# Why is espresso better than coffee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123 "2003-09-17T13:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![juan2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@juan2003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/juan2003)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/1 "2003-09-17T13:26:31Z")
I’m sitting here at work in the morning drinking bad coffee, and I’m wishing that we had an espresso machine. But isn’t espresso just strong coffee? Could it be possible to make cappuccino from this lousy office coffee? ---
**Author:** ![mrsface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@mrsface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrsface)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/2 "2003-09-17T14:00:19Z")
Yes espresso is just strong coffee. It’s made by forcing steam through the ground coffee under pressure. You need an espresso machine to do this, but you could improve your office coffee just by adding more coffee to the filter. Most people make filter coffee far too weak. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/3 "2003-09-17T14:01:37Z")
The brewing process is different. Espresso beans are roasted more and ground much finer. Then the water is heated under pressure in order to push steam through the grinds rather than dripping hot water. The brewing process extracts more of the flavor and oils from the grinds which results in a stronger product. If you have a way to froth milk at work, you can add it to the office coffee. But it won’t be cappuccino. ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/4 "2003-09-17T17:16:53Z")
Espresso is “better” than coffee for the same reason Jack Daniels is “better” than beer - it’s different, and it’s a buttload stronger. ---
**Author:** ![ThePill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@ThePill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePill)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/5 "2003-09-17T20:43:31Z")
Actually, the process described with steam is how a low quality espresso machine works. A real espresso machine ($200+) uses a pump to to push nearly boiling water through finely ground, tightly packed coffee. Can your machine at work dispense hot water (say, for tea)? If so, you can make a great cup of coffee with a french press. Yeah, yeah, I’m a coffee snob. ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/6 "2003-09-17T22:03:25Z")
Actually, the caffeine content of espresso is MUCH less than coffee. It just TASTES so much stronger than coffee because of the process described above. There’s a psychological factor at play in stronger taste = more caffeine, simply because your mind thinks you are getting more. However, the average single espresso shot is just 1 oz. of liquid while the standard cup of coffee is 8 oz., so you’re only getting approximately 1/8 the caffeine. (Note: I said approximately) Take it from a former Starbucks employee - you’ll get a LOT more bang for your buck with regular drip coffee! If your office coffee tastes weak or watery, it’s because some schmoe is putting too little coffee in the filter. The standard equation is two tbl. of grinds/6 oz. liquid. Also, if you’re using that freeze-dried Folgers junk, you’re getting mostly leaves, twigs, dirt, and low-variety robusta beans grown in Vietnam. NOT the best stuff for a good cuppa joe! ---
**Author:** ![ThePill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@ThePill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePill)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/7 "2003-09-18T11:43:41Z")
Espresso does have less caffeine but it’s not a huge difference. It doesn’t matter how much liquid you are drinking. What matters is how much of the coffee is dissolved in the liquid. I could brew a gallon of coffee from one bean and it wouldn’t have 128 times the caffeine of a shot of espresso. Here are a few hits from google on the subject: [http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html#IsItTrueEsp](http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html#IsItTrueEsp) > **[Facts about coffee and caffeine](https://www.didyouknow.cd/coffee.htm)** > > An espresso has less caffeine than a cup of coffee and that coffee is the world's most popular stimulant? [http://www.espressoguy.com/faq/#caffeine](http://www.espressoguy.com/faq/#caffeine) ---
**Author:** ![Zenham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a5b964/32.png) [@Zenham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenham)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/8 "2003-09-18T13:38:48Z")
Because it JUST IS okay and I mean what’s with the pointless questions like this or man are you going to stand in front of the cream dispenser all day becaquse I really need to take the bite off this quad-shot with maybe a little sprinkling of cinnamon too mmmm hey doesn’t that sound nice but oops sorry I digressed so I’ll get back to the point which is why ask silly questions like isn’t espresso strong coffee I mean that’s like receiving oral sex and instead of enjoying the moment you’re sitting there postulating theories on vaccuum pressure and hydrodynamics I mean come on my good man it’s like you’re intentionally trying to suck the life and light and joy out of this room with your queries about strong cofee versus espresso when the point after all is that there is coffee and/or espresso to be had because don’t you believe for a minute that if Jesus came back to earth to day he’d settle for anything less than a double-shot latte but then again he’s kinda a peacenik freakazoid so he’d probably want it with organic soymilk instead of something sane like half skim or for the love of something normal even regular plain old milk which yes does take some of the acidic edge off of very strong coffee but it still doesn’t do anything to improve Starbucks’ coffee which is merely bad because it’s overroasted and hey what’s with that anyway I mean haven’t they noticed that every other coffee roaster in the world knows that Colombian is traditionally just coffee with a light tan I mean barely roasted just enough to bring out the flavors but man I swear you go to Starbucks and their Colombian is so overroasted it’s a crime because it’s a waste of good beans and it’s like they were trying to dispose of the evidence so they knocked the roaster up a good 200 degrees and 20 minutes and what they ended up with is this blah crap which is worse than any coffee you could have bought at the grocery store because there at least you have the option of not paying $50 a pound for absolutely crap grounds because hey coffee is also about the flavor and the experience and the love that a warm mug nestled in your fingers engenders to you and all of mankind in an aromatic bath of scent and taste proclaiming that hope is alive and well and wide awake somewhere outside of Paramus, New Jersey and he’s probably cradling a cup just like you are but his is awaiting a refill from the late-night waitress who’s having to work a double so she’s dragging a bit now and it looks like she could use a good cup of joe too so hey why not keep hope alive and awake and share another cup of java with me because damn, it’s good. ---
**Author:** ![ThePill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@ThePill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePill)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/9 "2003-09-18T13:42:58Z")
wow ---
**Author:** ![Hubajube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Hubajube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hubajube)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/10 "2003-09-18T13:53:21Z")
Zenham’s an abuser: [http://www.artlebedev.com/posters/coffee/coffee-640x480.jpg](http://www.artlebedev.com/posters/coffee/coffee-640x480.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/11 "2003-09-18T15:44:34Z")
Espresso does have less caffeine but it’s not a huge difference. It doesn’t matter how much liquid you are drinking. What matters is how much of the coffee is dissolved in the liquid. I could brew a gallon of coffee from one bean and it wouldn’t have 128 times the caffeine of a shot of espresso. Fancy that, ThePill. Starbucks done taught me wrong! Thanks for the correction. ---
**Author:** ![cromulent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@cromulent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cromulent)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/12 "2003-09-18T16:00:33Z")
According to [www.coffeefaq.com](http://www.coffeefaq.com), espresso has _more_ caffeine than coffee if you measure it per unit volume. In other words, a two ounce shot of espresso has more caffeine than a two ounce amount of brewed coffee. However, most espresso-based drinks, like lattes and cappucinos, contain lots and lots of milk; often more milk than there is espresso. So a cup of cappucino or latte could very well have less caffeine than a cup of brewed coffee. ---
**Author:** ![cromulent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@cromulent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cromulent)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-espresso-better-than-coffee/202123/13 "2003-09-18T16:05:56Z")
Oops, that link above should be: [http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html#IsItTrueEsp](http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html#IsItTrueEsp)