Espresso - wake up Italian style

The prospect of waking up on a cold November morning does not fill you with optimism. How to get back on your feet on such a gloomy day? The answer is a traditional Italian espresso! Lavazza, the international coffee expert, has prepared 10 tips on how to properly prepare and enjoy espresso to make every morning a success.

Espresso is the most recognisable Italian coffee and one of the most important rituals of Italian culture. "Espresso" means "prepared just before serving", quickly brewed. It is also the first morning ritual of Italians, popping into cafes for breakfast before a long day at work.

Today, drinking coffee to start the day has become a custom for coffee drinkers the world over. More than 20 billion cups of coffee are consumed every year on every continent, and Lavazza products help coffee lovers wake up every morning and accompany them throughout the day. To start the day right, coffee needs to be brewed right, and the art of making the perfect espresso is a bit tricky: how do you know which one is the one?

1) The place of consumption is crucial

The sensory experience begins as soon as you enter the bar: big or small, it has to be welcoming and clean, and the barista has to be friendly: it's the little things that make all the difference!

Cup of coffee

2 The perfect cup

The choice of cup is very important: it should be made of white ceramic and have a truncated cone shape, so that the foam that covers the espresso can remain thick. It should be light, with a comfortable handle and a thin rim.

Additional tip: the espresso cup should be heated to around 40°.

3 The question of water

In Italian cafes, an espresso is usually served with a glass of water. A common mistake is to drink it after the coffee has been consumed; correctly, you should drink the water first to clean your taste buds and fully enjoy the taste and aroma of the espresso.

4 Be enveloped by the aroma of the coffee

It is very important to test the aroma of a coffee before tasting it, just as a cupper does with wine. The ideal espresso should have an intense aroma with floral and chocolate notes.

5. the perfection of the foam

The appearance counts: the hazelnut-coloured foam of a perfect espresso, with red highlights, should be 2-3mm thick and represent around 10% of the drink.

A tip: the crema should be dense and retain its shape for a long time, so that the sugar crystals can stick to it for a few moments.

6. aroma

With the first sip of the drink we should be able to distinguish several different flavors. The first is the roasted coffee aroma obtained during the roasting process of the beans.

Chocolate and flowers: in high quality coffee, fruity and floral notes with traces of chocolate and vanilla can be identified.

Toasted bread: Hints of freshly toasted bread also indicate a high quality roasting process.

7 Unparalleled fullness of flavour

The fullness of flavour in an ideal espresso should be pronounced, balanced and smooth. The proteins, fats and sugars in the coffee bean produce exactly this effect: each time, the secret to flavour lies in grinding just the right amount of beans.

Domestic espresso

8) Aftertaste

The aroma of an espresso should be strong and lingering. The aftertaste should be slightly bitter, with flavours reminiscent of chocolate and vanilla.

9. no sugar or milk

Traditional coffee drinkers do not add milk or sugar to their espresso so as not to disturb its organoleptic qualities. However, espresso should be a pleasure to drink, so if you feel like it, you can add a little sugar.

10. practice makes perfect

Recognizing the ideal coffee is not so simple: it takes time and experience. But these tips will help you identify the one and enjoy the aroma and flavour of an original espresso like a true Italian!