Food - Drink
What Makes Espresso Taste Different From Black Coffee?
By AUTUMN SWIERS
Espresso is coffee, but not all coffee is espresso. This might be confusing considering they both come from the same standard beans, which are Arabica and Robusta, so what is it that makes espresso taste different from black coffee?
The two main differences between espresso and coffee are roast and grind. Therefore, beans destined for the espresso machine are roasted for longer and ground finer, while beans intended for the drip coffee maker are coarser and roasted for less time.
Roasting brings out the essential oils naturally found in the bean pod, which gives the longer-roasted espresso its rich flavor. Finer coffee grounds slow the water down, which means espresso steeps for longer than drip coffee.