What is the Difference Between Espresso and Coffee?

I was talking to a friend that owns a coffee shop and he said that he often will get people coming in looking for espresso bean for home. When they can’t find them on the shelf they typically ask at the counter. Surprisingly, there is no difference between coffee beans espresso coffee beans. They are the same beans. Coffee roasters will often roast beans for espresso darker to bring out the more intense coffee flavor. While higher quality beans are typically used for espresso (because of the concentrated nature of espresso, an inferior coffee bean will be easier to notice), the difference is actually in the grind and the brewing:

Grind
The coffee beans are much finer for espresso than for coffee; almost to the consistency of flour. This finer grind provides more surface area for the flavor to come out of the coffee bean. This produces that dark color and very strong flavor that we all so enjoy! The more finely the grind, the slower than espresso will be extracted from the coffee. Although rare, it is theoretically possible to grind it so fine that you clog up the brewer. If the grind is not fine enough, the water will pass through too quickly resulting in weak cup of espresso.

Brewing
You have probably seen coffee brewed many times. Whether it is in a peculator or in a drip coffee maker (where water is poured through the coffee beans that are contained using a paper filter). The paper in the filter slows down the water, allowing it to come in contact with the coffee and steep, releasing the flavor. There is no pressure involved. If you needed to, you could even just pour the coffee grounds into the cup of hot water (much like a French press works) and let them sit for a while. Once they settle to the bottom, you could sip the coffee.

Espresso is brewed in a much different and shorter process. The ground espresso coffee is backed with up to 40 p0unds of pressure into a small puck of coffee. Then 200 degree Fahrenheit hot water is forced through the puck under 9 to 15 bars of pressure to extract the flavor. This process should take around 25 seconds for a perfect shot of espresso. This was traditionally done by hand for many years. More recently several manufacturers have come out with automatic machines that grind the espresso, pack the shot, and then brew it. All an operator needs to do is select the size of the shot and push brew.

Espresso pods work in much the same way as the traditional hand packed method, but the espresso has already been ground and packed for you. This simplifies the process and insures the best flavor possible. These pods can be used in a traditional espresso maker or in an espresso pod machine that automates much of the process like an automatic coffee maker. The resulting brew is a very intense flavor beyond that of regular coffee. This is why the espresso cups are very small and drinkers will sip and savor the taste. This is not unlike sipping an old scotch versus guzzling a beer! Some coffee snobs would rate an espresso from a pod a B to B+. The average coffee drinker probably won’t notice the difference and more importantly, the consistency of pods and machines insures that every shot tastes the same.

The normal amount of espresso produced by this process is about 1.5 ounces. You can purchase double espresso coffee pods also that will yield about 2.5 ounces. Keep in mind that most espresso shot glasses will be much too small for your cup holder for your coffee mug. You may need to put it into a larger glass to bring in the car! Many drinks are made from espresso including cappuccino, lattes, mochas and others. These will all have some milk and other products added to them, but they still retain the intense coffee flavor from the espresso.