why to Move Espresso – Methodology
Now we come to the interesting, experimental, fun and somewhat scientific part. The espresso layers need to be connected and mixed. There are basically different ways to do this. We want to explain these to you now - including a very new method that was only recently invented and is supposed to make the espresso even better than just stirring with a spoon.
Why to Move Espresso – the classic spoon method
The easiest and most classic way is to stir your espresso with an espresso spoon. This is also the reason why you always get a spoon (in good coffee bars), even if you don't use any sugar. Speaking of sugar: Espresso has a certain basic sweetness all by itself, so there is no need to use sugar. If you like sugar in espresso, then don't force yourself, we won't judge you for it. To each his/her own. BUT... only without sugar can you really taste the taste of a good espresso.
Why to Move Espresso – tapping
You can of course also put your espresso cup down on the counter and gently tap the cup on the plate a few times. Then swirl it around a bit and tap again. This will also mix the layers, but not as well as with a spoon and there is always the risk of something breaking: the counter, the cup, maybe a finger bone. It all depends on how hard you tap.
Why to Move Espresso – Coffee Waving
Let's get to the scientific part, which was only recently discovered: coffee waving or espresso waving. This phenomenon was discovered by the barista Felix Hohlmann. He found out that vibration has a positive effect on the taste of espresso. Scientists from the University of Freiburg in Switzerland have now confirmed that this is actually the case. In short: espresso is not stable after extraction. The vibration causes the coffee to enter a state in which many small particles remain separated from one another for longer and larger particles form less quickly in the espresso emulsion.
Vibration is basically the same as stirring with a spoon - only much more intense and constant. Of course, you need something that vibrates. The coffee makers have an explanatory video by Felix Hohlmann. We're not going to give anything away there either, after all, they invented coffee waving.
Why to Move Espresso – Vibration Options
We could also fantasize and come up with suggestions about what vibrates in a normal household: massage devices, special massage devices, a running washing machine, possibly a running dryer, a drill, a mixer, training vibration plates and much more. But there are also small, handy vibration plates for use in the kitchen... you could get one of these if you want to wave your coffee more often.
Why to Move Espresso – shaking
It's an option - but we don't recommend it. Either everything spills or you cover the cup with your hand and then everything sticks to your hand. In this case, we recommend gently swirling the cup and tapping it somewhere.
Why to Move Espresso – Conclusion
Now we've got the stirring of the espresso sorted out. It's important to mix the layers of your espresso once so that you get a round and balanced taste. How you do this - with a spoon, your finger, by tapping and swirling or even with a vibrating plate - is entirely up to you and your imagination. We recommend the spoon, almost everyone has one. For the rest, we hand over the responsibility for a potential risk of injury and the good taste guarantee completely to the espresso connoisseur. Enjoy it and #staywild !
