Overheard a barista say 'espresso is just coffee concentrate' and it got me thinking

I was at a local shop in Austin last weekend and this barista told a customer that espresso is just coffee concentrate. They said it's all about the grind size and pressure, not some special bean. I always thought espresso needed a dark roast, but they used a medium roast from Honduras. Has anyone else run into this kind of simplified advice that actually changed how you brew?

2 comments

2 Comments

avery_walker3017d ago

yeah that's actually what shifted my whole approach to coffee a few years back. i used to buy those dark italian roasts thinking that's what espresso required, but once i tried a lighter roast with the right grind it was way more interesting - got these fruity notes i never knew were possible. the whole "espresso bean" thing is just marketing honestly, the real trick is dialing in your grind so the water flows through at the right speed, like 25-30 seconds for a double shot. once you get that down you can use any roast you want and it'll taste good, just have to adjust your recipe a bit for different beans.

irisross11d ago

Used to be completely on board with the dark roast thing too, honestly thought that was the only way to get real espresso flavor. Then a friend who roasted their own beans made me try a light Ethiopian roast as a straight shot and it tasted like blueberries. Felt kind of dumb for buying into the whole espresso blend marketing for so long. Now I just buy whatever single origin sounds good and adjust the grind until the shot pulls right. Takes some trial and error but it's way more rewarding than just buying the same dark bag every time.