Espresso is a small but concentrated coffee made by pushing hot water through finely ground coffee beans under pressure. It has a strong flavor and a layer of crema on top, and it’s the base for drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos.

Key Takeaways

• Espresso beans aren’t a separate type of coffee bean, and regular coffee beans can be used to make espresso.
• A single espresso shot is about 1 ounce and contains an average of 63 mg of caffeine.
• Espresso has more caffeine per ounce than drip coffee, but drip coffee can have more caffeine per serving.
• Espresso doesn’t have to taste bitter and can have sweet, nutty, chocolatey, fruity, or bright flavors.
• Decaf espresso is made the same basic way as regular espresso but contains only a few milligrams of caffeine per shot.

What Is Espresso? A Bean, a Brew Method, and a Drink

Espresso is concentrated coffee brewed by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee at around 9 bars of pressure and 200°F. The word espresso mainly refers to the brewing method and the drink it produces, not a special type of coffee bean.

Are Espresso Beans Different From Coffee Beans?

You can make espresso with regular coffee beans. Beans labeled “espresso” aren’t a separate type of coffee, and an “espresso roast” usually means the coffee was roasted or blended with espresso brewing in mind.

The same coffee beans can often be used for espresso or brewed another way.

How Is Espresso Made?

Espresso gets its concentrated flavor from a fine grind and high pressure. The fine grounds give the water more coffee to come into contact with, while pressure pushes the hot water through quickly.

The result is a small but highly concentrated drink.

Freshly brewed espresso also usually has a tan or golden layer of foam on top called crema. Crema gives the shot its familiar appearance and adds to its texture, but more crema doesn’t necessarily mean better espresso.

Espresso Taste

Espresso has a more intense coffee flavor than most brewed coffee because it’s concentrated. That’s also why it’s served in a small cup and mixed with milk.

It doesn’t have to taste extremely bitter. Depending on the coffee, espresso can taste sweet, nutty, chocolatey, fruity, or bright.

Where Did Espresso Come From?

Espresso developed in Italy in the early 1900s as a faster way to prepare coffee for café customers. Its name is connected to the idea of “express” coffee.

The Espresso Drinks on Our Menu

Most drinks start with one or more shots of espresso, then add milk, water, or other ingredients. The amount and type of those additions can turn the same espresso base into all kinds of brews.

Drink	Want to Try It?	Learn More
Classic Espresso	Order Now	Continue reading this blog post.
Americano	Order Now	What Is an Americano Coffee?
Latte	Order Now	22 Types of Lattes
Cappuccino	Order Now	What Is a Cappuccino?
Macchiato	Order Now	What Is a Caramel Macchiato?
Caramel Macchiato	Order Now	Salted Caramel Macchiato
Breve	Order Now	What Is a Breve Coffee?
Mocha	Order Now	Latte vs. Mocha
Affogato	Order Now	What Is an Affogato?
Cortado	–	Cortado vs. Latte

 

It is worth mentioning that a café au lait is closely related to these milk-based coffee drinks, but it isn’t made with espresso. It combines brewed coffee with warm milk.

How Much Caffeine Is in Espresso?

A single shot of espresso, about 1 oz, contains an average of 63 mg of caffeine. A double shot, about 2 ounces, contains around 126 mg of caffeine.

Decaf espresso is the lower-caffeine option, but it isn’t completely caffeine-free. It typically contains a few milligrams of caffeine per shot.

Espresso vs. Coffee: Which Has More Caffeine?

Espresso has more caffeine per ounce than drip coffee, but that doesn’t always mean more caffeine per drink.

An 8-ounce cup of drip coffee typically contains about 96 to 200 mg of caffeine. Because drip coffee comes in a much larger serving, it can have as much or more total caffeine than a 2-ounce double espresso.

In other words, a stronger coffee flavor doesn’t necessarily mean more caffeine overall.

Why Does the Caffeine in Espresso Vary?

