bluemountainlover Senior Member Joined: 6 Aug 2012 Posts: 5 Location: Nottingham Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Aug 20, 2012, 11:57am Subject: do i need to add robusta to my java to get a good espresso ?
hi there,
well my question is in the title : "do i need to add robusta to my java to get a good espresso ?"
i was talking to a coffee bean wholesaler today and apparantly robusta is required to get the 'crema' on the top of the espresso, and an espresso made of 100% aribica just doesnt taste right and you dont get the crema.
i dont have an espresso machine so i cant test this out for myself but i wondered what peoples thoughts are ?
a second question, but related, would be, would you recommend an espresso made of only Java 100% arabica ? if not, what would you add to Java to make it good espresso ?
Posted Mon Aug 20, 2012, 2:32pm Subject: Re: do i need to add robusta to my java to get a good espresso ?
Nope.
Yep.
I've had very few espressos with any robusta content, and I've had a lot of damn good espressos. That is to say, espresso by no means needs robusta to be delicious and rich with crema.
bluemountainlover Senior Member Joined: 6 Aug 2012 Posts: 5 Location: Nottingham Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Aug 20, 2012, 2:43pm Subject: Re: do i need to add robusta to my java to get a good espresso ?
SteveRhinehart Said:
Nope.
Yep.
I've had very few espressos with any robusta content, and I've had a lot of damn good espressos. That is to say, espresso by no means needs robusta to be delicious and rich with crema.
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,661 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Mon Aug 27, 2012, 7:40am Subject: Re: do i need to add robusta to my java to get a good espresso ?
A blend of arabica and robusta helps to easily get more crema, simply because (even older) robsta releases more carbon dioxide during extraction, but it's nor required. Also, robusta adds body to your espresso. But you can brew excellent espresso with 100% arabica.
Besides, even though crema is a sign of proper extraction, it's mostly looks and only a wee bit taste. So, one shouldn't overestimate the importance of loads of crema.
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
RichardCoffee Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2010 Posts: 101 Location: Long Beach Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: gaggia baby twin, mini... Grinder: fiorenzato pietro 63mm,... Roaster: weber grill with rk drum
Posted Mon Aug 27, 2012, 10:54am Subject: Re: do i need to add robusta to my java to get a good espresso ?
Of course the good doctor Josuma asserts one needs some robusta to get real espresso. But, I think, this definition is stuck on espresso as it originally was in Italy. More recently we have discovered one can have excellent espresso with plenty of crema with all arabica beans. Just today I drew some shots from 100 percent Yemen beans that were almost all crema. Other good sources for crema are Brazils, especially dry processed, but any will do, and Monsooned Malabar. My own experience is that with good fresh roasted beans, I get lots of crema regardless of country of origin. I did try some premium robusta to add to my own blends and I didn't care for it much.
Since crema is an emulsion of coffee oils and water that forms tiny bubbles around carbon dioxide released during extraction, fresh beans are more likely to produce a fine crema, because they haven't degased so much yet.
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
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