COFFEE NEWS

 

It is no surprise that over the last decade the more moneyed elements of the coffee industry have been trying to figure out how to simplify espresso brewing to the point that a consumer can produce a properly rich, smooth-tasting espresso shot without struggling through a complicated process that can be as daunting as upgrading to Vista or assembling a glass-fronted display case from Ikea. Given that the challenge of espresso brewing has produced an entire profession (barista), not to mention a quantity of detailed books (including one of mine), people who simply want to turn out a palatable cappuccino with minimum research and hassle understandably search for short-cuts.

There are the automatic espresso machines of course, noisy little robots that grind the beans, measure (in espresso-speak, “dose”) the ground coffee, compress (tamp) it, and drive hot water at hopefully the optimum temperature and pressure through the compacted bed of coffee, netting a more or less decent serving (shot) of espresso. However, these automatons need to be adjusted, calibrated, cleaned regularly, and generally fussed over or they will tend to produce the same watery junk that typically greets novices when they first attempt to use an ordinary espresso machine and grinder.

Hence the subject of this review article: espresso pods, capsules and discs. The idea here is supply the consumer with little objects containing coffee already perfectly measured, ground and tamped so that nothing more is demanded than to slip one of these little objects into the right machine, push a button, and out comes that perfect, crema-seething, richly aromatic espresso shot. And then, well, toss that little spent object in the trash (compost in some cases) and carry on. No need to repeatedly bash the coffee-holding thing with the handle (portafilter) on the edge of the compost pail to extract the spent wad of ground coffee before admitting failure and digging it out with a spoon.

Note that we are reviewing single-serve, pod- and capsule-based espresso brewing systems here. By espresso we mean a basic serving of about one ounce of full-bodied, crema-rich concentrated coffee, often combined with hot frothed milk, produced by forcing hot water under pressure through a compacted bed of ground coffee. The excellent Keurig capsule system and other pod-based systems designed exclusively to produce taller cups of American- or European-style black coffee were not considered for this article. The Tassimo system was included in our reviews only because it claims to produce espresso as well as other hot beverages.

What about the Espresso?

Altogether, we brewed and tasted the production of thirty different espresso blends offered in four different pod, capsule and disc formats:

The standard ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) paper pod. A standardized 7 grams of ground espresso is compressed inside a two-sided, disk-shaped paper pod. Think of a puffy teabag on steroids. This is an open system; any roasting company with access to one of the special machines that grinds and packs ESE pods can produce them.

The Nespresso metal capsule. In this case the 7 grams of ground espresso is enclosed inside a gleaming aluminum capsule shaped like a tiny bucket. Only Nespresso produces these capsules, and they can be used only with a dedicated Nespresso machine (we used the D290).

The new IllyCaffè proprietary plastic capsule, also bucket-shaped but more complicated in design, which we tested in a special, dedicated version of the Illy FrancisFrancis! espresso machine called iperEspresso X7.

Tassimo T Discs brewed on a matching Tassimo brewing device manufactured by Bosch. The Tassimo is a total beverage system with discs dedicated to the production of a wide variety of beverages: Europeanized drip-style coffee; espresso; espresso-and-milk drinks; tea; hot chocolate. Perhaps owing to engineering compromises occasioned by an aim for total beverage versatility, the pure espresso shots we produced from the Tassimo system were not particularly impressive.

Regrettably perhaps, the Lavazza Espresso Point capsule system and its blends were not included in our reviews.

A Few Conclusions

Here, in no particular order, are some conclusions we reached from our tasting.

• Anyone interested in the very best and freshest espresso with the greatest variety of choice at the most reasonable cost should forget about pods, capsules and discs and learn how to use a good conventional home espresso machine and grinder.

• On the other hand, all of these systems except the Tassimo produced decent to good, occasionally outstanding, espresso and were very, very easy to use.

• Freshness of the coffee could be one of the most important issue determining differences in quality among the various blends we tested. Two of the three 90-or-over-rated blends showed evidence of having been packaged less than a month before we tasted them, whereas many of the Italian ESE pods in their little nitrogen-flushed envelopes may have been months old. My experience is that sophisticated packaging can only go so far in protecting coffee once the beans have been broken into a virtual powder and temporarily exposed to the atmosphere before packaging. None of the blends we tasted revealed the woody or cardboardy taste that is the sure sign of oxidation or staling, but I suspect most were at least partially faded in flavor and aromatics.

