I’m with Mark, for the most part. I don’t believe this is a black/white, product/process question.

It’s an interesting point of discussion, but is a bit simplistic when it comes to the day-to-day reality of espresso. Getting a demitasse served to you involves both product and process. There cannot be one without the other. They are , therefore, inextricably intertwined.

A person can, however, believe that the emphasis of one (product or process) is more “important” or “fundamental” to what makes an espresso. But ultimately, enjoying an espresso is a subjective experience and though it can be controlled by both the product and the process, I’ve found that there is not a universal formula for what is “great” espresso from one person to the next.

Sure, there are accepted “bad” attributes that most people agree on, but one person’s “killer” shot is another person’s “not quite right.” Depending on the individual the way to fix it (by product or process) will differ.

Ultimately, I believe “espresso” is defined by the drinker, not the maker.

I tend to think of it as a process, but if the finished product isn’t enjoyable, why bother?

That having been said, I tend to agree with the idea that an espresso should taste like the coffee that it was made from, and nothing more.

Since any coffee can be brewed as espresso, espresso much, therefore, be a brew method resulting in a finished product.

It takes camp 2 to make camp 1, as it were. But without expectations (camp 1), we would not have any idea what we were actually trying to accomplish with the method independent of the finished product (camp 2). And here I am in a sort of agreement with Deferio.

The Sneech need not worry whether its belly is adorned with a star or not. It needs only be confident that it is a Sneech.

I admire your honesty and clarity of thought… you utter what I, and I suppose, some others have been thinking for a long time in your first video and this one and you are apparently not afraid of upsetting large parts of the communities you spend so much time in. Even though I have had similar thoughts I usually tend to blame my possibly underdeveloped sense of taste for my judgement that disagrees so much with the predominant public discourse.
Just a single little point you’re missing with this one, in my opinion, though: While espresso clearly was conceived as a quick way of brewing fresh drinks, it has evolved from that to a coffee specialty. It is certainly not the best way of transporting the taste from the coffee bean into the cup without much alteration thus merely liquefying the solid of the beans and ground. But what it does has become so important that the process now has it’s own status that people value. The taste that an espresso machine can extract from the right miscela and roast is something you can really love even though it’s not an accurate depiction of the beans.. if you want, you can think of the French Press as a more naturalistic or photographic way of creating a picture while an espresso machine would be a late Picasso or… I don’t know, Fusion Jazz.

I think the point Gwilym made summed most things up regarding espresso. Some look at he science of it, some study the origins and what they bring, some folk have drunk too many 100% arabica coffees that they cannot get their heads around robusta. Espresso is also defined by the situation and when your drinking it. With fellow Barisiti like wine tasters we may discuss the finer points on the opposite end of the scale the romance of drinking an espresso in Venice can delight. Rather like going to a wine tasting to drink wine or going to The Fat Duck for dinner and have a fine bottle of wine. You are right James its what you make it. As for espresso machines I like the challenge of differing coffee standards. Its what makes us want to constantly re visit a machine to tinker.
Enjoying the vedeo blogs!!!!!!!!

I became a coffee professional because I missed ‘good’ espresso’s in Antwerp. Other coffee brewing systems never appealed me before.
These days I’m trying day and night to lift up my (aero) press, filter and cupping quality, but still experiencing way better and deeper tastes in my espresso’s. I adore them all, but the ‘kick’ of a good espresso, So or Blended, is not comparable to other coffee drinks.
And now we have our clients addicted to this (espresso)stuff, they have also problems enjoying ‘lighter’ drinks. On an almost daily basis we serve free Eva Solo’s and Press brewed Single Origin Coffee’s at the bar, but the reactions are never so positive as with clean espresso shots – always adviced to stir really well before drinking.

We’ll see where it will get us, but I don’t think espresso is going to lose it’s popularity in the next decade.

What is your point of reference for starting with any given coffee being brewed in espresso? Its all well and good to rid ourselves of previous or current expectations, but once they are gone and we have a clean slate, where do you start at the roaster, where do you start at the grinder, where do you start at the machine? My own bent would be to try expressing the coffee by changing the variables of roasting and grinding etc… That being said, it could taste great as each variable is changed. As a cafe owner, how do you translate that to your customers who want concrete help on having better coffee at home. Even square mile has taste descriptions that already prompts me to target those tastes. So are you saying we should give some type of expectation to the people buying our coffee? Though I wouldn’t know half of my customers espresso prep techniques at home. Should we see more espresso coffees offered with brew techniques and why we like it that way? It seems that people are really experiencing the flavour of their espresso prep technique rather than the coffee flavour. What advice or tips do you recommend for wanting to make great espresso without becoming locked into expectations? Obviously my knowledge of roasting and preparation of espresso is limited.

This is interesting! I’ve been lucky enough to work my first barista job in a rather prestigious (locally that is) venue with a great reputation…that serves crappy coffee…Lucky is the right word right?

I use the word lucky because it only took a few weeks, perhaps months to realize what coffee/espresso isn’t. Our espresso was terrible, coffee brewed by airpot (low quality), our pour overs tasted no better than an over-extracted cup, and our beans over or under roasted.

This has let me realize that coffee is so extensive and has many…MANY flavors, styles, and feels, and I feel that this video helps us realize that. We may all be aficionados, but we can’t judge a bean before we try it. Is a simple concept we’re taught as children, not to judge a book by it’s cover.

I don’t know where I fall in your category. I expect the finished product, yet I always order single origin because I know it’s more likely to be unique, and pop the way I want, yet as a surprise. I avoid espresso blends/roasts because I don’t entirely believe that they reflect the true characteristic of the bean.

Maybe I’m wrong…but when all is said and done with this little rant, I love this video and it’s insight.

¡Viva solo origen!