A Guide to Our Reviews

As one can see, coffee preparation is an extremely intricate process. We, here at the Review, like to point out many of those tiny details that are so extremely important. Many people are probably very confused at these details; are wondering what they are and why they are "positives" or "negatives," so we'll be adding little tidbits here and there explaining the ins and outs of the details in the reviews. We'll start off with a brief lingo guide:

Portafilter: The part of the espresso machine that detaches. It is what the ground coffee is packed into, then it is placed back into the machine to make the espresso.

Grouphead: The part of the espresso machine into which the portafilter fits.

Pull/Pour a shot: Barista lingo for making a shot of espresso.

Crema: The "foam" or "froth" of espresso made when pulling a shot. Crema should be a dark, reddish brown that is somewhat speckled with dark spots. Much crema turns out to be tan or khaki in color, which means that the shot was improperly pulled; usually creating a sour tasting espresso. Crema with a proper color is one factor that indicates a properly pulled espresso. Good crema should linger.

Some personal lingo:

Bubble bath foam: Milk foam that resembles that of the stuff you find in a bubble bath. Foam in cappuccinos or lattes or any other espresso/coffee beverage including milk should NEVER resemble this.

Melted ice cream foam: Milk foam that resembles that of melted ice cream; very dense in texture and NO visible bubbles whatsoever. This is the stuff you want in your beverage.


That's it for now; more definitions and explanations to come in future!