For some, a tiny shot of strong espresso is the only true coffee fix, while others think it’s a bitter waste of perfectly good beans. Whatever your preference may be, it’s always a good idea to get out there and try something new!
Beans
Let’s start with the beans. When coffee beans are harvested, they are a pale green and unfit for brewing. Roasting the beans is how you bring out their prime flavour and how you roast them is what determines if they’re to be used for espresso, or drip coffee. Espresso beans require a very dark roast and to be ground up finely – or in correspondence to your Machine settings . Drip coffee requires a medium grind because the water filtering through the machine has more contact time with the beans.
Caffeine
While a cup of coffee technically has more caffeine than a shot of espresso, if we were to pour that drip coffee into an espresso cup (or vice versa) than it would be the espresso with more caffeine.
The Process
Everyone and their mother knows the two beverages require two very different machines. The drip coffee machine drips boiling water over ground coffee and from there gravity takes over, pulling the freshly brewed coffee into the pot below. This process is a lot slower than the espresso route, but has it’s benefits. For example, at an office with multiple people looking for their caffeine fix. An espresso machine, however, forces 1.5 ounces of nearly boiling water through tightly packed espresso coffee. Espresso machines were actually dreamed up by Italians way back in the late 19th century. The best shot of espresso takes roughly 25 seconds to brew while using up to 15 atmospheres of pressure to force the water through. Those are some impressive little machines!
For me, espresso is my ride or die! Nothing wakes me up better than the smooth taste of freshly brewed espresso. How do you prefer to drink your caffeine?
Espresso Bella Blog 