Coffee a la Czech Republic

Espresso or Presso?
Traditional Italian espresso (note: not expresso, contrary to common pronunciation) is typically made by forcing hot water under high pressure through tightly compacted, finely ground coffee. Espresso can be made by special machines, stove top espresso makers, and hand operated devices.
The result is a very concentrated coffee drink, which is why espresso often forms the base for other drinks, such as lattes and cappuccino.

Many older kavárny offer a local twist in the form of Czech preso, which is served with milk or high-fat creamer (preso s mlékem). Presso tends to be similar to café lungo, which is essentially an espresso with hot additional water. As more international chains infiltrate Prague’s historic café market, this practice is slowly changing and true espresso is increasingly common.

Cappuccino
A cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee, topped with hot milk and then foamed milk. Some establishments tend to make these too milky, or otherwise omit the hot milk altogether. True cappuccino includes coffee, milk, and foam as equal thirds.

Caffé Latte
Caffé latte is espresso with topped with steamed milk (rather than the other way around: a latte macchiato is espresso added to milk). This long coffee is typically a breakfast drink in Italy, although dairy-hungry Europeans and Americans seem to enjoy them at any time of day.

Turecká káva

Perhaps the most truly ‘Czech’ coffee, turecká káva has relatively little in common with its Turkish namesake. This murky substance is made by pouring boiling water over ground coffee. The drink is consumed with the dregs still in the bottom of the cup, with the drinker using their teeth as a filter! For previous generations, coffee supplies could be scarce or an expensive luxury, and so ‘coffee substitutes’ were also used to make turecká káva, including roasted rye, barley and chicory. This is known as melta.

Buying Coffee:
It’s true that a bad workman always blames his tools, but you really can’t make great coffee without decent beans. Aim for whole beans that have been recently roasted and grind as needed – ground coffee expires more quickly due to its increased surface area exposed to air.

A number of cafes sell their house blends. MamaCoffee imports beans ‘green’ and roasts them just outside Prague to retain optimum freshness: tasty coffee with a FairTrade conscious.

MamaCoffee Fairtrade coffee roasting house

Store
Coffee is perishable. Keep it dry, at room temperature (not in the fridge) and as airtight as possible, and store for up to two weeks. Job done.

Grind
If you buy whole coffee beans, you’ll need to grind them. There are a few types of grinders, but the most practical for easy, quick home use is the ‘propeller grinder’, which has a two-sided single blade like a propeller. Try Potten & Pannen for original-style Peugeot-patented grinders.

Můj šálek kávy sells delicious Doubleshot beans, and will grind them on request if you don’t have your own grinder.   

Brew
There are many ways to brew coffee – resulting in different strengths and drinking experiences. One of the easiest ways to brew a ‘long’ coffee (rather than espresso) is to use a French Press (also known as a caffetiere, plunger or Bodum Press). This method essentially involves putting ground coffee in a glass container with hot water and allowing the two to brew, before pushing the plunger down to filter out the ground coffee. A standard rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of ground coffee per cup, and to brew for four minutes.

For espresso-based coffee, there is potential to splash out to your heart’s content. New to the market is the DeLonghi PrimaDonna ESAM 6900, which will make espresso-based drinks galore, as well as longer coffees and sumptuous hot chocolate. Espresso, cappuccino, latte and macchiato – this grinds, brews, steams, froths, and foams, for a truly ‘bean-to-cup’ experience.

DeLonghi PrimaDonna Exclusive ESAM 6900, first coffee maker making hot chocolate

Whether you’re craving capuccino, longing for latte, or just balmy about beans (sorry), you’ll find what you need in Prague. If you like to drink coffee but aren’t so keen on making it, check out our café reviews for some of the best places in Prague to enjoy a cup of the good stuff.

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Helen Ford is a creator of CzechingIn, a blog about an English lady in Prague. She now writes for Expats.cz on topics such as theatre, art, and recently also café and tea rooms in Prague.

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