Are espresso beans different than coffee beans? This question might seem simple on the surface, but there are many complexities involved in answering it.
Coffee is the preferred drink to start off the morning for many people.
For these people, there’s nothing like the subtle flavors of a high-quality cup of coffee, a drink that provides an array of aromas and flavors that provoked by different beans.
Yes, there are many varieties of coffee beans. But this doesn’t answer the question ‘Are espresso beans different than coffee beans?’
This is the question I’ll address in this post. We’ll also explore what your best options are for the type of coffee you most enjoy.
Contents
Are Espresso Beans Different Than Coffee Beans?
First, you must understand that espresso beans and coffee beans start out exactly the same.
No matter where in the world a bean comes from, almost all the coffee you’ll ever drink comes from two different kinds of beans.
These two types are Arabica and Robusta. The differences arise from the way the beans are roasted, ground, and brewed.
Usually, the espresso beans you buy are roasted much longer than regular beans. This is one of the things that gives espresso its trademark robust flavor.
The other difference lies in the way espresso beans are ground. The real espresso experience comes from grinding them very finely. On the other hand, regular drip coffee is ground to a much coarser grind.
Properly brewed espresso usually tastes very sweet.
This sweetness comes from the limited amount of time that espresso beans are in contact with the high-pressure water that brews them.
In What Ways Do Espresso Beans Differ from Regular Beans?
The ways that the beans are roasted contribute significantly to the flavors of espresso and drip coffee.
People believe that the beans used to create regular coffee are espresso are exactly the same, but this is only true before they’re roasted, ground, and brewed.
Typically, you’ll get a blend of different types of beans when you purchase a pre-ground package. Those sold as espresso are blends, which manufacturers believe to be the best type of coffee for making espresso.
Now let’s have a closer look at regular coffee and espresso beans. This discussion will go a long way toward answering the question ‘Are espresso beans different than coffee beans?’
A Description of Regular Coffee Beans
Making regular coffee is a convenient and quick process. It typically only requires running hot water through relatively coarse grounds. Before dripping into the pot, the coffee is strained through a filter.
To extract the flavors and you can adjust the process according to your desired taste, water and coffee are needed for steep for several minutes.
Upon brewing, the coffee is good for several hours and its taste smooth and delicious. However, it may take a while to produce the best cup of coffee.
A Description of Espresso Beans
Espresso machines use high amounts of pressure to force the water through the beans instead of steeping the beans and water.
The beans must be grounded very finely to work in this process, and you need a specialized machine to control their operation.
Espresso is generally served as small shots so that this process can deliver the beverage quickly. It only takes about 15 to 20 seconds to make a shot of espresso
The resulting espresso coffee consists of three parts:
- The heart, which is the dark liquid at the bottom.
- The Body, which is the caramel-colored middle layer.
- The crema, which is the light-colored top layer.
Upon serving an espresso shot, it should be consumed quickly. This is because the three distinct parts of espresso will start to mix together within 10 seconds.
If you let it sit for a while before consumption, the taste will soon be bitter.
The Types of Coffee Roasts
Coffee beans for espresso are roasted for longer than drying coffee beans. Espresso beans are ground on the finer side as well.
The coffee beans are light in color for more extended periods. The darker the roast color, the better it is. The lighter the rust, the more caffeine is provided per coffee scoop.
Through roasting coffee beans, you lose some of their weight. If coffee beans are roasted, more than 90 percent of their water content can be lost through evaporation.
As the water evaporates, the coffee bean fibers scatter, and boils can become bigger. The long-roast coffee beans are less dense but bigger than coffee beans, which were not roast for so long.
While the type of beans that you use are essential to the taste, the way they’re prepared are the main difference between espresso and coffee. When you make drip coffee, you have several brewing choices.
The grinding can be more challenging than it is with espresso because the materials combine with the water for long periods. In any case, the coffee you get by such methods is typically milder than an espresso shot..
To sum up, the difference between espresso beans and coffee beans only arises after they’re roasted, ground up, and brewed.
The method of preparation influences the flavor more than the beans, but finding you favorite type of bean will still make a big difference.
Extraction
Espresso coffee needs about 10 bars of pressure to remove all the oils inside the machine.
The extraction of coffee oils is very important. The extraction temperature is another factor that affects the taste of espresso.
The extraction needs enough heat that requires about 94 degrees C. Adjust the broiler thermostat or give the espresso machine the right amount of temperature.
Conclusion
One of the greatest things about coffee is the different ways it can be made, the difference between espresso beans and regular coffee beans are not clear.
Regular coffee may be processed in larger amounts and preserves its flavor for several hours. In contrast, you must down espresso for the best results.
You should now understand the answer to ‘are espresso beans different than coffee beans. Hopefully, you’ll also be able to put this knowledge to good use.