The Art & Science of Espresso

Espresso. Photo-credit: Tabitha Turner

COFFEE SMARTER: ESPRESSO TECHNOLOGY

When I was younger I really jumped into anything new I could find. I was one of only three kids in my class who had a beeper. Granted, this made for very few beeps. Later in life I decided the old ways were best. “What would Grandpa do?” I would wonder.

As I’ve grown into my own adult I’ve found a middle ground. I’m not going to sleep in a tent outside a retail store to get a hot new phone or pair of shoes, and I’m usually not the last to hear about the new software or fashion either. I like to jump in on the second or third wave of new tech. I strike after all the bugs are worked out, the price goes down and it feels like it might stick around awhile.

I learned how to pull a coffee on the lever machine at Coffee Cycle. If you listen to the Roast! podcast you’ve probably heard my griping about how I had to spend six months learning before I was even allowed to pull a shot. There was an art to it. Grind the beans. Pour them in the portafilter. Tamp them down evenly, and slide the portafilter back in place. Take a deep breath. Pull the spring loaded lever down engaging the steam, and creating pressure. Then slowly letting the lever release.

I would count in my head to make sure that the release time was right. You could feel the lever pulling back against your hand. It wanted to go faster, but it was the barista’s job to control it. I would watch the second hand on the clock to make sure the extraction time—water seeping through the ground coffee into the demitasse glass—was on point. Too far over or under on the clock meant to bitter or salty, and Chris was dumping that shot of coffee gold down the drain.

Now, in addition to that beautiful old machine Coffee Cycle has a Decent Espresso machine. It’s much more advanced. It’s got a screen on it.

When I saw it I worried that Chris had lost his way. What he could do with old machine was incredible. I had pulled plenty of shots, and they were never as consistently good. In this episode of Roast! West Coast I ask him about the transition from the old to the new, and if he worries that with a new generation coming up with the kind of press-a-button perfect espresso technology the old arts would be lost.

It’s a good show. I hope you enjoy it.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE WHISKEY CAKE RECIPE

I’ve made this cake. It’s actually the only cake I’ve ever made from scratch. My own bias aside, it was universally beloved by everyone I was able to share it with. It’s fairly easy. I modified mine to be vegan-friendly, and that was pretty good too. I did go just a bit heavier on the First Light Whiskey than suggested.

Thanks Kassidy Elizondo for this recipe! Check out @FirstLightWhiskey

I wrote about making this cake for The Coast News. You can read about the full experience here.

Courtesy of creator Kassidy Elizondo and www.firstlightwhiskey.com and modified by Ryan Woldt

INGREDIENTS   

• 1 cup butter/butter alternative

• ½ cup cocoa powder (I prefer dark chocolate from Guittard)*

• 1 cup coffee

• ⅓ cup First Light Coffee Whiskey*

• ⅔ cup brown sugar

• ⅔ cup white sugar

• 2 eggs (or egg substitute, i.e. bananas or flaxseed)

• 1½ teaspoons vanilla

• 1⅓ cup flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ⅔ cup chocolate chips

*Whatever chocolate you choose I encourage you to find one that is ethically sourced like Guittard to help prevent forced labor common in the chocolate industry.

1. Melt butter and mix in coffee, coffee whiskey and chocolate powder together in a sauce pan over low heat.

2. Whisk brown and white sugar into the saucepan until it dissolves and allow to cool slightly.

3. Pre-heat oven to 325.

4. Butter a 9″ cake pan.

5. Whisk in eggs & vanilla into the batter in the saucepan (I moved it into a bowl for easier mixing)

6. Fold in flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.

7. Bake 45-55 minutes (Our oven is terrible, so I did 65 minutes, but if you have a good oven start on the low end).

8. Dust with powdered sugar.

9. Pour yourself a coffee whiskey. Add an ice cube if you prefer.

10. Eat!

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE

 • Don’t forget Mostra is hosting their first ever @SEEKERS "Coffee & Explore" event on Saturday, April 17th. Plus, collab Mostra x AleSmith Brewing tees for their coffee beer collab in the epic Speedway Stout series.
15% OFF during #MostraMonday's Happy Hour between 2PM-5PM Mondays in-store and online at www.MostraCoffee.com.

• Leap Coffee is having an open house next weekend 4/23-24. Coffee discounts, cuppings, free pastries and more.

• Did you know Zumbar Coffee can be found in beer? Check it out.

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

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IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last week’s episode, an interview with Crowbeard Coffee’s Stephen Crocker. And you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

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