While perusing the Eldorado website or the coffee section of your local grocery shop, you notice some bags with the word “espresso.”
Contrary to widespread perception, the beans are not mentioned in that espresso label. Espresso differs from “regular” coffee in how the bean is roasted and brewed, not in the physical bean itself.
Are coffee beans and espresso beans the same thing?
Yup! Arabica or Robusta beans make up the majority of coffee beans. This is accurate for any coffee beverage you make, including espresso.
A coffee bean is simply roasted longer, ground finer, then steeped in an espresso maker or aeropress to produce an espresso.
Five differences between espresso beans and coffee beans
Coffee and espresso have different roasts, grinds, brews, and flavours.
The following information will help you choose between various roasts and grinds.
- Roast
The term “coffee roast” describes how much a bean of coffee alters when heated. All beans must be roasted, however the time required depends on the type of coffee they will be used for. There are five distinct roasts for coffee beans.
The flavour of a bean will become richer the longer it is roasted. That’s because heat eliminates both the acidity and the caffeine.A bean will have less caffeine the longer it is roasted. Try the lightly toasted white coffee for the greatest caffeine.
Compared to coffee beans, espresso beans tend to be roasted longer and darker.Typically, light, medium, or very-dark roasts are used to make coffee.Despite being known as an espresso roast, dark roast beans are used to make espresso.
2. Brewing
You may make normal coffee using a drip coffee maker, percolator, or French press. Espresso doesn’t have as much versatility in its instruments because the extraction process requires high pressure.
To make espresso, you’ll need an espresso maker. Anything else simply isn’t espresso. For espresso extraction, high pressure is required.
3. Grind
The term “grind size” describes how coarse or fine each individual coffee bean is ground. How soon water extracts coffee from the coffee beans depends on the grind.
The extraction will be less than it would be with smaller, finer particles of fine grind because larger, coarser grinds offer less surface area for the water to travel over.
Because coffee is brewed by gently pouring water over the grounds, the water is going to have time to soak in, allowing you to utilise a coarser-ground bean.
Espresso is made by swiftly forcing water through the coffee grounds, thus using a finer-ground bean will speed up the extraction process. You’ll end up with watery, weak espresso or coffee that has grinds in the bottom if you use the wrong grind.
4. Flavour
The flavour of coffee or espresso is more complex than you might realise. Experts in coffee beans will discuss the flavour, aroma, and texture of various types of coffee.
5. Espresso
Expresso is made by swiftly forcing liquid through the coffee grounds, thus using a finer-ground bean will speed up the extraction process. You’ll end up with watery, weak espresso or coffee that has grinds in the bottom if you use the wrong grind.
What coffee beans work best for espresso?
Finely ground coffee beans, hot water, and pressure are required to make espresso.
Because of how quickly and under what pressure the water enters, a fine grind is required. A coarser grind would result in weak, under-extracted coffee.
A few of the regular fancy drinks made with espresso beans
Espresso shots are employed as a foundation in many upscale beverages because of their rich, concentrated shape and complex flavours.
Here are a few beverages made with espresso:
- Cappuccino
- Ristretto
- Macchiato
- Flat White
- Cortado
Is there more caffeine in espresso?
The idea that espresso contains more caffeine as drip coffee is untrue. In actuality, the reverse is true! Espresso contains a little more caffeine on average than a cup of drip coffee.
This is because the espresso beans are roasted for a longer period of time than light or medium roast beans, burning off a lot of the caffeine in the process.
Nevertheless, espresso contains a lot of caffeine each ounce. In essence, one espresso shot (1 ounce) has about the same amount of caffeine as eight to ten ounces of drip coffee.
Conclusion
Espresso or coffee can be made with any bean, roast, or blend; the key is in the grind. But certain beans will yield a better outcome than others.
A sophisticated blend of dark roast Arabica coffee beans will yield a strong, well-balanced shot of espresso.
Robusta beans are sometimes used in coffee blends since they are less expensive, but high-quality Arabica beans provide the best flavour.
Try a single-origin coffee, enjoy a well-balanced blend, and don’t forget to experiment with various brewing techniques!