Did you know that coffee and espresso are two different drinks? Either of these drinks might be your favorite daily dose of caffeine, and they might have similarity in taste which is bitter, but there is a difference between coffee and espresso.
You might be confused right now because espresso is coffee, and that is a fact, in terms of description, but not in preparation.
There are many different ways to prepare our coffee like pour over, stove top, drip coffee, french press, and more, so basically they are all coffee, but not all coffee is espresso.
Espresso is not a special coffee or extraordinary coffee bean, but roasters have a specific process for beans for espressos. Because espresso has double the amount of caffeine compared to regular coffee, roasters prefer high-quality robusta beans to add an extra boost of caffeine.
What is the difference between coffee and espresso?
The differentiation between the two beverage is not laborious, and it is only a matter of preparation.
Let’s face the truth that the preparation of espresso sets apart among the preparation methods mentioned above. Other brewing methods take more time to prepare since the grounds were all dependent on the waters boiling point, or in the slow filtering method.
While in making espresso it uses a machine to pressurize and shoot the finely ground coffee beans through the nearly boiling water which gives a robust, aromatic, double the caffeine shot of coffee in under thirty seconds.
Radically espresso is a lot fresher than the other coffee preparations because it only takes thirty-ish seconds to prepare your shot of coffee, while other coffee methods give you several minutes between you and a fresh cup of coffee.
There is a difference between pressure and boiling.
The texture and consistency of espresso are more accurate than other coffee because espresso uses a machine which brings out the crema, and the natural coffee oils into one espresso shot.
While the other coffee methods are dependent on the right amount of water and to its boiling point, fundamentally you need to get the proper measurements of each element to get the right consistency and texture of your coffee. Example on filtered coffee they rely on the gravity to drive the water through the grounds to make a perfect cup of joe, and this process needs the right water temperature and coffee grounds for the consistency and texture of your coffee. And if you are using a French Press or a Moka Pot, the exact pressure utilized to the water and coffee are negligible when you measure in atmospheric bars.
Use fine coffee grounds.
There are no better coffee grounds to use in making espresso than a finely course coffee ground because during the process the coffee cake or the coffee bed determine how well the espresso is extracted.
Because of the pressure, a richer, bolder, and sweeter taste of coffee is made into one espresso shot unlike during the regular brewing process where a coarser grounds are used that strike a balance between releasing delicious coffee flavors without losing or dissolving the particles—too much soaking in the grind makes coffee more bitter.
The Crema
When making espresso, the crema indicates a well-extracted shot of espresso. The crema is the reaction of the pressurized water is forced into the coffee cake. And when the process is done correctly, the actual espresso shot under the crema will have a unique, rich taste, velvety mouthfeel, and aromatic scent. And you cannot find these qualities in other coffee, but only in espresso.
Now that we know the difference between coffee and espresso we hope you enjoy more your next cup of coffee.
Source: Roasty
