Double Espresso

[Craig Camp]

At coffee bars in the USA it seems that double espresso is the norm. Is a double espresso really an espresso? The experience of drinking one is certainly different. To me a double is more like a big cup of strong coffee as compared to the burst of flavor you get in taking in the sip or two that constitutes the Italian espresso experience.

[Katherine]

It's the American way. Bigger is better. You can't even buy a single cup of coffee to go anymore. Why would espresso be any different?

(I used to go to a coffeeshop that had Wednesday 2 for 1's. Buy a single, get it doubled for the same price. Buy a double, get a quad...)

[Jason Perlow]

Italian espresso experience.

[gandolfini]

Hey snapperhead, its the Italian American espresso experience. And who says I can't drink a cappucino after 10am? I'll break your friggin' legs. And I'll have a big slice of lemon peel too.

[/gandolfini]

[slkinsey]

It's also more like a small cup of super-strong coffee because it is almost universally over-extracted and thin in the US.

[Holly Moore]

Alas, all too often, an inexperienced employee takes a double espresso to be a double extration from the same quantity of ground espresso as is used for a single extraction.

To the original question, is not "dopio" (not sure of the spelling) found on the menu in Italy?

[slkinsey]

To the original question, is not "dopio" (not sure of the spelling) found on the menu in Italy?

That's an interesting question. I don't recall ever seeing "doppio" on the wall at an Italian coffee bar -- but, to be honest I can't say that I ever pay all that much attention.

[Craig Camp]

To the original question, is not "dopio" (not sure of the spelling) found on the menu in Italy?

That's an interesting question. I don't recall ever seeing "doppio" on the wall at an Italian coffee bar -- but, to be honest I can't say that I ever pay all that much attention.

That's a doppio ditto for me never saw it offered in Italy. My wife never heard of one until she came to the USA. They do make a caffe americano by adding water to a long espresso.

[slkinsey]

That's a doppio ditto for me never saw it offered in Italy. My wife never heard of one until she came to the USA. They do make a caffe americano by adding water to a long espresso.

Speaking of which, I find that I like caffè Americano better than American-style drip coffee. Anyone else share this impression?

[Craig Camp]

That's a doppio ditto for me never saw it offered in Italy. My wife never heard of one until she came to the USA. They do make a caffe americano by adding water to a long espresso.

Speaking of which, I find that I like caffè Americano better than American-style drip coffee. Anyone else share this impression?

I confess I have never tasted one. Should I give it a try Sam?

[MGLloyd]

At coffee bars in the USA it seems that double espresso is the norm. Is a double espresso really an espresso? The experience of drinking one is certainly different. To me a double is more like a big cup of strong coffee as compared to the burst of flavor you get in taking in the sip or two that constitutes the Italian espresso experience.

I make double and triple espressos all the time. The key, of course, is using 7-8 grams of properly ground coffee per shot. Thus, my doubles are made with around 14 grams and my triples with 21 grams of coffee.

Double espressos made from extracting two shots worth of water out of one shot worth of coffee are not worthy of the name.

[phaelon56]

my doubles are made with around 14 grams and my triples with 21 grams of coffee.

I'm with Michael on this one but I use 17 grams for doubles in my stock Isomac basket and 22 grams for doubles when using the La Marzocco "triple" basket and portafilter assembly.

I think the ristretto (restricted pull) double makes lots of sense - about 1.25 to 1.5 oz of syrupy and concentrated espresso with all the flavor one expects in a good shot. Finding it in a cafe is a different story. A true double should be 2 - 3 oz in total, preferably closer to 2 oz. The problem seems to be more of a process and preparation technique issue than it is one of the inherent quality of a true doubel shot. I also imagine that the popularity of milk based drinks in the US is a factor. Typical milk based drinks, even the "short" ones (which are 12 oz in most US cafes - about double the size of that a capa or latte should be), require more espresso in order to cut through the milk in some reasonable fashion. It's far easier to standardize on double shots for all espresso than it it to keep different portafilter handles available with different basket sizes, keep varying shot times etc.

[slkinsey]

That's a doppio ditto for me never saw it offered in Italy. My wife never heard of one until she came to the USA. They do make a caffe americano by adding water to a long espresso.

Speaking of which, I find that I like caffè Americano better than American-style drip coffee. Anyone else share this impression?

I confess I have never tasted one. Should I give it a try Sam?

Definitely... the next time you have the taste for a larger volume, more dilute kind of coffee (which isn't that often for me) give it a try instead of the usual drip or presspot method.