The exact amount depends on the coffee and how the espresso is prepared. Robusta beans generally contain considerably more caffeine than Arabica, so blends containing Robusta may have more caffeine.

Coffee shops also use different amounts of coffee and different recipes. That means two drinks described as a double espresso won’t always contain exactly the same amount of caffeine.

Adding milk or water doesn’t remove caffeine from espresso. A two-shot latte generally has the caffeine from those two shots, while adding water to make an Americano dilutes the flavor, but it doesn’t remove the caffeine from the drink.

How Big Is a Shot of Espresso?

A single shot of espresso is approximately 1 ounce (30 ml), while a double is about 2 ounces (60 ml). A double shot is a common café standard.

Why Is an Espresso Shot So Small?

Espresso is meant to be concentrated, so a small serving is normal. It isn’t supposed to fill a mug like drip coffee.

The espresso cup may also be larger than the actual serving, so some empty space doesn’t mean you’re getting an incomplete shot. Fresh crema can make the espresso look slightly larger at first, then settle.

If you are looking for a strong coffee, make sure to check out our cold brew vs espresso comparison.

What Goes Into a Shot of Espresso?

A common modern espresso recipe starts with about 18 grams of ground coffee and produces around 36 grams of espresso in 25 to 30 seconds. That’s roughly a 1:2 ratio, meaning the finished espresso weighs about twice as much as the ground coffee used to make it.

But keep in mind that coffee shops use their own recipes, and many serve a double as their standard espresso. Because of that, ordering “one shot” or “an espresso” won’t always get you precisely the same amount everywhere.

Espresso vs Regular Coffee: What’s the Difference?

The main difference between espresso and regular coffee is how they’re brewed. They can use the same coffee beans, but espresso uses finely ground coffee, pressure, and a brewing time measured in seconds. Drip coffee uses a coarser grind, relies mainly on gravity, and takes several minutes to brew.

Here’s how they compare:

Aspect	Espresso	Drip Coffee
Brew method	Hot water pushed through coffee	Hot water drips through coffee
Pressure	About 9 bars	Primarily gravity
Grind	Fine	Coarser
Brew time	Seconds	Minutes
Serving size	Small	Larger cup
Texture	Concentrated and richer	Lighter and more tea-like
Flavor	More intense	Less concentrated
Caffeine	More per ounce	Often more per full serving

Is Espresso Stronger Than Coffee?

Espresso tastes stronger because so much coffee flavor is concentrated into a small serving. But strong flavor and high caffeine aren’t the same thing.

Espresso has more caffeine per ounce, while a full cup of drip coffee can contain more total caffeine because you’re drinking a much larger serving.

For a closer look at specific brewing methods, see our espresso vs. drip coffee and Americano vs drip coffee comparisons. 

Is There Decaf Espresso?

Yes, decaf espresso is real espresso made with decaffeinated coffee beans. The brewing process is essentially the same as regular espresso, but the beans contain much less caffeine.

You still get the concentrated flavor and experience of espresso, but with only a few milligrams of caffeine per shot. Keep in mind that decaf isn’t necessarily completely caffeine-free.

If a coffee shop offers decaf espresso, you can generally order drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos with decaf shots. Some coffee shops may also offer half-caf, which combines regular and decaf espresso.

FAQ

Is there a difference between espresso beans and coffee beans?

No. Espresso beans aren’t a separate type of coffee bean. They’re simply coffee beans chosen or roasted with espresso brewing in mind, and any coffee beans can potentially be used to make espresso.

What does espresso taste like?

Espresso tastes bold, rich, and concentrated, with a thicker texture than regular coffee and crema on top. The exact flavor depends on the beans and roast, so it can taste chocolatey, nutty, sweet, fruity, or slightly bitter.

How do you drink espresso?

Espresso is traditionally served straight in a small cup, with some people adding a little sugar. You can also enjoy it as the base of drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos.