mypressi Glossary

A combination of different coffees varying in roast, origin, species and/or varietal.

The usual golden brown of a good espresso extraction can quickly turn blond towards the end of the shot. The blond extraction typically adds unwanted flavour characteristics ruining an otherwise good cup. The extraction should always be stopped at the point it shows the first sign of turning blond. If that point is too early, you may have an under extraction.

We can’t comment on other meanings, but in espresso it means the water has forced its way through uneven areas of the coffee puck, resulting in an under extraction. Channeling can be corrected by using the right setting for the espresso grind, by distributing the ground coffee carefully and evenly into the basket, and by tamping down evenly with the appropriate pressure.

Carbon Dioxide. A colourless, odourless, and non-flammable gas. It is naturally present in air and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis. CO2 can lend a sour flavour to certain beverages but has no impact on the flavour or aroma of espresso made with the TWIST.

An emulsification of fine particles of insoluble solids and oils contained in millions of tiny bubbles of water saturated with CO2. The amount of crema extracted decreases as the coffee gets older, the grind oxidizes and becomes stale, or it is ground more coarse. The coarser the coffee, the less crema will be extracted. Crema isn’t necessarily the point to espresso, and it may even be scooped off prior to consumption, however the way it forms is always an excellent diagnostic tool for assessing the quality of the extraction. Then again, so is drinking what’s in the cup.

An Easy Serving Espresso Pod, or E.S.E. pod, is a small packed disc of ground coffee with a paper filter covering, generally 44-45mm wide. The pod basket included is for use with 7g single ESE pods and not 14g double ESE pods.

A type of extraction combining heat, coffee and water to create a condensed syrupy liquid.

A portable espresso maker using the TWIST technology invented by an Australian and designed in California.

Nitrous Oxide. A colourless, non-flammable gas with a slightly sweet odour and taste. It is also known as “laughing gas”. N2O has no impact on the flavour or aroma of espresso made with the TWIST.

A rubber gasket used to create water-tight and air-tight seals to preserve pressure.

Occurs under the following conditions:

• the espresso comes out as too concentrated an extraction that may even taste salty and bitter
• the espresso is very dark with little crema
• it extracts too slowly for the desired volume and time, dripping instead of flowing from the basket
• the extraction is allowed to continue too long, drawing out unwanted flavours.

Over extractions can usually be corrected by increasing the coarseness of the grind.

A special, multi-layered basket intended for use with coarser ground coffee and red espresso®. The TWIST’s pressurised basket can be identified by the word COARSE.

A tool used by professional baristas to compress the bed of coffee in a basket for even extraction. A good tamper is quite weighty. If you want to step up from the plastic tamper included with the TWIST, look for a good 53mm tamper. It can make a noticeable difference to the extraction.

A good espresso extraction shows its nature by a combination of golden and dark brown stripes that form under the espresso basket and turn into spots or flecks in the cup, visible on top of the crema. The darker stripes and spots are formed from the oils and caramelized sugars present in the roasted bean.

Occurs under the following conditions:

• the espresso comes out under-concentrated, tasting weak or sour
• it extracts too quickly for the desired volume and time
• the espresso is blond and pours rapidly from the basket in multiple streams rather than 1 or 2 steady streams
• there’s a lot of channeling during the extraction.