Espresso – Black Gold

Here at King’s Corner Cafe, we take great pride in our espresso – from the beans we use to the quality of the shots we pull. Espresso — with the first syllable pronounced like the letter “s”, not “x” — is a shot of pressure-brewed coffee using very finely ground coffee. Brewing takes about 25 seconds. Properly brewed, an espresso will feature a layer of rich dark golden cream, called crema on the surface.

See those thin strands of liquid? Those are called “mouse tails” and are an indication of a well-pulled shot — a perfect combination of the right grind properly tamped. If the liquid is coming out of the portafilter in something more akin to cat tails, the water is going through the coffee too fast and will be nothing but colored water. Conversely, if the liquid is coming out in droplets instead of a stream, the grounds are either too fine or too densely packed and the shot will be bitter.

When you order an espresso, this is what you get. A single or double shot of espresso. That’s it —there’s no steamed or frothed milk in an espresso — just a bit of heaven in a cup.