• Those who feel that massive, seething crema or brewing froth is a crucial mark of fine espresso will not be pleased by the output from most of these systems. ESE pods on the FrancisFrancis! brewer and the Nespresso capsules both produced a dense and lasting, though rather thin layer of crema. The Tassimo produced almost no crema whatsoever. Only the new Illy iperEspresso system and its complexly designed plastic capsule produced classic crema, with the coffee materializing out of a cloud of churning golden froth. This spectacle may be mainly a feat of engineering, since the new Illy capsule consists of seven different components, including at least one clearly designed to promote crema formation through aeration.

• Buyers of pod and capsule systems are stuck with the Italian definition of espresso: In other words, a 20- to 30-second extraction produced from 7 grams of ground coffee. Those interested in the escalating game among American aficionados and high-end caffès of ever larger doses of coffee and longer extractions to produce dense, tiny servings cannot play that game with pods or capsules. We were surprised, however, by the sometimes substantial control over length of extraction we were able to achieve by varying the pressure applied to the pod during loading into the FrancisFrancis! ESE pod machine. With most pods, the more pressure you exert when you tighten the portafilter (again, the thing with the handle that has the pod stuck inside) the more compressed the pod and the slower the extraction. If the volume of the shot is the same, about one ounce, slower extraction in general produces better espresso, though some blends seem to respond to somewhat shorter extractions by displaying less bitterness or roughness in texture and more distinct aroma and flavor notes.

• Pod and capsule brewing is relatively expensive. Those reviewed here range in cost from between 41 cents per pod for the 91-rated Island Joe’s ESE pod to a high of about 86 cents per pod for the Aguas Claras Brazilian pod. Building in some accomodation for coffee spilled on the counter, out-of-calibration grinders and what-not, conventional espresso brewing using a very good specialty blend probably costs the average user around 35 cents per equivalent serving.

• Pod and capsule brewing is not particularly environmentally friendly. Although ESE pods are easily composted or recycled as green waste, paper and all, they are protected by individual foil envelopes that are not recyclable. Nespresso capsules are made of aluminum, but do not appear to be consumer recyclable. Nespresso claims to have set up collection points for pod recycling in Switzerland, but to my knowledge none exist in North America. Neither the complicated new IllyCaffè iperEspresso capsule nor the T Disc appears to be consumer recyclable.

The ESE Pods

The paper-clad ESE pods are marginally the least expensive of the four formats and offer by far the most variety in blend and brand.

If it were possible to simply use a standard home espresso machine with these pods, their advantages would be even more striking. One then would have the option of using pods during busy moments, for example, and producing shots the conventional way at more leisurely times. However, it appeared to us, based on some admittedly very limited experiments, that to get best results from ESE pods one needs a brewing device dedicated to using those pods. We had poor results from two good conventional espresso machines fitted with pod adaptors, for example, but very good results from a relatively inexpensive home machine dedicated to using ESE pods (the IllyCaffè FrancisFrancis! X6; $400).

ESE Quality and Distinction

Of the twenty ESE pods we tasted, sixteen were roasted and packaged in Italy, where I take it a robust market exists for espresso pods. Two pods showed up from Brazil, both from the same farm and roaster, and two from small American specialty roasters. Four of the Italian pods were from large companies with international presence: Illy, Segafredo, and Lavazza. The others were from smaller companies well established in Italy but not much heard from in the United States.

As I indicated earlier, I suspect that some of the Italian pods were a bit long in the tooth, or long in the package, with subtly faded aromatics. The Illy pods produced versions (both rated 89) of the refined 100% Arabica Illy blends as good as or better than I’ve managed from the same blends in conventionally brewed whole-bean formats, but both the Lavazza GranCrema (87) and the Segafredo Espresso Casa (87) were disappointing. I was hoping for an outstanding Italian robusta-centered blend that would bring some excitement and controversy to these reviews, but none came close to the syrupy, rich, carnal distinction generated (for me at least) by the 93-rated Segafredo Massimo blend I sampled using conventional espresso equipment in one-kilo whole-bean format in August of 2007.

