Coffee and espresso...what are the differences the similarities and maybe some backround on both...?!
Answers: Thanks Ahead of time.
Coffee and espresso come from the same beans. There are two differences. Espresso is roasted darker. The more darkly-roasted the bean, the less caffeine is produced, so the other Answer-er is correct...it has less caffeine, ounce-for-ounce, than coffee.
The other part of what makes espresso different from "American" coffee is that it is brewed by forcing really, really hot water through finely-ground beans. It's served in much smaller quantities than coffee - usually a "shot" - which is a little bit less than a shot of liquor.
If you add a little steamed milk and a lot of foam from steamed milk to an espresso, you get a cappuccino. If you add more steamed milk and a little foam from steamed milk to an espresso, you get a latte. And finally, if you add a few ounces of hot water to an espresso - you get a "Caffe Americano!" --An American Coffee.
Hope this helps. A regular serving of espresso won't wake you up much more than a regular cup of joe. Two-three espressos, though, will have you bouncing off as many walls as 2-3 cups of coffee would (for me, that's still just getting started, but I'm a caffeine junkie).
Contrary to popular belief, coffee has much more caffeine than espresso.
I once ordered an espresso and it has STRONG!!
(I also have a sister who is caffeine addicted and if you give her the option between coffee and espresso- she takes the espresso with her eyes "popping out')
