Espresso is typically a blend of beans roasted anywhere from very light to very dark with a lot of surface oil evident. The popularity of different levels of roast in espresso vary greatly. Espresso is also an approach to extracting flavor from coffee beans. Espresso was invented and developed in Italy since the start of the 20th century, but up until the mid 1940s it was a beverage produced solely with steam pressure.

Espresso is a unique method of brewing in which hot water is forced under pressure through tightly packed coffee, one or two servings at a time. Espresso machines, force hot water through very fine, compacted coffee into the cups below. Good espresso is more expensive to make because in order to extract the greatest amount of flavor from the coffee, a high level of pressure is required (8-10 bar) and thus a high quality machine. When making espresso, it is important not to over-extract the coffee, which means that the entire process should take around 18 - 30 seconds. The crema lies on top of the black coffee underneath and tells everything about the quality of the espresso. Too light, or too thick or too thin: all mean that the espresso is sub-standard. A reddish-brown color is perfect. Espresso, in a larger sense, is an entire approach to coffee cuisine, involving not only roasting and brewing method, but also grind and grinder, a technique of heating and frothing milk, and a traditional menu of drinks. In the largest sense of all, it is an atmosphere or mystique.

Espresso machines fall into three basic categories namely --- Super Automatics, which is a one step wonder  that does grinding, tamping, pre-infusing and brewing all together. The Semi-automatics which accept ground coffee and have portfilters which have to be manually locked in. The last ones areManual machines, in which nothing is electrical and pressure building is done by a hand piston.

The espresso brewing machine is the spiritual heart and esthetic centerpiece of the great coffee places, the cafés, cafes and coffee houses of the world.

The espresso system was developed in and for cafés and caffes. Espresso is  the foundation for other drinks, such as  lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and mochas. Despite advances in inexpensive home espresso systems, it is still difficult to duplicate the finest caffe espresso or cappuccino in your kitchen or dining room without spending several hundred dollars on equipment.

Middle Eastern, "Turkish" or "Greek"

Middle Eastern, "Turkish" or "Greek" brewing involves boiling very finely grounded coffee in water. There is a fundamental difference between the Arab and other methods: the Arabs boil their coffee, traditionally, three times. Arab coffee is made in an ibriq, a small copper pot with a long handle. Two teaspoons of very fine ground coffee plus one of sugar are added to a cup of water and the mixture is brought to the boil. The ibriq is taken off the heat as it comes to the boil, usually three times, and then it is poured out and drunk. Middle Easterners like to add spice, often cardamom, to their coffee. The coffee is not filtered from the liquor and one is left with a thick, pungent, and muddy brew. In the West, this method is more of an occasional indulgence as opposed to an everyday brew.

Concentrate Brewing

Concentrate brewing, is very popular in Latin America. In this method, large amounts of coffee are brewed with little water to brew a concentrate. When one desires a cup of coffee, some of the concentrate is mixed with some hot water. The concentrate can either be brewed hot or cold. When brewing cold one must let the coffee sit for at least a day. This method results in a mild and light-bodied cup with little aroma, little acidity and a muted flavor.

Percolating

Percolating involves continuously brewing coffee grounds using boiling water which then turns to boiling coffee liquor brewing over extracted grounds. This method, though practical, is a disgrace to the coffee bean. Even brewing with boiling water is bad enough (coffee should be extracted at 195 - 205 degrees F). However a good brew can be prepared if it is timed carefully from the moment the hot water begins to wash over the grounds so that it does not brew longer than say five or six minutes.

Vacuum Brewing

Vacuum brewing consists of two glass globes that fit together with an air-tight seal. Between the globes or either in one of them, is a filter to separate the grounds from the liquor. Ground coffee is placed in the upper globe, usually on top of the filter, and sufficient water to brew the grounds is placed in the lower globe. The globes are then fitted together and the lower globe containing the water is heated. The water in the lower globe begins to boil and this causes the pressure in the lower globe to force the water up the tube connecting the globes and into the upper globe containing the grounds. Once all the water has made this air pressure induced trip, the apparatus is taken off the heat source. This allows the lower globe to cool down back to room temperature, decreasing the pressure in the lower globe and thus sucking the brewed coffee back down (through the filter) into the lower globe. The coffee is then poured out of the lower container and enjoyed. A great cup of coffee can be achieved with the vacuum brewer, but it has its downfalls. Firstly, the coffee is being extracted by water around 212F, while it should be extracted between 195F-205F. Secondly, there is very limited control over the extraction time

Drip Brewing

Drip Brewing is the most popular way to brew coffee. Drip brewing is simply pouring hot water over grounds in a filter and letting the brew drip out the bottom. Drip brewing can be done automatically or manually. A primary issue with Autodrip machines is that they don't brew at the right temperature. If one has a good Autodrip machine or one decides to heat and pour the water themselves, the next problem to surmount is the filter. Paper filters can impart a taste on the coffee and also do not allow many of the coffee oils and organic compounds through. A good gold-plated reusable filter is a great option for drip brewing, provided it is cleaned and rinsed after each use. Another drawback is that drip brewing does not give the operator much control over the extraction time. In manual drip coffeemakers, the two most popular types are the Chemex and the Melitta. Both utilize a paper filter cone similar to that of Automatic Drip coffeemakers.

French Press/ Press Pot/ Cafetiere

French-Press brewing gives the operator complete control. While it may be more labor-intensive than autodrip, the brewing variables can be easily and directly controlled. Coarsely ground coffee is placed in a glass carafe, then water at the desired temperature is poured over the grounds and the top is placed on. When brewing is complete, the plunger (a mesh filter on a stick) is pressed down, pressing the grounds to the bottom and leaving the coffee liquor on top to be poured off. The filter is not as tight as a paper filter and because of the larger pores, a coarser grind is required. The grounds are filtered out, and the plunger does not press down. The mesh of the filter allows the coffee oils and all dissolved and undissolved solids through. Because a coarser grind is required, a longer steep time is also required. A brew time between 3 to 6 minutes is common for French-pressing. This prolonged, direct contact of the grounds with the water allows for a more complete and even extraction. A cup of French-pressed coffee is noticeably fuller, with much more body and often with more flavor.

Campfire Coffee

This method of making coffee is the easiest of all. The coffee should be coarsely ground and added to near boiling water. It is somewhat similar to the plunger method, but without the handiness of the plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the concoction. A splash of cold water can be tossed in to help settle the grounds before serving.