espresso grounds for drip coffee?

[dwpphoto]

Hey there.

My new roommate buys espresso grounds for the apartments drip coffee. This doesn't bother me but his attitude about it has raised some questions for me. Mainly, are espresso grounds, if used to make drip coffee, stronger than using regular coffee grounds?

I am under the impression that espresso grounds are simply a finer grind, and are actually lower in caffeine due to the roasting process. So it would lead me to believe that unless it is used to actually make espresso, it would not be as strong as a regular coffee ground for drip coffee.

Also, not just the caffeine content, but the flavor... I have found that dark roast coffee grounds have a stronger taste than the espresso grounds when used for drip coffee.

 

[eldub]

Any coffee can be used for drip brewing but espresso is ground too finely for proper drip applications. It would make more sense to buy the espresso blend/roast as whole bean and grinding at home for a drip application. Also, espresso blends tend to have a different flavor profile being less acidic than what is traditionally used for drip brewing. Robusta might also be added to an espresso blend to increase crema but also adds more caffeine.

However, the longer/darker you roast any bean, the more they all start to taste the same; charred. Caffeine content also decreases.

 

[PinkRose]

Hello "dwpphoto"

Is your roommate buying an espresso blend of coffee beans or some other coffee that's ground for an espresso machine?

You said it doesn't bother you.....does that mean you're okay with the taste of the coffee after it's made?

If you use an espresso grind (very fine grind) in a drip brewer, it takes longer for the water to flow through the grounds and into the coffee pot. This means that the coffee will end up being stronger, and will probably be bitter as well.

In addition, dark roasted coffee will have a bit of a strong "smokey-burnt" flavor. If you're using a dark roadted coffee that's ground for espresso, you're probably tasting the combination of burnt and bitterness.

Plus, I'm guessing you're probably using too much espresso coffee grounds for the drip coffee maker, which means you're wasting coffee. But, if you're roommate is buying, you probably won't be worrying about that.

All in all, it's better to have the coffee ground for a drip coffeemaker (drip grind). Or as "eldub" wrote, it's even better to buy the whole beans and get a grinder and grind them yourself!

Rose

 

[namballe]

there is really nothing wrong with using espresso grinds in a drip coffee maker as long as you have a good paper filter in place. you will be getting a stronger brew due to the finer grind. it can also be considered as "high yield" grind, which means you can use more water.