Have you ever wondered why espresso is so popular among coffee drinkers? And why do some people choose espresso over regular coffee? Isn’t espresso and coffee the same? Technically, it is. While they’re both made from coffee beans, there are huge differences between them including brewing methods, grind size, brew ratio, caffeine content and much more. So, today we’ll explore the differences between them and unfold the mystery together. Let’s go!
HERE’S A QUICK OVERVIEW BEFORE WE GET INTO THE DETAILS
Coffee is part of our everyday life, but how many of us can really tell the difference between espresso and regular coffee? Sure, we might know a thing or two, but it can be hard to remember all the details. If you’re a coffee lover, knowing the difference can be fun and show that you’re passionate about your favorite drink.
- The biggest difference between espresso and regular coffee is how it’s made. You can brew regular coffee using methods like pour-over, French press, or a Moka pot. But the only way you can get espresso is using an espresso machine.
- Regular coffee takes about 4-5 minutes to brew. On the other hand, espresso is made much faster, with a shot taking only 20-30 seconds. This quick brewing time is one of the reasons why espresso is so popular.
- Espresso uses less coffee and more water 1:2 , which makes it a much stronger drink.
- You need coarser coffee grounds for brewing methods like French press, Moka pot, or AeroPress. But for espresso, you need a much finer grind.
- A good shot of espresso will always have a layer of crema on top, while regular coffee doesn’t.
WHAT IS AN ESPRESSO?
Generally speaking, espresso is simply a style of coffee. The word “espresso” comes from the Italian word which means “pressed out”. Unlike traditional coffee brewing methods, espresso is made under high pressure. A machine forces hot water through a puck of finely ground coffee, resulting in a concentrated brew.
The finer grind is the key as it keeps the pressurized water from flowing through the grounds too quickly resulting in a better extraction for a much more concentrated brew. The pressure does something else too. It forces the oil out of the bean to form an emulsion in the beverage and give It’s thick, rich, body and intense flavor. Additionally, the pressure releases carbon dioxide from the coffee, resulting in the formation of a creamy foam on top. While espresso is made with the same type of coffee beans used for other brewing methods like pour-over, French press, or drip coffee, the high pressure and fine grind create a distinct and flavorful experience that sets espresso apart.
HOW DOES ESPRESSO DIFFER FROM YOUR REGULAR COFFEE?
Normally brewed coffee extract all of the flavors and oils from the ground coffee and gives you a stronger, acidic and bitter flavor profile. You can brew your regular coffee with methods like French press, Moka pot, pour over or your drip machine. You can even adjust the brew ratio, contact time, temperature and grind size according to your preference. Once you manage to get the right technique to brew the coffee, you can create all delicious drinks at home.
Espresso on the other, is very intense and concentrated than your regularly brewed coffee. It’s usually stronger and bolder than any other brewing method out there. There’s only one way to make espresso, which is espresso machine. This machine uses at least 9 bars of pressure to extract all of the flavors of coffee very quickly in 20-30 seconds. While you’re doing just a regular pot of coffee or pour over It’s going to take about 4 to 5 minutes depending on what you’re doing. So, the main differences is by using force and pressure of an espresso machine you’re able to extract a lot more flavor, a lot faster in a smaller volume.
ESPRESSO VS COFFEE: HOW IT’S MADE
ESPRESSO: Brewing espresso can be quite overwhelming and rewarding at the same time. You can easily pull a shot using your home espresso machine. It requires a little ingenuity, very little effort and taste great. Anyone with a decent burr grinder and a home espresso machine can do it. One of the most important thing about making espresso is using good quality coffee bean. You really net to get the good stuff to make the good stuff. You can grind them yourself and it makes your taste so much better. You need to measure the exact amount of espresso ground coffee and control how quickly the water flows through the ground coffee and how long it takes to make it to your cup. Now, to brew a truly exceptional espresso, add measured amount of ground coffee to your portafilter, tamp the ground, connect it to the group head and start brewing. That’s how You’re gonna get a good shot of espresso.
COFFEE: To make delicious fresh coffee, you’re only going to need two things. You need some fresh coffee and a Moka pot. At first, you need 10 grams of medium roasted coffee. Grind the coffee beans using a decent grinder or you can use any pre ground coffee. Now, add 100 grams of water in the boiler. So, we’re using a 1:10 ratio here. Now, place the moka pot on the stove over low heat and wait for coffee to come up. Once it starts to come out, remove the moka from the stove and pour the coffee into your glass.
ESPRESSO BEANS VS COFFEE BEANS: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
We always say you need to start with fresh coffee bean. By which we mean roasted coffee beans. A light or medium roast with lost of natural sweetness will give you best results for regular coffee. Dark roasted beans on the other hand, stand out for their dark brown color and shiny, oily surface. Most of the time, they’re used for espresso brewing. Espresso coffee beans usually belong to the dark roast category as this is the stage in which the beans offer the least acidity with a fuller body. Using regular beans to make espresso may not produce the kind of brew you expect. Making a good shot of espresso is not a rocket science but It’s not exactly about throwing ground coffee and hot water into the espresso machine. Regular beans are great for a variety of brewing method but espresso coffee beans hold up best with high pressure method.
ESPRESSO VS COFFEE: WHICH ONE IS STRONGER?
Espresso is served in short concentration, usually 1 ounce or 30 ml. While coffee is served in a longer cups, usually 8 to 10 ounces. Which makes me wonder, which one is stronger, espresso or regular coffee. Per ounce, espresso contains more caffeine than any other coffee. One ounce of regular coffee will have anywhere between 10 to 12mg of caffeine, while one ounce of espresso will have around 75 mg of caffeine. So, when you think about it, It’s the volume that really matters. If you’re drinking 12 ounces of regular coffee, you’re still getting more caffeine only due to the volume of that drink. So, you will have to drink 2 shots of espresso to equal the amount of caffeine in a cup like this. No matter which one is your preferred drink, you’ll be sure to enjoy the strong, acidic taste in both.