• an espresso
• a cappuccino
• a macchiato, espresso with a little foamed milk
• a triestino with more milk
• an espresso con panna, with a little whipped cream
• an espresso americano, thinned with a little hot water
• etc.

Each one is proportioned as required. Generally speaking, Italians are less fond of coffee with milk as served in France and other European countries.

Milk for cappuccino is frothed lightly and not served, as it is in America, mounded up like a meringue. Ideally, the proportions should be 1 part espresso, 1 part milk and 1 part foam.

Coffee is part of the art of living: even in Italy, it’s a question of temperament: in the hot-blooded south, strong brews are popular. In the North, they prefer milder concoctions. In Rome you find a harmonious balance between the two.
 
Enter the magical world of espresso and learn the barista basics – little tips that, combined with the right machine, produce an unparalleled nectar, heady, soft and sensual

Choose the proper grind

• it shouldn’t be too fine because it will stick together like paste and slow down the infusion process
• neither should it be too coarse, since the filtered water will not trap the flavors sufficiently, resulting in an insipid result

Extraction time

• allow 25 to 30 seconds for espresso (demi-tasse);
• if the time is under 25 seconds, the grind is not fine enough or the quantity is too great;
• if the extraction time is over 30 seconds, the grind is too coarse and should be finer; or the quantity is too small

Water quantity

• allow 6 to 7 g of coffee per 35 g of water for a normale, i.e., a demi-tasse
• if you use the same amount of coffee to a larger amount of water, the bitterness of the black coffee will come out; therefore diluted espresso is not advised.
• if, on the other hand, you use the same amount of coffee to a smaller amount of water, the acidity of the brown coffee will come out.

Water quality

• use spring water to avoid tap water which, with its chlorine content, will make your coffee insipid. What’s more, the quality of the crema can suffer, with overly large bubbles, due to the high calcium content of your water.

Water temperature