This is my latest print in an attempt to shine light on some of the common misconceptions that surround espresso. However, this one is questionable. I’ve read many studies that suggest that a shot of espresso has less caffeine than an 8oz cup of drip/pour-over coffee and others that state the opposite, depending on how it’s measured. I tend to think a 1oz shot is going to have significantly less caffeine, does anyone out there know otherwise? Please let me know!
After posting my last print, I decided to make a series of them that address many of the errors I encounter daily in the world of coffee. These are things I find annoying or just plain wrong, yet are continually perpetuated by marketers, and the uninformed. So think of these as Espresso 101 flash cards. There will be a test, so find a partner and study up!
When most people think of espresso, and the machines that make it, they think of Italy. However, this senior project by industrial design student Yaniv Berg, adds someplace new to think about. If this is what Israeli designers can do with an espresso machine, I’d love to see what they could do with a Ferrari! With this developing from the same project responsible for the concrete espresso machine at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, the future of product design for the coffee industry may have a new home in Israel.
I have a long list of coffee related agitations, but number one on that list developed during my years as a barista. The dreaded X that so many people use while confidently ordering their espresso makes me cringe every time. I can’t explain the severity of my reaction other than it’s such an obvious mispronunciation that’s too often repeated.
Recently at my local market, I heard a woman condescendingly attempt to school an employee about espresso, while continually referring to it as expresso. I stood quietly behind her biting my lip. I’ve designed this in response to eventually offer as a print for interested parties to proudly display wherever their shots are pulled.
Designer Shmuel Linski has taken his love of coffee to a whole new extreme by constructing an espresso machine from concrete. This incredible monument to coffee redefines, “industrial” as an aesthetic term in product design and truly displays how far one’s love for coffee will take them.
While I was in New York in May, I drank a lot of great coffee and hung out with a lot of great friends, including the brothers behind eco-fashion company Holstee. Their shirts and accessories, made from recycled materials, are awesome—but they also voluntarily curate their store with other responsible products they love and support.
One of those products is the Presso—a manual espresso machine, that’s fun and easy to use. Just add hot water, fresh ground beans, and a little tricep power, and you get a surprisingly good shot for much less than most home espresso machines ($150).
So we got together, drank a lot of espresso (I think I had 8 shots myself) and made a video showing how the Presso works. Enjoy!
A Dpt4D (F.P.S.) Original Series — An ongoing series that documents our search for the ultimate tastemakers. We begin in Venice, California over a coffee grinder…
This diagram was created by Lokesh Dhakar, who was “new to the world of fancy coffee drinks” and wanted to wrap his head around all the nuances between drinks. I would suggest a few changes, including more foam in the cappuccino and placing the chocolate on the bottom of the mocha, but overall it’s really helps illustrate things for beginners. This would make a great menu board in a cafe!
