Coffee Shop in North Vancouver
At our bakery and coffee shop in North Vancouver, we know coffee.
Good coffee starts with a great bean. It sounds so simple but is actually much more complex than it seems. if you don’t know what to look for or aren’t a coffee connoisseur, it can be difficult to identify a great cup of coffee.
Let’s take a look at some of the key elements to look out for when identifying a good cup of espresso. It all starts with your senses.
Sight
Start by taking a good look at the espresso. A good espresso will have a few millimetres of a thick, hazelnut-coloured froth/cream. When you pour your sugar into the coffee, it will slowly sink into the bottom of the cup, and the froth will reappear once again, only leaving behind a subtle divot. This froth will be luxurious, creamy, and thick with extremely small, almost unidentifiable bubbles.
A bad espresso will have a light foam with large, loosely arranged bubbles. When the foam is dark, the espresso is referred to as over-extracted.
Key elements to good espresso:
- Grinding
- Beans
- Water temperature
- Pump pressure
- Extraction time
Many of these elements have to do with the machine. At Bisou, we use a state-of-the-art, award-winning machine to ensure the perfect, most luxurious cup of coffee, every single time.
Taste & Aroma
Let’s look at taste. A good cup of espresso will have a rich, full-bodied, dense flavour. It will be aromatic and full of fragrance, allowing the taste to linger long after you’ve had your first sip. Its bitterness or taste will not be affected when you add sugar, and it also won’t allow you to taste any acidity. While some roasts have naturally present sweet aromas reminiscent of hazelnuts, cocoa, vanilla hints and even notes of flowers or citrus, none of which are added. They are simply present in the bean and come out when roasted.
When you bring the cup closer to smell it, only after smelling its scent, should you take your first sip. You’ll sense a rich and full-bodied roast.
Touch (Temperature)
This relates to temperature, as it’s critical to a good cup of espresso or coffee. Heat, just as with many other substances, allows more flavours to release. When served at the perfect temperature, good espresso will release aromas that you might not have noticed at cooler temperatures.
At Bisou, we know just how important a perfect cup of coffee is to enjoy the wide range of pastries and savoury creations we offer. To come and try out our coffee for yourself, made on a world-renowned machine, please visit us at our bakery and coffee shop in North Vancouver. We can’t wait for you to try our coffee and confections!
Photo by Chevanon Photography from Pexels