On the other hand, the two blends from small American specialty roasters, the Island Joe’s 90 Mile Stretch Espresso (91) and the Supreme Bean (88) were both impressive, in part perhaps because they were fresher than their overseas counterparts. The Island Joe’s in particular stood out. The grind in the pod was perfect, netting a 26-second shot with all the fundamental sensory virtues of a fine straight espresso: viscous mouthfeel, natural sweetness, great depth of sensation. However, how much of this success was owing to the fact that the pod was fresh, perhaps only a week or two past grinding and packaging? Espresso beans straight out of the roaster are far too volatile and seething with off-gassing of carbon dioxide to make good espresso, but once the espresso is ground and packaged I strongly suspect that sooner is better for consumption.

The Nespresso System

Quality of production from the D290 Nespresso machine and its proprietary metal capsules was impressive overall, with ratings varying from a high of 91 to a low of 87.

As a personal aside, I find it remarkable that a huge, cumbersome corporation like Nestlé managed to pull off a project so creative in its total impact: great visual design, outstanding blend design, solid engineering and manufacturing, and impressive marketing and positioning, not to mention the first steps in a sustainable coffee initiative. All of the Nespresso blends we tasted were distinctively different, all were interesting, and none were complete duds. I suspect mild oxidation of the coffee during and after packaging was the only impediment to consistently exceptional sensory performance. The 91-rated Ristretto blend particularly impressed. It contains a small quantity of African robusta roasted separately from the other components, a touch which, combined with an East Africa component and the usual base of Brazil and Colombia, may be a key contributor to its distinction.

With the Nespresso system, however, you are enslaved to Nestlé for your coffee. The currently available twelve Nespresso capsule blends are genuinely different and distinctive in blend character, but they certainly do not exhaust espresso expression. At a current cost of 55 cents per capsule they are cheaper than many pods and capsules but still no bargain.

The IllyCaffè iperEspresso and Tassimo Systems

IllyCaffè is heavily represented in the world of ESE pod espresso. It offers its three blends in the ESE format, and the Illy-branded FrancisFrancis! X6 brewer used for this review article is one of the best of the pod-only brewing machines. However, in 2007 it launched a more technically advanced capsule brewing system, the Metodo iperEspresso.

This system, as noted above, produces great-looking and fine-tasting espresso, but your choice in blend is severely limited ? you can choose among the three Illy blends, one medium-roasted, one dark-roasted, and one decaffeinated. (The medium-roasted version also comes in a “lungo” version designed to brew a longer, 2-ounce serving.) The Illy capsules are also quite expensive (currently 76 cents each).

Finally, the Tassimo system. Regrettably, the espresso-oriented message here is simple: Don?t buy it if you aspire to classic straight-shot espresso. The three espresso-recommended T Discs we tried produced listless, almost crema-less shots. On the other hand, if you want to produce a variety of decent hot beverages quickly and conveniently (small office? large family?) you might want to consider it and its wide-ranging array of beverage discs. The discs we reviewed cost around 50 cents each at this writing.

The Scorecard

To conclude, here in tabular form is a summary of our ratings of espressos produced from thirty pod, capsule and disc blends. Note the narrow range of ratings for the non-Tassimo blends, neither exceptionally high nor dramatically low. What this narrow range suggests to me is that the consistency assured by pod or capsule brewing on a well-engineered machine plus the impact of quality assurance procedures necessitated by the technically demanding pod and capsule format assure a decent to good product, while compromises in freshness limit the possibility for even higher ratings.

	Number of Blends evaluated	Highest rating	Lowest rating	Average rating
ESE paper pods, Italian roasted and packaged	16	89	86	87
ESE paper pods, American roasted and packaged	2	91	88	90
ESE paper pods, Brazilian roasted and packaged	2	87	86	87
Nespresso espresso capsules	6	91	87	89
Tassimo T Discs recommended for espresso brewing	3	84	83	84
IllyCaffè iperEspresso capsule	1	90	90	90

Source:  http://www.coffeereview.com/article.cfm?ID=152

Americano:

A coffee made with two shots of espresso and hot water.

