# What the heck is espresso? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-espresso/141144 "2002-12-07T17:06:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-espresso/141144/21 "2002-12-11T01:20:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \* > \*\*What about the penurious lover of espresso who wants to make it at home? Would you find the results of a stovetop espresso pot acceptable? \*\* This is frankly IMHO territory, but I use a stovetop moka pot at home, while my school has been gracefull enough to buy an espresso machine for the student lounge. Everyday, I have a cup from each machine and I find the outputs to be completely different drinks. Both excellent, though. ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-espresso/141144/22 "2002-12-11T13:34:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \* > \*\*My question for the _cognoscenti_ here — the espresso machine used by the _barista_s, where you pull the lever to force the steam? That’s kind of expensive, isn’t it? But will anything else suffice for a true espresso snob? What about the penurious lover of espresso who wants to make it at home? Would you find the results of a stovetop espresso pot acceptable? This is the _Dolce Caffè_ pot, ingeniously designed, that boils water in the bottom half, until steam pressure forces the water vapor up through the coffee filter in the middle level, and upward through the long narrow tapering condensation funnel, until the precious liquid drops spill and sputter out a slit at the top of the funnel and collect in the top half of the pot. I love those things. \*\* Stove top works great for me, it’s what I take on my consulting gigs since I usually stay in hotels with some sort of kitchen. There’s another variation of this one, which my mother bought for me in Italy, looks just like the stove top but has a heating element _inside_, so all you need is a plug. Slightly bulkier than the stove top model. Steam driven ones are good too, but I prefer the pump driven ones, you get a fantastic _crema_ with them. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-espresso/141144/23 "2002-12-11T13:54:57Z")
The problem with the _mocha express_ stovetop machines is that when you pour the coffee from the pot into a cup you lose most of the \*crema \*. But you’re just not going to get really good espresso at home. My current home machine is great - but at a good cafe they adjust the grind several times a day as the weather changes. I can’t compete with that. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-espresso/141144/24 "2002-12-11T15:15:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Sorry, **coffeeguy** , but that link didn’t help me much. I too am joining **neurotik** ’s quest to discover how espresso is different from coffee chemically. I think the different brewing conditions must result in different chemical compounds being formed, which is why it’s so yummy and not aggravating to my stomach. Surely someone has done gas chromatography or mass spectrometry on the stuff! \*\* i think it is in the oil content and the freshness you dont store espresso you make it and drink straight away perhaps there are oxidants which attach to stored coffee…in the perc or filter bowl? its very good my son in law is a barista i will ask him not starbucks!🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-espresso/141144.md?page=1)