What is Espresso Coffee?

Espresso Coffee is a coffee brewing method that uses pressure to force hot water through very fine grounds, resulting in a small amount of strong, concentrated coffee. Here are some questions that customers ask about espresso coffee.

What’s the difference between espresso coffee and regular bulk coffee?

The difference is how fine the coffee beans are ground and how the ground coffee is brewed. Espresso coffee beans are very finely ground. The espresso grind is much finer than ground coffee for drip brewers. Espresso coffee brewing time is very short because espresso coffee machines use steam pressure to force the water through the finely ground coffee.

Can espresso coffee be made in a regular coffee maker?

Espresso coffee is made with bulk coffee beans, exactly the same as drip coffee. However, espresso coffee is finely ground coffee that is too fine for a drip brewer. You should not use espresso coffee in a regular coffee maker. What can happen is the paper filter or mesh filter can clog and overflow if you use an espresso coffee grind in a drip coffee brewer.

Which is stronger, espresso coffee or regular coffee?

A 2-ounce double shot of espresso coffee contains about 80 milligrams of caffeine. A 12-ounce cup of regular coffee contains about 120 milligrams of caffeine. There is more caffeine is a standard cup of regular drip coffee than there is in espresso coffee. However, espresso coffee has more caffeine per liquid ounce.

Is an espresso the same as coffee?

Espresso coffee is usually blended from several different bulk coffee beans with various roasts and from different origins. Espresso coffee has a bold flavor, not a bitter flavor. Espresso is finely ground coffee that is packed down or “tamped” into a filter where high-pressure water is forced through the ground coffee. The extracted liquid is a very small amount of concentrated coffee.  

Why does espresso coffee taste different from regular coffee?

Espresso coffee is an extraction method not a brewing process. Espresso coffee has a more intense flavor for the volume of liquid, which is why it tastes different than regular drip coffee. Espresso coffee has a rich taste that is not sour.

Is espresso coffee a type of coffee bean?

Many people think that espresso coffee is a specific type of bean, and this is false. Espresso coffee is a brewing method, not a type of coffee bean. Any coffee bean can be finely ground and used to make espresso coffee. However, there are certain types of bulk coffee beans that are better suited for espresso coffee extraction. These coffee beans include Sumatra coffee beans, Kona coffee beans, and Kenyan coffee beans. An espresso coffee grind typically looks like a mixture of powdered sugar and fine beach sand.   

Is espresso coffee a type of roast?   

Traditionally, espresso coffee is a dark roast coffee bean. When specialty coffee bean roasters label their ground coffee or bulk coffee beans as espresso coffee, it’s the brew method that the roaster believes will create the best flavor profile. Dark roast coffee tends to be more bitter, so a blend of light, medium and dark roasted coffee beans makes the best espresso coffee.

Now that you know more about espresso coffee, you can enjoy an espresso coffee experience when you choose any of our excellent espresso blends. You can find them here.