Breve:
A latte made with half-and-half (heart attack city, but Yum!)

Cappuccino:
A drink made with espresso and equal parts steamed milk and thick foam. It has a stronger espresso flavor than a latte.

Chai:
A coffee alternative (Gasp!), premium Tazo black tea mixed with exotic spices, steamed milk and honey.

Con Panna:
Italian for “with whipped cream”

Creme:
At Starbucks, it refers to a coffee-free beverage, such as Vanilla Bean Frappuccino blended cream.

Demitasse:
French for “half cup” - it’s the little cup used to serve espresso.

Doppio:
Italian for “double,” but used only when referring to a two-shot espresso (One orders a doppio espresso con panna, but a double latte.)

Double:
Two shots of espresso in a drink.

Dry:
More foam, less milk.

Espresso:
Coffee’s purest, sweetest, most intense form.

For-Here Cup:
A cermic cup for enjoying your drink in the store.

Grande:
Starbucks second-largest beverage size, 16 fl oz.

Half-Caf:
One shot of regular and one shot of decaf.

Latte:
A drink made with espresso and steamed milk, with a thin layer of foam on the top.

Light:
Less of something in a drink, such as “light syrup” or “light whip”

Macchiato:
Italian for “marked” or “stained.” For example, the Starbucks Carmel Macchiato.

Misto:
Italian for “mixed.” A combination of drip coffee and steamed milk.

Mocha:
A drink made with espresso, chocolate and steamed milk.

Personal Cup:
A reusable cup you bring to the store.

Quad:
Four shots of espresso in a drink.

Ristretto:
A short pull of espresso, capturing only the sweetest part.

Shaken:
Icea tea or coffee mixed with ice in a shaker for a bright refreshing flavor.

Short:
Starbucks smallest beverage size, 8 fl oz.

Single:
One shot of espresso in a drink.

Skinny:
Made with nonfat milk.

Solo:
One shot of espresso by itself (old school!).

Tall:
Starbucks regular beverage size, 12 fl oz.

To-Go Cup:
The white paper cup used for coffee to go. This is the default cup that is used for an order unless you specify otherwise.

Triple:
Three shots of espresso in a drink.

Unleaded:
Decaffeinated.

Valencia:
An orange syrup.

Venti:
Starbucks largest beverage size - 20 fl oz. for hot drinks, 24 fl oz. for cold.

Wet:
More milk, less foam.

Whip:
Short for whipped cream.

With Legs:
To go.

With Room:
Space to add milk in a drink, usually an americano or brewed coffee.

Ed. The coffee shops that I visited on my travels in Eastern Europe were very upscale. The drinks were priced above what the normal citizen could afford. People would go there on a date or conduct business generally. The cafe’s also served alcoholic drinks and small meals. Most of the coffee origins offered were African due to their proximity to the continent. Origins such as Burundi, Congo, Malawi, Rawanda, Kenya, Uganda etc. were offered. Patrons were expected to consume their beverages at the cafe. The idea of of drinks to go has not taken off there, except in the case of vodka. Patrons would often walk into a cafe and grab a shot of vodka like an Italian would walk into a cafe, down an espresso and run. Almost every restaurant had an espresso machine, Lavazza was the most popular brand, and drip coffee was never avaliable.

With summer in full swing, now is the perfect time to go camping. When I was younger, it was a tradition in my family to go find a spot in the middle of nowhere, try desperately to set up a tent before it rains, and eat charred food that even squirrels wouldn’t touch. Then in the morning we would rise from our piles of nylon and sit around the campfire sipping coffee that had the consistency of tar. Now that I’ve reached the age where I’m ready to take my family into the woods against their wishes, I feel a duty to give our camping trips a bit more class. Imagine waking up to the delicious taste of a cappuccino instead of drinking a substance you could use to patch tires. My friends, I introduce the Handpresso.

