CoffeeForums Coffee Facts

Q: What is the difference between Espresso from a coffee shop and coffee that I brew at home in the pot. Also, what is the difference with a 'French Press'? I have tried it and it's good but what exactly is it?

A: Coffee is brewed at a lower temperature a little longer, uses more water and requires beans to be more coarsely ground. Espresso, on the other hand, is brewed by forcing a small amount of steaming hot water through tightly packed, finely ground coffee beans. This results in a blacker, stronger, more concentrated coffee and is the basis of many of the coffee house drinks you buy. A coffee press is a device used to make coffee that produces a stronger coffee. You simply put the water and the coffee together in the pot and wait a few minutes and then push down the plunger to push the grinds down to the bottom of the pot, because everything is brewed all together in one pot. You get more of the coffee flavor but if you let it sit for too long it will become bitter. All of this- Espresso, home brewed coffee and french presses are really dependent on your taste preferences. Coffee brewed from a finer ground is more diluted than Espresso. Espresso is actually a way to prepare coffee. It is brewed faster, hotter and using courser ground beans (usually a darker or "stonger" bean) and is more concentrated (thus making it stronger). A 'French Press' is just a different brewing method. It is a cylindrical container that you put the grounds into the bottom, fill with boiling water, and then it has a part that goes in the top that has a mesh filter cup with a long stick attached to it that you insert and press to the bottom. It makes all of the grounds go to the bottom but allows the coffee flavored water to go through. So you end up with coffee to pour off the top but all of the grounds stay separated at the bottom so they don't end up in your cup. I prefer a Latte which is Espresso with frothed milk and sometimes a flavoring. I think it tastes better than coffee, but you end up with more caffeine. Espresso is a darker roast in comparison to regular coffee, but when a coffee shop brews it for you in their machine, you get a more concentrated flavor if you were to compare a cup of Espresso to the same size cup of coffee. 'French Press' doesn't use a filter and is the best way to brew coffee (in my opinion). Espresso is a darker roast in comparison to regular coffee, but when a coffee shop brews it for you in their machine, you get a more concentrated flavor if you were to compare a cup of Espresso to the same sized cup of coffee. French press doesn't use a filter and is the best way to brew coffee (in my opinion).

Dean said:

Just to clarify, a shot of espresso with steamed milk is a Latte. If you put frothed milk on top you get a cappucinno. If you ask for a cappuccino with whipped cream on top, you are really asking for a latte.

Galen said:

A couple of corrections... Espresso has about 1/2 the caffeine as a cup of drip coffee the same size, and espresso beans are ground finer, not courser than drip or French press beans.

Ej said:

galen: false, per oz, espresso has a higher caffeine content. Your average 8 oz cup of coffee has anywhere from 60-120 mg of caffeine. A 1oz cup of espresso has, on average, 30-50 mg. put into an 8oz cup, that's 240-400ng of caffeine.

orkopina said:

I am not so sure that you would like an espresso in the first place. It has a very different and raw taste and is not so much rich in sugar compared to the classic one. And on a personal note, I felt it ok and is far better compared to Latte.