Espresso and coffee are such different beverages. Right?
Nope. Espresso and filter coffee share one notable similarity: they are both types of coffee. They’re simply made differently.
Let’s take a closer look at coffee and espresso to determine what makes them distinct and dispel some inaccurate assumptions.
Espresso IS Coffee
Coffee beans grow on coffee plants. Green coffee beans are taken off the plant, dehydrated, cooked, and then either bought as a whole bean or crushed into a powdered form to make ground coffee.
There is no plant known as an espresso plant, and no beans that are exclusively used to make espresso. It doesn’t matter whether it is regular or espresso, the coffee beans used to make them both originate from the same plants, while they are both roasted by the same individuals.
High heat is used to cook the unroasted coffee beans in order to bring out their flavor and smell. The four classifications of roast – light, medium, medium dark, and dark – describe the length of time for which the coffee beans have been roasted. As the beans are cooked, they begin to change in appearance and flavour. All roasts can be used to make drip coffee. Espresso is usually made with a dark roasted bean, however, any kind of coffee bean can be used too.
Although beans or ground coffee may be labeled as “espresso roast” at certain stores or websites, it’s only because the roasting process was done in higher temperature and longer time than with dark roast. Essentially, the two are identical.
Typically, ordinary brewed coffee is created employing either robusta or Arabica beans. Espresso can be prepared utilizing robusta or Arabica beans. Arabica beans bring about a sweeter and more subtle flavor, but for making espresso, people tend to prefer robusta because it is less acidic, packed with a greater measure of caffeine, and makes a more pleasant crema on top.
At last, water that is hot is run through the powdered coffee to acquire the aroma, flavor, and other special qualities of coffee and espresso.
It should be apparent now that there is absolutely no distinction between the beans, grounds, or idea of making coffee and espresso. The “raw materials” are the same. Essentially, espresso and drip are two distinctive kinds of coffee.
So why do they taste so different? It’s because they’re made with different brewing methods.
The Real Difference Between Espresso and Drip Coffee
Preparation of classic black coffee is uncomplicated since the brewing process is straightforward. The coffee grounds are placed in the machine, boiling water is poured over them, and a few minutes later a cup of brewed coffee is ready. You can also “cowboy coffee” by boiling the grounds and water together, though for this conversation let’s focus on the filtered type that most people consume.
Espresso necessitates a more intricate extraction process. Boiling water is swiftly pushed through the coffee beans due to the intense pressure that is produced in the specialized espresso machine. It usually requires only a short amount of time, usually between 20-30 seconds, to make a cup of espresso with exceptional results.
The type of coffee grounds matters, too. You can make drip coffee with virtually any grind. For espresso, you need a very fine grind so that the water doesn’t pass right through it too quickly. If the grind is too fine, it could form clumps in the filter, stopping the espresso from reaching the cup. If you possess a grinder, it is usually necessary to set the device between a “3” and “8” setting to make ground coffee with the ideal texture for making espresso.
In the end, when you make a pot of coffee, all you need to do is put the coffee grounds into the filter. For espresso, the coffee grounds have to be firmly pressed in order to achieve a “puck” shape that is contained in the filter. If the puck is not compressed properly, the beverage’s quality will be negatively impacted.
In short, “coffee” and “espresso” aren’t different drinks. They’re just two different brewing methods. There is a basic approach to making coffee, but another method needs the right type of beans, experience, and skill level of the person preparing it (or even if you’re the one doing it at home).
And the brewing method makes a difference.
If you seek the opinion of coffee fanatics who have tasted both drip coffee and espresso, there is a good chance that the comments will be comparable, focusing on the taste, potency, intensity, amount of caffeine, and the foam-like ‘crema’ topping a quality espresso.
The variances are quite genuine, despite certain of them being closely similar.
Strength
A high-quality espresso will be more intense in both taste and intensity. The end result of this process is very strong coffee, as it is made with much less water and elevated pressure. Will it also contain more caffeine? That depends on the serving size.
A shot of espresso has 64 milligrams of caffeine, whereas a shot of coffee has only 12mg. This shows that the espresso has more than five times the caffeine content of the coffee.
Surely, that’s not the method we utilize to consume coffee; we fill a cup completely. An espresso shot has about 64mg of caffeine whereas a regular cup of drip coffee has about 100mg of caffeine. If you were to compare an espresso to an 8-ounce cup of coffee, the latter would contain more caffeine than the former.
The conclusion is that espresso has a higher concentration of caffeine than other beverages and this means that those who consume a shot of espresso for a morning pick-up or for a jolt of energy are experiencing the effects created by the caffeine in the espresso. If one desires more of a caffeine boost than what would be found in a mug of coffee, then two shots of espresso can do the job.
Richness
An espresso shot that has been made properly is more velvety and smoother than regular drip coffee and this is mainly because of the crema on top.
When you fill a mug with coffee, there is nothing on top of it (apart from if you put any whipped cream). An espresso shot will have a substantial amount of creamy foam that forms on top of the drink. The coffee drink is referred to as crema, which is a blend of the oils from coffee and air pockets made by the pressurized water from the machine.
The crema contributes an added richness to the flavor of espresso, and leaves a conspicuous effect on the palate even after drinking an exquisite shot.
Grind
Espresso needs very fine coffee grounds. The fineness of the grind has a large impact on espresso quality. Thus, it is necessary to have a high-grade burr coffee grinder for a satisfactory espresso.
