1. What is espresso?
Espresso is a concentrated coffee drink made with specially roasted beans and an espresso machine.
2. What is meant when it is said that espresso is the base for most coffee drinks?
As coffee in concentrated form espresso is the most basic and most potent style of coffee drink. Other coffee drinks such as a macchiato should more accurately be called an ‘espresso macchiato’ since it is an espresso with a splash of textured milk or milk foam. Similarly, a flat white is an espresso mixed with steamed milk and a cappuccino is an espresso mixed with thick foamy milk and a sprinkle of chocolate.
3. What is the difference between espresso and filter coffee?
Espresso is made from pushing water through the coffee at high pressure whereas with filter coffee the water runs through the ground coffee solely because of gravity. As a result, the brewing process takes slightly longer. To make filter coffee (which is often referred to as ‘pour over’ coffee or ‘drip’ coffee) also requires more coffee and more water. Filter coffee tends to draw less acidity and accentuates more intricate flavours. This makes it a popular brewing choice for single origin coffees, i.e. those coffees sourced from one single farm or producer.
4. How is espresso made?
Espresso is made from finely ground beans which are placed in a filter that is locked into the base of the espresso machine. Very high pressure (a necessity for espresso) forces water through the packed grounds to pull a ‘shot’ of creamy, thick espresso.
5. When was the first espresso machine made?
The first espresso machine was made in Italy roughly 140 years ago. The ‘single shot’ machine of the type commonly used today for making espresso was created twenty years later also in Italy and became commercially available after the Milan Fair in 1906.
6. Where does the word ‘espresso’ come from?
In Italian the word ‘esprimere’ means ‘to press out’ so the idea behind the name for a type of coffee comes from pressing out (or squeezing out) the flavour from the coffee using the pressure of the steam.
7. Does espresso coffee require the beans to be roasted differently?
Typically, the beans used for making espresso are roasted for longer than for regular coffee and the beans are therefore darker. The longer roast time ensures that oils are released from the coffee beans which results in the thick, full texture found in a shot of espresso.
8. Does espresso coffee contain more caffeine than ordinary coffee?
Espresso typically has around 60mg of caffeine in a 30ml ‘single shot’ cup of coffee. By contrast, for the same size of cup (30ml) regular coffee has 12-16mg of caffeine. However, your breakfast mug of filter coffee might be in volume 8x the size of a cup of espresso, in which case it might contain close to 130mg of caffeine. In this case a cup of filter coffee could contain roughly twice as much caffeine than an espresso.
9. How does caffeine affect your mood?
When you drink espresso, your brain sends signals to release dopamine and this helps you to feel happier. The caffeine in the espresso boosts brain activity, reducing the feeling of tiredness and stimulating a positive mood.
10. Is espresso better for you than regular coffee?
Compared to regular coffee espresso is not an inherently healthier drink. But since espresso is usually drunk without any sugar or sweeteners (which are often added in other coffee drinks) this type of coffee could be better for you.
Have you tried our Pace Espresso blend? This blend offers a balanced sweet coffee with a full body and bright acidity. What’s more, it works well on its own or with milk.
