Which is better? Actually, it depends on who and where you ask. If you’re in the America’s most would give you an answer saying that espresso is too bitter, so they’d prefer brewed coffee. If you go to Europe, most Europeans would surely go for a shot of espresso since the taste is ‘purer and fuller’ than a cup of brewed coffee. Still, no matter where you are, coffee is universal and no matter how it is prepared, it’s still loved either way. So, to answer the question, how different is brewed coffee from an espresso?
Espresso
Espresso is purely extracted from coffee beans. Espresso is prepared using an espresso machine, this is when finely ground coffee is tamped or pressed hard in a ‘portafilter’. The portafilter is then placed in an espresso machine so that pressurized hot water goes through the portafilter to produce a really concentrated amount of pure coffee. An espresso has an intense and rich aromatic flavor. Espresso is special brewing method, and it takes some knowledge and practice. As a hoby barista, you need to learn how to make espresso just as you were training for a job. There is no distinction between a home barista and a professional.
Brewed coffee
There are tons of ways you can brew coffee. Brewed coffee is essentially diluting ground coffee in water-whether it is hot or cold, but preferably hot. This is how most of the world drinks the coffee.
Typically, brewed coffee uses hot boiled water and the immersion of coffee grounds in water for a certain period of time and then sifted or filtered on to a cup.
Different ways methods to prepare brewed coffee:
- Coffee Maker. This is the simplest way to brew coffee since you can just get a coffee maker to
do the brewing for you. - Drip Method. This is letting hot water pressed into ground coffee and slowly drips.
- Chemex is almost the same as the drip method, it uses a cloth filter or a filter paper.
- Traditional Boil and Immerse Method. This is simply boiling water and coffee grounds.
- Moka Pot. For more intense coffee taste, a Moka pot is used.
- Siphon. It is similar to a Moka pot where boiling water is siphoned towards the coffee grounds.
- French Press is a specially designed mug with a press filter to separate the coffee grounds from the brewed coffee.
- Cold Brew. This uses cold water to brew coffee.
Aside from the different ways of preparing espresso and brewed coffee, there are different factors that affect the taste and quality of an espresso and brewed coffee.
An espresso is a very delicate drink and it is prepared by professional hands. A shot of espresso is affected by the following:
- Coffee Roast Mix
- Type of coffee grind
- Quality of the espresso machine
- Expertise of the barista
- Brew head temperature
On the other hand, the quality of the brewed coffee also depends on the following:
- Type and grind of the coffee beans
- Method of brewing
- Brewing time
Can I make brewed coffee from an espresso?
Yes, in a sense, brewed coffee is like an espresso being diluted in water. While an espresso has more of the coffee particles in a shot, brewed coffee has more parts water than coffee. And for that reason, you can also make brewed coffee using an espresso machine. One popular brewed coffee produced from an espresso machine is the Caffe Americano or simply known as the Americano. A Caffe Americano is made of a single shot of espresso diluted 6 to 8 ounces of hot water.
No matter what your preference is, a cup of brewed coffee or a shot of espresso is surely one delightful way of soothing the taste buds with a delightful sip of bittersweet caffeine.
