What Is Espresso? A Beginner's Guide

New to espresso? Here's what makes it different from regular coffee, how it's made, and why it's the foundation of so many drinks.

Espresso is a brewing method, not a type of bean or a roast level. That one distinction clears up a lot of confusion around coffee shop menus and home setups alike.

How Espresso Is Made

Espresso is brewed by forcing a small amount of hot water, around 200°F, through finely ground coffee under high pressure, typically 9 bars. The result is a concentrated shot with a rich flavor and a layer of golden foam on top called crema.

The whole process takes about 25 to 30 seconds. That short extraction window is why grind size, dose, and technique matter so much. Small changes have an outsized impact on the cup.

Espresso vs. Regular Coffee

Drip coffee uses gravity to pull water through grounds over several minutes. Espresso uses pressure and a much finer grind, producing something far more concentrated in a much smaller volume.

A single shot is typically 1 oz. A double shot (doppio) is about 2 oz. Despite the smaller size, espresso contains roughly similar caffeine to an 8 oz cup of drip coffee, though this varies depending on the beans, roast, and dose.

What About the Beans?

Any coffee bean can be used for espresso. Medium to dark roasts are traditional because they tend to produce a balanced, less acidic shot, which is why most espresso blends fall in that range. They're designed for consistency across shots.

That said, single origin espresso has become increasingly popular. Light roasts can produce extraordinary results, but they require more precise dialing in and don't forgive sloppy technique the way a darker roast will.

Espresso as a Foundation

Most café drinks start with espresso. A latte is espresso and steamed milk. A cappuccino is espresso with equal parts steamed milk and foam. An Americano is espresso diluted with hot water. Once you can pull a consistent shot, the rest of the menu opens up naturally.

Getting Started at Home

You don't need a commercial machine to make great espresso at home. Entry-level machines from Breville and DeLonghi are designed specifically for home use and produce excellent results with practice. The most important upgrade you can make is pairing your machine with a quality burr grinder. Pre-ground coffee and espresso are a difficult combination to get right, and a good grinder makes more difference than almost anything else.