Filter coffee's bitter little brother was invented to shorten the lunch breaks of Italian factory workers in the early 1900s. Almost a century later, it would become commonplace as an ingredient in large and small milk drinks with Italian- and Spanish-inspired names.
Twice as much caffeine
Espresso is made by pressing hot water through finely ground coffee under high pressure. The coffee is packed in a metal filter - with a dosage of about seven grams of coffee for a single espresso. The water should be around 95 degrees centigrade, while the machine should ideally be able to create a pressure of nine bar. This brewing method means that there are about four times as many dissolved solids in espresso as in ordinary filter-brewed coffee. As a result, the concentration of caffeine is 2.3 times higher in espresso than in filter coffee. On the other hand, the caffeine content of a single espresso, which contains about 30 ml of coffee, is one third of that of a "normal" coffee cup.
Invented to shorten coffee breaks
Motivated by the idea of efficient workers, factory owner Luigi Bezzera invented the espresso brewing method in 1901. The machine was the first to be designed so that steam did not come into contact with the coffee, but only pushed water through the metal filter. Bezzera's patent was bought in 1905 by Desiderio Pavoni, who believed that the bitterness of steam-brewed coffee could be reduced. He experimented with water temperatures and pressure levels and came to the conclusion that the best espresso flavour is created with a pressure of around nine bar and a temperature of around 90 degrees.
Darker burning
In the cup, espresso is characterised by a strong coffee flavour, intense bitterness and aroma. Because the coffee is brewed under high pressure, a thin layer of light-coloured foam forms on top, called "crema". It's a common belief that espresso is made from a specific type of coffee, but it's only the brewing method that defines what you have in your cup. As a rule, however, espresso is made from coffee that is significantly darker roasted than the coffee in the coffee maker or press pot.
In Italy, the coffee is often so dark that the surface has become smooth and oily in the process, but in Norway, espresso is usually roasted a little lighter than this. Solberg & Hansen, which is the country's largest espresso supplier, is keen to ensure that the coffee roasting process helps to emphasise the flavours of the coffee raw material. This places higher demands on quality - because the roasting process does not mask the flavours of the raw material as in the very darkest varieties. That's why Solberg & Hansen's darkest espresso, "Italian roast", is also a lot lighter roasted than what you would be served in an Italian street café.
Allemannseie
The world's first commercial espresso machine was produced by the Gaggia brand in 1946. It was the first to pressurise water through coffee with consistently good results - while being easy to use and priced at a level coffee shop owners could afford. A few decades later, the doors of a small coffee shop in Seattle would open for the first time. The rest is history and today, coffee shops are a staple on street corners in cities large and small all over the world.
When the coffee bar wave reached Norway in the 1990s, it was Solberg & Hansen that supplemented the country's new openings with freshly roasted coffee beans. Today, the espresso blends French Roast, Italian Roast and Half & Half are well-established terms in the Norwegian coffee bean vocabulary. Not least because they are ingredients in thousands of espresso-based drinks served every day in coffee shops and cafés across the country.
Coffee bar menu
In its purest form, espresso is served as "single" or "double" where the amount of coffee increases in proportion to the amount of water. A typical Norwegian coffee shop menu is often characterised by names of southern European origin, but the drinks are most closely related to those found in American coffee shops.
Cappuccino is a well-known classic and an espresso-based milk drink divided into thirds. It consists of one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk and one-third milk foam.
Macchiato is an espresso with a little milk foam served in a small cup. It is made by processing thick milk foam that is pushed over a double or single espresso. This creates a white stain on the brown coffee surface.
Cortado is an espresso-based drink served with steamed milk in a medium-sized glass or cup. The milk is gently poured over the espresso so that only the crema (the light-coloured foam at the top of the espresso) is visible on the surface.
Latté means milk and consists of espresso with many parts steamed milk. The drink is often served in large glasses with a thick layer of foam on top.
Mocha are a common feature in Norwegian coffee shops and are often flavours of Latté where chocolate is added to the espresso before the milk is poured.
Americano consists of a single or double espresso diluted with hot water. The drink is served in a regular coffee cup and tastes like thinner espresso.