While it may seem like another needless gadget to a coffee lover, the Handpresso is an answered prayer. With its size, portability, and ease of use, you can literally get your caffeine fix anywhere you go. Going on a picnic? Have a mocha! Sitting in your cubicle? How about an americano? Car broken down on the side of the road? Why not sip on a latte? All you need is hot water and one of the E.S.E pods, or Easy Serving Espresso, which are relatively easy to find in your local grocery store. Use the pump and build up pressure, pour in hot water into the 50 milliliter reservoir, and with the push of a button you’re ready to partake in some delicious java.

The only downside to the Handpresso is the price. While the company is selling convenience and the ability to take your coffee literally anywhere, the fairly steep price of $150 may convince a few people to keep going to Starbucks. However, if you’re desperate to sit at the Grand Canyon sipping on espresso and nibbling on biscotti, this might be the ideal Christmas gift.

Source:
http://www.cnet.com/8301-13553_1-9955598-32.html

African innovation red espresso, the world’s first tea espresso, has earned the market’s highest honour by winning “Best New Product” in the Specialty Beverage category at the world’s largest coffee show, the Speciality Coffee Association of America’s 20th Annual Conference & Exhibition, held in Minneapolis from 2 - 5 May 2008.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is the world-renowned trade authority on specialty coffee and conducts the competition as part of its annual conference and exhibition. This year, the SCAA assembled 7,300 specialty coffee professionals from more than 40 countries. The international conference featured the Coffee of the Year Competition, the United States Barista Championship, and more than 850 exhibit booths spotlighting the latest, most innovative and premium coffee products available. Only six products won blue-ribbon awards at the show – with red espressoTM being one of them.

“We are really honoured to accept the Best New Product award from such a prestigious organisation as SCAA,” says red espresso Managing Director, Pete Ethelston. “Part of our vision, when we launched in 2006, was to bring health into global café culture by pioneering the world’s first tea espresso. We are honoured that red espresso is being embraced by people around the world and recognised as genuine innovation in the specialty beverage industry.’”

Winning the award was a fantastic surprise and proud moment for the founder of red espressoTM, Carl Pretorius: “As a South African company, bringing this award home feels like winning the World Cup! The coffee industry is huge and incredibly competitive. For us to get their endorsement is a major feat.”

“I am delighted that my invention has such global appeal. I also feel privileged to have such fantastic support and such talented people around me. It comes through in everything about red espresso.”

According to red espresso head barista, Nic Reid, the biggest accolade was that attendees saw red espressoTM “as a true espresso – and not just a tea acting like one. “Winning the award validated all our espresso credentials: We have been recognised as an espresso by the world’s leading specialty coffee authority.”

Source:
http://www.supermarket.co.za/news_detail.asp?ID=651

Grounds for a coffee war?
You’d think that Starbucks, the too cool for school home of Double Vente Whatchamaccinos, has very little in common with fast food flogger McDonalds. When it comes to coffee, McD’s claim to fame (or infamy) has been that multi-million lawsuit filed over a scalding hot McJava. No longer - McCafé is here to save the day!

Clean & classy… and not a clown in sight!
Well, not exactly “here”… just a couple hundred of the world’s 1,300 McCafé’s are in the USA with the rest concentrated in Australia, New Zealand and since last summer, Japan. The Anzacs love ‘em - a decade after McDonalds launched the brand in Melbourne in 1993, the upscale chain became the largest coffee shop brand in both AU and NZ.

Japan may follow suit - check out this line-up of nearly 1,200 people waiting to get into the newly opened McCafé in Yebisu Garden Place, Tokyo! Those at the front of the line were standing for up to 2 hours before the doors swung open.

Japanese McCafés will retain the quaint coffee shop atmosphere refined down under and will offer customers healthy soups and sandwiches along with the usual slate of coffees, lattes & ‘ccinos. Prices are generally cheaper than rival Starbucks with drip coffee and espresso starting at 170 yen (about $1.60) a cuppa. This has got to be a thorn in the side of the Seattle giant, coming off a troubling year with reduced profits and increased criticism of their business model.

Are they sleepless in Seattle?
Is this an opportunity McDonalds should be exploiting? Perhaps - though in the US, the burger behemoth has to fight a half-century of ingrained public perceptions in addition to a down but far from out Starbucks. Overseas things are a little different - at McCafé, the coffee’s hot but it’s the competition who’s getting burnt!

