I had no idea what really went into pulling (aka brewing) an espresso shot.  So I decided to take a class at Joe, one of my favorite coffee purveyors here in town.

Charrow and Kenya led the class and were super knowledgeable and clearly passionate about their coffee.  Here are some of my big takeaways from the class:

Espresso is not a type of bean but is another method of brewing, like french press or drip.

Lots of factors influence the brewing process: water purity, water temperature, timing and cleanliness of the machine.  Even the temperature of the room matters.

Brewing time matters alot – and needs to be adjusted according to the humidity in the air.  The more humid it is the slower the shots will come out.

Contrary to popular belief, coffee doesn’t have to be stored in the fridge.  In fact that’s not recommended because coffee is water  soluble and every time you open that freezer/fridge door condensation occurs and helps deteriorate the flavors of the bean.

Oily beans are bad beans.  Oils hold the flavor of the coffee, we want that inside the bean.

I learned a lot in this class, from basic terminology to all of the factors that can influence coffee (there are lots!), to actually pulling some shots.  The fun never stops.

Joe offers classes all summer!