Espresso Coffee is a beverage made by pressing hot, nearly boiling, water at high pressures through a layer of finely ground coffee beans. The result is a thick, bittersweet elixir that exhibits a layer of dark gold crema, or coffee foam. A typical serving size of Espresso Coffee is between one and one and a half ounces and may contain a more concentrated amount of caffeine than a standard drip coffee. Espresso Coffee is the base to which many other coffee beverages are made, such as lattes, cappuccinos and macchiatos.
The origins of Espresso Coffee date back to the turn of the 20th century. In 1901, in an attempt to brew coffee faster, Italian inventor Luigi Bezzera built the first espresso machine that pushed water through ground coffee with steam pressure. The result was a strongly flavored cup of coffee that was brewed much faster than the normal cup, hence, the name espresso, meaning, "quick" or "fast" in Italian. His machine was soon distributed throughout Europe. By the mid 1900s technology improved the design and performance of the espresso machine by introducing a hand-powered piston pump. In the 1960s an electric pump was introduced, which was the model for modern Espresso Coffee machines.
Espresso Coffee is most often associated with cafes due to the specialized equipment and skills needed to make it. A barista, the Italian word for bartender, is the operator of an Espresso Coffee machine. Espresso's popularity in the US has continued to grow in recent years due to the wide expansion of coffee chains such as Starbucks and Pete's.
For a long time, only commercial Espresso Coffee machines could be used to make espresso. Thus in order to enjoy a cup of espresso one had to venture outside of the home. Home Espresso Coffee machines were first developed in the 1970s, finally allowing consumers to make espresso in the comfort of their own home. Design and production has been refined since then, and today, high quality home versions of the Espresso Coffee machine are widely available. The line of espresso machines from Nespresso use capsules to contain the grounds so you don't even have to pack them yourself.
Espresso Coffee Roasting
Electric City Roasting Company, based in downtown Scranton, PA, imports and custom roasts the finest Arabica coffee beans. After passing through stage after stage of careful discrimination, Electric City selects coffee beans from the top percentage of the harvest, often traveling to buy directly from handpicked estates. Their Espresso Roast Coffee is slow roasted in small batches, illuminating all the coffee's best qualities. For your enjoyment, Electric City Espresso Coffee is always roasted to order and delivered at absolute peak freshness. This ultra premium coffee is ready to use at home in your Espresso Coffee Machine or Maker. Electric City believes strongly in supporting sustainable coffee production, both environmentally and socially. They proudly offer Fair Trade, Direct Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Shade Grown Espresso Coffees.
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