The basic ingredients for a cup of coffee are the same, you have ground coffee and water. Despite this, we brew our coffee in different ways. Most coffee lovers have tasted both cold brew and espresso. For those who haven't tried either of these beverages, this post will show you how different they are.
As explained in a blog earlier, espresso is made by forcing pressurized hot water through ground coffee using an espresso machine. The most convenient way of brewing an espresso today is by using a capsule coffee machine like the Finero Next or Lattisso One-Touch, which pressurizes and shoots near-boiling water through the ground coffee which is sealed inside the coffee capsule. This method of making espresso gives you a rich, aromatic, and caffeine packed espresso shot under 30 seconds.
Like espresso, cold brew is made from ground beans and water as well. However, it's very different because cold brew does not use hot water and, despite its simplicity, it's a very time-consuming process. Ground coffee beans are steeped in water for 12-18 hours, maybe even a day, and then strained into a jug. This method produces a very different beverage. Due to the longer extraction time, the coffee is less acidic and smoother. Cold brew is a thicker, more concentrated liquid that is typically diluted with milk or water.
The main differences between espresso and cold brew include:
- Using hot water to make an espresso vs cold water for cold brew
- Using fine grind coffee in espresso vs coarse grind in cold brew
- A shorter brewing time of 25-30 seconds for an espresso vs a longer brewing time of 12-24hrs for cold brew
Both cold brew and espresso are great for your taste buds. Due to the pressure applied to the grounds during extraction, espresso has a richer flavour, which makes it perfect for all your milk-based beverages like cappuccino, latte, macchiato, iced lattes and even consumed as a strong black coffee.
In contrast, cold brew tastes lighter and sweeter, but it can contain more caffeine because it uses three times as much ground coffee as an espresso shot, and it is usually served in a larger cup. The drink is refreshing and mellowed down with water or milk, so it can be enjoyed anytime.
If we had to choose, we would choose espresso because waiting 12-24 hours for a cup of coffee seems excessive for coffee lovers who have hectic and busy lifestyles. Not to mention the versatility of an espresso as a base for most café-style coffees.
