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Espresso Explained

What actually defines espresso, what a shot contains, and what you can do without a machine.

Espresso is not a bean, a roast level or a flavour. It is a brewing method defined by pressure: roughly 9 bar of water forced through a compacted bed of finely ground coffee for 25 to 30 seconds. Everything else — crema, the small cup, the intensity — follows from that.

These guides separate what is definitional from what is marketing. Bags labelled "espresso roast" contain ordinary coffee beans; the label describes an intended use, not a different plant.

What you'll learn

  • The four numbers that define a shot: pressure, dose, yield and time
  • Why 'espresso beans' and 'coffee beans' are the same seed from the same species
  • How many shots are actually in a latte, cappuccino, americano and macchiato
  • What a moka pot and an AeroPress can and cannot reproduce

7 articles on espresso

Common questions about espresso

Is espresso stronger than regular coffee?

Per millilitre, yes — around three times as concentrated. Per serving, often not: a single 30 ml shot carries roughly 63 mg of caffeine while an 8 oz brewed coffee carries about 95 mg, because the brewed cup is eight times larger.

Can I make espresso without an espresso machine?

You can make strong, concentrated coffee on a moka pot or an AeroPress, and it works well in milk drinks. It is not espresso by definition, because neither reaches 9 bar — a moka pot runs at roughly 1.5 bar.

What does 18 in / 36 out mean?

It is a recipe shorthand: 18 grams of dry ground coffee in the basket producing 36 grams of liquid espresso in the cup, a 1:2 ratio, typically over 25 to 30 seconds.

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