The reason for this is that making espresso requires putting a large amount of pressure on a flat surface of finely grounded coffee beans.
This mattress is referred to as a puck, and when the grind of the coffee beans is even, the resulting espresso should be superior. Espresso can often be unpleasant in taste due to a low-grade grinder producing unevenly ground coffee which is either too powdery or too coarse.
Consistency isn’t enough. An overly fine grind will give a bitter taste to the espresso, while a coarse grind will make it taste sour. In the most serious instances, it will result in a weaker one as well.
As opposed to this, making standard coffee requires the use of a grind with a medium texture. We utilize thick sieves for pour-over coffee that keep a smaller amount of bits from getting into the beverage. For this reason, drip coffee has a lighter body. In addition, there will be blockages in the water flow if the coffee is ground too finely without extra force.
Making great filter coffee primarily hinges upon your ability to adjust the grain size. As it is more exact and it is simpler to make minor alterations to the grind size and still maintain the other factors the same.
It is also important to optimize espresso shots by adjusting the grind size, monitoring the extraction time, and watching the portafilter as it is being made. Often, creating a top-notch espresso relies heavily on the adjustment of the grind size. Nevertheless, the most telling sign of a quality espresso is not the froth or the time it takes to make.
The strong indicator of espresso quality is taste.
Dose
The amount of coffee used in relation to the amount of water, otherwise known as dosing when making espresso, is a significant distinction between making drip coffee and espresso.
The regular Italian espressos used very little coffee, only around 7 grams, so the shot size of these espressos was usually less than 20 ml. At most coffee shops nowadays, double shots of espresso are the norm, with up to 20 grams of coffee beans being used.
We are accustomed to using between 15-20 grams of coffee to make a 250 ml cup of black coffee.
But if coffee is the answer, then an espresso has a ratio of 1 part coffee to 2 parts water. Regular coffee typically has a ratio of 15 to 18 parts of water for every part of coffee.
Brewing
As I said before, pressure makes espresso extraction unique. A regular espresso machine has a pressure of nine bars as the norm. A great technological advancement was necessary to supply this pressure securely and consistently.
The remarkable intellects of Angelo Moriondo, Luigi Bezzera, and Achille Gaggia laid the groundwork for the espresso systems used today. By doing this, modern espresso makers created an entirely different kind of coffee beverage.
Business-level devices differ from the ones intended for the home user and semi-professional use. For home-grade machines, it is typical to find ones with 15 bars of pressure, but this is not so for commercial-grade equipment.
That said, higher pressure doesn’t mean better espresso.
It is more beneficial to have an even and tidy extraction than an unsteady one, and professional espresso machines are the most proficient in this area. Additionally, they can manage a substantial number of portions quickly without compromising pressure.
Compared to espresso, drip coffee is made by pouring hot water over grounds that have been set in a conical shape. When coffee and water mix, some of the coffee dissolves in the water. Then, we let it drip over a filter. This extraction process is crucial. This also applies to a certain degree when comparing coffeemakers to espresso machines.
Both French press and Clever coffeemakers rely on immersion instead of percolation, however, neither of them employ pressure when making coffee, unlike espresso machines.
The fineness of the grind is a major factor in the flavor of coffee, just like it is with espresso. It’s typical to end up with a feeble cup of coffee if the grind is too coarse and even more likely to get a bitter brew if the grind is too fine or has too many fines.
Even with no pressure used, the filters that are typically used to make regular coffee lead to a much weaker brew than espresso. If we attempt to make pour-over coffee with only a small amount of water, it will turn out to be significantly weaker when compared to espresso.
Paper filters used in home coffee machines are effective at preventing oil and finer debris from getting into the drink. Because of this, brewed coffee will normally have a clear beverage with no trace of sediment.
With the French press and Moka pot, the situation is not the same. Metal filters let a greater number of particles enter the mug, leading to a fuller and more intense flavor. Regardless, neither a French press or Moka pot can attain the same type of espresso because they are not able to create a pressure level of 9 bars.
It is easily seen that Moka pot and French coffee do not create crema, however the body, feeling, and flavour of espresso are considerably different as well.
Roast
The basic distinction between coffee and espresso beans is not derived from the plant or a particular kind. Generally, espresso beans are darker in color compared to regular coffee beans which are usually a lighter roast.
You are likely to encounter robusta beans more often when making espresso than in most store-bought coffees. The Italians have a particular appreciation for robusta coffee because its use leads to a thicker and more stable crema. In addition, robusta is higher in caffeine which leads to a more intense flavor.
Returning to the craft of roasting, there are some intriguing developments modifying coffee practices.
For the past several years, roasters and major coffee companies have been testing different roasting types and processes, resulting in more availability of medium roasts for espresso.
Despite being strongly entrenched in culture, dark roasts can be complex because they mask faults present in inferior coffee. Due to this, several coffee connoisseurs associate dark roasts with inferior coffee.
Dark roasts tend to go bad quicker, especially when they appear to be oily. Though a deeper roast creates more crema, giving a more intense, less acidic flavor, it is favored the most by the more experienced espresso drinkers.
The process of cooking coffee is quite complicated, and when it comes to espresso blends, they usually emphasize flavors such as nuttiness and chocolate. An excessive amount of acidity can be tasted in light roasted espresso, which has only recently become accepted in the modern era.
In conclusion, dark roasts are normally used for espresso, but you can also use them for drip coffee, and medium roasts can be used for espresso too.