You might a lot of times come across coffee aisle labeled espresso while searching the grocery store or online and grab one thinking that this is just grinded coffee and not beans—have you been living with the same myth as well? Contrary to the popular belief that espresso is not coffee beans, there is a difference in espresso and your regular coffee. It is the way you roast and grind them that really matters. Scroll down to read more about your morning drink so that you can find your ideal way to kickstart your day.
Is There A Difference Between Espresso and Coffee Beans?
No, there is no difference between espresso and coffee beans—espresso is made using the same coffee beans as your regular one. Most coffee beans that you consume are either Arabica or Robusta, used in almost any kind of coffee drink we produce. The difference lies in what you do with the coffee beans; espresso is generally roasted more, finely grounded and uses an espresso machine or AeroPress for brewing.
What is Espresso?
One of the go-to coffee types, espresso is a shot of concentrated coffee that is made by forcing extremely hot water through finely-grounded coffee at high pressure. By its definition, two differences between regular coffee and espresso can be clearly identified—the brewing process and the grind.
Key Differences Between Espresso and the Regular Coffee
Espresso is a type of coffee, just different from the regular, traditional American coffee. It was invented in Italy, a place known for dark roasted beans. However, any kind of coffee, with any roast level can be used to make expresso. Here are the key differences between the two:
ROAST
Typically, beans for espresso are roaster darker and longer than the regular drip coffee. Light, medium and dark roasts are usually used for regular drip coffee.
Also, beans are roasted longer for the best espresso coffee than the normal coffee—usually, they are roasted past the second crack to give that deep, authentic and toasty flavor. This is also because long-roasting beans remove a lot of acidity and release more oiliness. It results in a fuller and heavier feeling in the mouth. Thus, if you ever see a bag of espresso coffee in a supermarket, then it goes without saying that it was roasted the beans to a dark/espresso point.
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It is always good to start your journey of espresso with trusted brans; a lot of people these days use the regular coffee roast to make espresso, however, it usually lacks the depth and texture that a typical espresso would have.
GRIND
For espresso, the coffee beans are grided more finely than other types of grinds. This complements the espresso-making process where hot water is forced through these tightly packed grounds at high pressure leading to less contact time with water. When the coffee grounds are extremely fine, just like sand, they will make their impact in that short contact with water.
So, the next time you see a bag of ground beans labeled espresso, you’d know what you are really buying—a fine roast and grind to the espresso point, that will deliver a rich experience.
Pro tip: Did you know that espresso grinds are very famous for skin care as well? Yes, owing to their extremely fine grind, they are the best option for DIY coffee skincare as compared to the other coarser coffee grinds.
Brewing
While the regular cup of coffee can be made using a French press, percolator, drip and other methods, to make the best espresso you will need a specific type of brewing. It can be done either with an espresso machine or an AeroPress, and the result will be one or two (1-2 oz) shots of concentrated goodness.
You cannot make authentic espresso with your regular coffee pot as it needs high pressure in the extraction process to get the real flavors.
Making an espresso, thus, not only requires the right skills but the right tools as well. You might need to go a little out of the way, but a sip of it makes you feel it all worth! Once you learn to make espresso at home, you can get the café-like experience every morning.
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TASTE
Owing to the difference in roast, grind and brew, espresso has a very unique taste to offer when compared with the drip coffee. It is much bold, less acidic and culminates into a full-bodied and well-rounded finish. It has a rich and strong coffee flavor—the longer toasting process, especially brings out the oils contained in the beans, which might make it feel heavy in the mouth.
You can pair your espresso with milk pr water as well to tantalize your tastebuds. Brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso is a delicious way to relish your drink & get the doze of much-needed caffeine in your day.
Does it mean espresso has more caffeine?
Due to its concentrated flavors, a lot of people believe that espresso has more caffeine—you’d surprised to know that it is the opposite! Your drip coffee in fact has slightly more caffeine than a cup of espresso. This is because of the long-roasting process of beans for espresso which burns away a lot of caffeine as opposed to the medium to light roasted beans.
That said, espresso boasts of high caffeine concentration per ounce. The caffeine content in a shot of espresso (1 oz) is equal to that in one cup of drip coffee (8-10 oz). So beware before filling the regular cup of coffee with the same amount of espresso—it would be way more than your daily caffeine dose!
To conclude, the key difference between “regular” coffee and espresso is the way they are prepared and not the beans. Espresso is dark roast, finely grinded and brewed under high pressure to create 1-2 shot of concentrated coffee. On the other hand, coffee can be light to dark roast and coarser than express. You can pair your espresso with milk or water to create a delicious drink like brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso with a boost of energy!
