Have you ever wondered what on earth makes espresso so special? Sure, you’ve heard of it before, but you might not know how this popular drink is any different from a regular cup of brewed coffee. Is it the tiny cup that it’s served in?

In reality, espresso and brewed coffee are made in two very different ways. These different brewing methods dramatically change the way the coffee tastes, resulting in two beverages with their own consistency and flavor. If you are thinking about trying espresso for the first time, you might want to know how it is any different from the coffee you’ve had before.

Similarities

There is one main similarity between coffee and espresso, and that is that they are created using the same main ingredient: coffee beans. One misconception about espresso is that it requires special coffee beans to make, but this is not the case. Both of these drinks can use the same type of coffee beans to create the grounds. What makes these caffeinated beverages so different is the brewing process.

How Espresso is Brewed

Espresso is brewed using a machine that is much different than a drip coffee maker. It might seem obvious, but you need an espresso machine to make espresso. This is because espresso is made when hot water is forced through tightly packed grounds. If you’ve ever seen an espresso machine, you have noticed a small circular bowl that attaches to the unit. This compartment is where the coffee grounds are packed. The unique extraction process that goes into making espresso sets it apart from regularly brewed coffee.

Brewed coffee can be made using a few different methods. You can use an electric drip coffee maker, or you can manually make a pour over brew. In both cases, hot water is poured into the coffee grounds and the water slowly drips through the filter to create the final product.

The speed at which the coffee grounds come into contact with the hot water makes all the difference because of the extraction process that goes into making coffee. As the hot water covers the coffee grounds, particles are extracted into the water which causes the liquid to become fragrant and full of flavor.

Each of these drinks are created with different extraction methods. Because of this, you also need to use different sizes of coffee grounds to achieve the correct flavors.

Types of Grounds

When you grind up coffee beans, you can choose to grind them into a coarse consistency, a medium consistency, or a fine consistency. Drip coffee and espresso are made using different coffee ground sizes.

As you may know, the coffee grounds used in a drip coffee maker are about the same size as sand or table salt. This size is known as medium or medium coarse. Medium coarse grounds need a little bit longer to extract all of the amazing flavors, because they are larger than finely ground coffee.

When espresso is made, the water is forced through the tightly packed grounds rather quickly. This is a very short extraction time. Because of this, espresso requires finely ground coffee.

Key Differences

You need different coffee makers to create these two drinks. Great! So other than the different brewing methods and the size of the coffee grounds, what are the key differences between these two beverages in terms of flavor?

Espresso Crema

Other than the way espresso is brewed and the size of the coffee grounds needed to make it, another difference between regular brewed coffee and espresso is the layer of crema on top.

This layer of foamy crema is created during the brew process due to the high pressure of the coffee grounds. When water is under high pressure, it dissolves more carbon dioxide. When the espresso comes out of the machine into the cup, the liquid returns to a normal pressure. The espresso liquid can’t hold onto all of that dissolved carbon dioxide which results in small bubbles that chemicals in the coffee attach to, creating the crema. This provides a unique texture that cannot be found in a regular cup of drip coffee.

Flavor

The flavor of espresso is very different from the flavor of your average cup of black coffee, which is why many people assume espresso must be made using special beans. Espresso has a very full-bodied flavor that is considered much bolder than a cup of drip coffee. The taste will be richer and might even be described as darker than the lighter notes of flavor you taste in a black coffee.

Both of these drinks will taste different depending on the quality of the beans you use, so keep that in mind if you are looking into brewing at home.

Caffeine Content

Espresso has a reputation for being extremely caffeinated. But does espresso really contain more caffeine than regular coffee?

The answer to this question is a bit complicated. In general, a standard 6-ounce cup of coffee will contain more caffeine than a standard 1.25-ounce cup of espresso. But this is mainly because of the differences in the size of the two drinks. Espresso has a higher concentration of caffeine per ounce, but most people don’t consume as much espresso as they would regular coffee.

If you are drinking one shot of espresso, you will still feel less jittery than if you drink a full cup of coffee. Once you start having more than one shot of espresso in one sitting, you will enter dangerous territory in terms of caffeine.

 

Drip coffee and espresso are two very different drinks. Some people prefer the full bodied bold taste of a shot of espresso, and some people would much rather drink a light cup of coffee. It’s really a matter of personal preference when it comes to deciding which drink is better. If you have an espresso maker give it a try one of these days! You might be missing out on your new favorite coffee based drink.