I don’t fully subscribe to the notion that we need to approach coffee-making as scientific as possible because I find a a big part of baristaring is art.
But then I realized that we use the 2-group Astoria Plus 4 You TS at the cafe and a clear shot glass with red measurement indicators. So it’s easy for me to say that coffee making should not lean too much on the scientific side.
The powerhouse espresso machine we use actually have a lot of the science done for us.
Some beverages have very flavorful taste whether they are hot or cold.
For example some people will only consume their coffees hot, while other prefer them cold.
But some drinks can be so different in taste at hot, cold or room temperature, that people just cannot imagine sipping them other than according to their preferences.
Not so long ago, there was typically only one type of blender that just grinds up everything thrown into it and turns solids into liquids.
With the various types of beverages these day that consumers demand, it is no longer enough for an all-encumbering blender to do everything.
This is partly because as cafes and bars start charging good prices for their drinks on the menu, quality becomes a focal point of what is served onto the tables of patrons.
While a steaming wand arching off an intimidating espresso machine is the weapon of choice for serious coffee lovers, it is often times an impractical suggestion for someone who just wants to have frothed milk for their coffee.
Maybe you have no need to have your coffee forced through coffee ground with high pressure, maybe you find it ridiculous to spend money on an espresso machine when you don’t drink that much of it anyway, maybe there is simply no space on the kitchen countertop to place an espresso maker, maybe you are afraid of the steam from a wand, and maybe you just like you milk frothed.
There are various reasons why having a milk steaming wand at home makes no sense, especially when they almost exclusively come with an espresso machine.