Overview of Espresso
Espresso is a type of coffee made by forcing steam through finely-ground coffee beans to produce a small, concentrated shot. It has a bold, intense flavor and thicker, syrupy texture compared to regular drip coffee. The high pressure used to make espresso also extracts more caffeine per volume than drip coffee. Espresso shots are topped with a foamy layer called crema.
Making Espresso
While espresso has historically used darkly roasted beans, you can make it with any type of bean at any roast level. The beans are ground extra-fine for espresso. The machines used to make espresso rely on high water pressure rather than slow filtering to quickly brew espresso shots in under 30 seconds.
Comparison with Drip Coffee
Espresso and drip coffee appeal to different taste preferences. They share an ideal brewing temperature. To best extract flavors, espresso shots take 20-30 seconds while drip coffee takes several minutes. The higher concentration of espresso means less volume is needed per serving, resulting in espresso containing far more caffeine per ounce compared to drip coffee.
Common Questions
Is espresso stronger than coffee?
Espresso has a bold, intense flavor and extracts more caffeine per volume than drip coffee. It is topped with a layer of crema.
How much espresso is equal to a cup of coffee?
Espresso is a concentrated coffee made by forcing steam through finely-ground beans. It extracts more caffeine per volume compared to drip coffee and is topped with a foamy crema layer.