You will be surprised at how easy it is to make coffee drinks like the ones you can order from the popular coffee houses. As long as you have the proper equipment, and it needn't be fancy, you can enjoy the pleasures of good coffee anytime.
It's a cinch to grasp the basics of various popular coffee drinks. Practice, of course, will make perfect. So invite your friends over and impress them with names of coffee drinks like:
Espresso
Cappuccino
French vanilla cappuccino
and Americano coffee
It's fun to make simple specialty drinks with coffee that are beyond the standard cup of java. And just beyond needing the proper equipment, here are some basic coffee drink recipes to get you started.
How to make espresso drinks
Freshly ground espresso beans are needed for a really good shot of espresso. If you don't have access to a conical burr grinder (most important!) have your local coffee house grind the espresso beans for you. You will want a very fine grind with good quality espresso beans.
A quick rundown on the espresso shot itself so you have an idea of what you are after:
The crema is the thin, sweet layer on top of the espresso shot pulled correctly. The crema will skim the top of your shot and you will notice that it's a bit lighter in color. It's important to obtain a good crema.
The body is the center of the shot, just under the crema. This is where your flavor is most intense. With a perfect pull of espresso, the body will be a rich, warm brown. At the bottom you will notice the heart. This is more concentrated; it is the bitter balance to the crema's sweetness. And it should be a deeper, rich brown color.
Here are the basics of "pulling espresso shots":
1. The finished espresso taste begins with the quality of water you use. Filtered water is the best choice. Many people think the coffee will flavor poor water, it's just the opposite... the water that will flavor your coffee. So, use the best available water. One shot will require 1.25 oz of filtered water.
2. Measure out your grounds. 2 Tablespoons of grounds will accommodate 1 one-ounce shots. Add the grounds to the portafilter, they will appear to be too much, but the next step of tamping will take care of that.
3. You'll need to tamp down the grounds in the portafilter tightly after putting in the measured grounds. Tamping will compact the grounds so that the water will absorb all the true flavor of the bean. Be sure to wipe off your portafilter before you secure it on the espresso maker.
Note: If your first shots come out too fast, tamp down your coffee grounds a bit harder next time; if too slowly, you'll need to tamp lighter.
4. Pull and time your shot. 1 one-ounce shots of espresso should take approximately 24 seconds.
The result of pulling your espresso shot too quickly will be an undrinkable thin liquid. And too long a pull will cause a bitter taste in your espresso shot.
You know you have made a quality espresso shot when the liquid oozes out like warm honey. Timing is everything, it's better to adjust your pulling time before you think about adjusting your tamping or amount of grounds that you use.
How to make a perfect cappuccino
1. Begin by preparing the espresso shot for your cappuccino, first, as outlined above.
2. Next, using cold skim milk in a stainless cream pitcher, place the steam nozzle at the bottom of the milk pitcher. Slowly bring the nozzle up towards the top as the milk begins to frothe.
Avoid "stirring" the nozzle. Your movements should be slow and relaxed, frothing from the bottom to the top.
3. Add approximately 2 oz of the steamed skim milk to your cup, top with the espresso shot, and then gently spoon more of the foamed milk on the top.
Coffee Drink Recipe for Americano coffee
An Americano is the macho of all espresso drinks. It's really simple to make an Americano coffee.
1. Have black dripped coffee on hand, and pour a cup.
2. First, you'll pull an espresso shot.
3. Next, add your shot to a the cup of dripped black coffee.
Wasn't that easy?
The more coffee drinks you make, the better and more proficient you will become. Start with these few basic coffee recipes for the 3 most popular coffee drinks. Your friends will be so impressed!
Betty Ziegler is the editor of http://www.espresso-and-coffee-makers.com where you can find timely reviews of all the most popular coffee makers and espresso machines.
Using good equipment is imperative to the finished coffee drink. Find out how to choose an espresso maker, and what to look for here http://www.espresso-and-coffee-makers.com/coffee-drinks.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Betty_Ziegler
