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Four "M" are needed to make an excellent espresso coffee, each M being the initial letter of an element which is absolutely mandatory in order to get the best coffee.
Unfortunately, the English words that traslate the Italian originals
do not always start with "M". So we want to share with you the original Italian words and their English equivalent:
1st M: "Miscela" ("Blend")
In order to have a
good espresso, you need to combine several different flavors and
aromas, such creating a "blend" of coffees. There are no single-origin
coffee that could guarantee the same richness, thus the importance of
the choosing the right blend.
2nd M: "Macinatura" ("Grind")
Grinding the coffee beans crushes
them into small particles ready for brewing. The size of the particles
affects the flavor and interacts with the passage of water through
coffee.
3rd M: "Macchina" ("Machine", the coffee-making device)
The machine makes the water pass through the coffee. It must be clean
and in good working conditions, in order to guarantee the ideal
temperature and pressure of the water.
Accurate machine maintenance is fundamental.
4th M: "Mano" ("Hand", human touch, the "Man")
The skill of
the barista is of great importance as well, in spite
of sophisticated today's equiment. The barista set the
grinding of the coffee beans; he is in charge of the brewing; he
defines the quantity of coffee pressed for the dose; and he
also takes care of preheatening the cup, of stopping the
machine at the right quantity of coffee, of serving the cup to the
consumer with the almost "religious" care that a good
espresso deserves.
Isn't it enough to say that "human touch" is important?
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