Chances are that one of the first things you have in the morning is caffeine. There is already much talk on how they affect the health of a person, and how it serves the purpose that it is supposed to fulfill. However, a lot of people do not know what they are drinking!
If you are given an espresso and coffee, can you differentiate? Typically, the espressos cost slightly more than coffee. But why are you paying extra for espressos? Here’s all you need to know about the espresso beans vs. coffee beans – the differences in them.
Are Espresso beans and Coffee beans the same? Well, yes and no. Why yes? Because espresso beans are necessarily coffee beans. Why no? Because we get espresso beans when coffee beans are roasted for a much more extended period. So, espresso beans have quite a lot to do with coffee beans, but coffee beans may not always be processed into espresso beans. As it is clear, the difference lies at the point of origin.
But what does this process of roasting do to the beans? The taste gets stronger. This is why espressos have a stronger flavor as compared to coffee. The process to get espresso beans, clearly requires a lot more time and dedication, when compared to the preparation of coffee beans.
This guide is about to discuss in great details, where the difference between the two kinds of beverage beans lies.
Preparation Procedures
The roasting of the beans
Coffee beans are obtained from cocoa berries, and this is already well-known far and wide. Coffee beans are then processed further. There are four kinds of procedures that we follow, to process the coffee into four different grades of beans. Coffee beans can be light, medium, medium-dark, and dark.
These four kinds of beans are obtained by roasting the coffee beans until the required color is seen. What does roasting essentially do to the taste? Due to roasting, the beans lose water content, and the fibers expand. This leads to a growth in the size of the beans. The taste gets bolder, too. Espresso uses the darker beans, and hence, tastes stronger.
Caffeine Content
Darker beans aren’t always the ones with a higher caffeine content:
Usually, people assume that a darker bean implies higher caffeine content. Which is not true. Roasting doesn’t affect caffeine. It just reduces water content. It is surprising to know that the different grades of beans have, more or less, the same caffeine content. What makes the difference to the caffeine content in a cup of the beverage is the density of the beans.
Density matters- lighter beans in a cup has a higher caffeine content:
There is a logic to the above statement. Lighter beans in a cup would mean more space in a cup for more beans to be added. More beans in a cup directly relate to the much higher caffeine content in a cup. Technically, the amount of caffeine is affected by the number of beans in a cup.
Espresso beans as Coffee beans:
Coffee beans are processed into espresso beans. But can espresso beans be used as coffee beans? Given that there isn’t much difference in the two kinds of beans, one can still grind espresso beans in the regular coffee maker and make-do with it as a cup of coffee. It will be coffee, just slightly stronger.
FAQs
Are Espressos healthier than Regular Coffee?
Coffee outlets do not have to use filter papers for espressos, which they have to use for regular coffee. Natural minerals flow into your cup of espressos. This makes them healthier than a similar cup of regular coffee.
Are Espressos harmful to health?
Espressos, in excess consumption, can be harmful to your heart. If consumed in moderation, it isn’t detrimental. Contrary to the question, espressos, or for that matter, coffee has proven to be healthy, owing to the presence of antioxidants in them.
Conclusion
Depending on one’s tastes and preferences, people can easily choose what they would like to have. While the line between regular coffee and espresso might be very thin, there is another choice. Getting a shot of espresso in a cup of coffee! And then drink the beverage in moderation. Enjoy the flavor while not bringing down their health.