Editor- Franke Coffee Systems is installing their superautomatic espresso equipment in 8,000 American McDonalds stores over the course of this year.  The coffee used is roasted by Distant Lands Coffee Roasters out of Renton Washington and Tyler Texas.  The coffee consists of a low grade of Colombian coffee as well some Indonesian beans. Their coffee is roasted by roaster operators who work for an hourly salary of $7.50 to operate antique Jabez Burns Thermalo roasters.  Despite Franke Coffee Systems advice, McDonalds insists on scortching and curdling it’s milk based drinks by frothing milk at 170 degrees F.  They claim that the customers want their drinks “hot” and cannot be reasoned with.  Stryrofoam cups covered in decorative paper as well as the Distant Lands “swill” are just a few more of their problems. 

Source:
http://inventorspot.com/articles/coffee_clash_look_out_starbucks_here_comes_mccaf_13262

Bologna-based Segafredo Zanetti Espresso, a roaster and café operator has opened another café in Miami, Fla.

It is almost 800 square meters and located in one of the hottest Miami areas for residential and commercial use.

The café “mixes the well known décor of typical of Segafredo Zanetti Espresso elements and the local Art Deco’ style very “en vogue” in Miami, said the company, which operates over 600 cafes worldwide.
 
The grand opening on Dec. 27th and the New Year’s party showed great public acceptance of the newest venue and the management is already facing good problems such as turning people away for lack of space. For this reason the location may go through an enlargement quite soon, it said.
 
The position of the location is very important: it is downstairs from the Miami light metro rail system final station and faces two top residential projects, Infinity II and Capital, with more than 1000 luxury apartments. A few steps away there are other very important buildings as the Millennium (Four Season), the Conrad Hotel (Hilton) and commercial centers such as the Mary Brickell Village, packed with top restaurateurs and retailers.
 
Moreover, the outlet is located in the heart of the economic district of Miami with one of the highest concentration of banks and financial institutions in the world, with an obvious focus on the Latin American markets who also have their headquarters and branches in the area.  In the years to come this part of the US will be very comparable to and indeed has already been dubbed, “the Manhattan of the South of the US.”
 
Developer VIDA Y ESTILO Corp. intends to open more Segafredo Zanetti Espresso Cafés in the next few years in Miami Beach, Aventura, Coral Gables and Doral, said the company.

Segafredo Zanetti belongs to Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, a holding which unites 37 companies across the world with a yearly business amount of US$ 1.2 billion represented in 100 countries. It is the first private group in the coffee world with 120,000 tones manufactured every year. Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group has a unique business design since thanks to the direct control of the whole production chain it is totally integrated.

In recent months, the company has expanded its presence in Panama, Germany, Qatar and Thailand.
 


 
 

Source:
www.coffeenetwork.com

Editor-I visited this cafe several times during my stay in Miami while attending the Tea & Coffee Exhibition.  What did I think of their espresso?  They had some of the worst espresso that I have ever had!  They tamped and pulled the shot right, there was proper extraction time but no amount of effort by the barista could mask the overwhelming bitterness of cheap robusta beans in their blend.  So why did i keep coming back?  They have a great location, wonderful service- by real Italians no less, and plenty of outside seating that lent itself to a perfect people watching cafe atmosphere.  Here are some photos that I took while there-

Show Review- The Tea and Coffee international trade show came to south Florida earlier this year and left a lasting impression to attendants at the Miami Beach Convention Center.  Despite some negative reviews by other attendees, I can assure you that this show was a meaningful and educational experience for most.  Highlights of the show included a barista competition featuring internationally acclaimed baristas, approximately five European roaster manufacturers and a wide variety of beautiful Italian made espresso machines.  This was the first show in America for the Tea & Coffee exhibition and the visitor turnout was a bit low and disappointed some of the exhibitors; hopefully this show will return to the states in 2009 after it’s next appearance in Spain.

Source: http://tcworldcup.com/miami/

Coffee machines- They love these things because they think that they are popular in America.  Drinking this American coffee makes you cool.  :b