What is the difference between coffee bean vs roasted espresso bean?

Table of Contents

• What’s the difference between espresso beans vs coffee beans?
• Why is some coffee labelled as espresso beans?
• What’s the difference between Espresso vs Coffee?
• What’s the best variety of coffee beans for espresso or brew coffee to bring out more coffee flavor?
• What’s Robusta and Arabica?
• Is Arabica more superior than Robusta?
• What type of coffee roast is more popular?
• Is it better to use dark roast coffee beans to make an espresso?
• What’s the advantage of drinking lighter roasted coffees?
• What type of coffee gives the most health benefits?
• Should I buy whole coffee beans or ground coffee beans?
• Is there a particularly best coffee in the world?

What’s the difference between espresso beans vs coffee beans?

We get asked a lot, “Is there difference between coffee bean vs roasted espresso bean?”

Espresso beans are coffee beans. There are no espresso trees or plants where the beans come from. Regular coffee beans don’t mean they can’t be used for espressos too. Espresso beans and coffee beans are the same things if the pack of coffee is pure with nothing else added. Espresso beans can refer to any bean species or type of roast, so it doesn’t tell much.

Why is some coffee labelled as espresso beans?

Some companies practice labeling beans as espresso, which leads to users thinking there’s a difference between espresso and coffee beans. However, whatever kind of coffee labeled as espresso is nothing more than ordinary beans roasted to different profiles.

It doesn’t mean that if you use regular coffee beans, you will get an inferior quality, or espresso beans are rich in more flavors. Espresso beans are roasted the same way as ordinary coffee beans, roasted to various degrees. So beans to make espresso shot can be regular coffee beans that you use for making ordinary coffee like pour over coffee.

The only labels that matter are certifications which tell you the quality of the coffee.

Check our article here: Understanding the labels on coffee

What’s the difference between Espresso vs Coffee?

To make a shot of espresso, you extract coffee using an espresso machine that exerts approximately 9 to 12 bars of pressure at around 90 degrees Celsius. Coffee is just a general term for different beverages made with coffee beans.

Espresso beans are finely ground to get the most out of the beans. A way to tell the difference between coffee and espresso is the crema. Crema is a pale brown cream that floats on top.

What’s the best variety of coffee beans for espresso or brew coffee to bring out more coffee flavor?

In the past, beans for making espresso or coffee usually used a blend of Robusta and Arabica beans mix. The Robusta gives intensity and a thick body but is more bitter, and you won’t want to drink 100% Robusta. Arabica is more flavourful and smoother, but they take a lot of effort and water to grow. It’s a type of coffee bean you can drink 100% by itself. If you mix both Arabica and Robusta, you will get both intensity and a rich coffee flavor. Nowadays, coffee aficionados are pushing towards pure Arabica. The industry agrees as selling pure arabica beans is generally more lucrative.

What’s Robusta and Arabica?

They are the two main species. There are other species, like Liberica, that taste closer to Robusta.

Robusta is a very hardy plant grown without shade and on low land. They have higher caffeine content and can keep away most insects by themselves.

Arabica plants grow better on highlands. The higher they are, the slower they produce, improving their flavours. Arabicas require more demanding farming practices. The Coffee Rust Disease almost wiped them out in the 19th century. Despite Arabica being a more prized species, many cultures worldwide are more used to drinking Robusta than Arabica.

Is Arabica more superior than Robusta?

Scientifically, Arabica has more flavonoids, chlorogenic acids and volatile oil types, giving it a more complex aromatic profile. However, to best enjoy these notes, roasters will want to roast beans light enough. If the roast is too much, you will burn off the flavours, and it will taste similar to Robusta. Here comes the critical part: the sourness increases when it’s a lighter roast.

What type of coffee roast is more popular?

Most civilisations have a multi-generation culture of drinking coffee with a darker roast and robusta beans. However, we only recall a few or any examples of any societies before the 20th century that appreciate a light roast. This history suggests that people prefer the darker roast after all.

In any case, most casual drinkers are very used to drinking the dark and bitter concoction with astringents. That’s why an Arabica with Robusta mix is the old fashion favourite, safe to serve for most. Likewise, a balanced bitter acid espresso is generally considered a good espresso.

Is it better to use dark roast coffee beans to make an espresso?

There is no specific best espresso roast. Traditionally, people use coffee beans for espresso that are roasted to a dark roast to bring out more oils in the beans. This method makes espresso taste thicker. Coffee beans are roasted to medium roast is another approach, as medium roast for espresso typically have better preserved aromatic profiles. There’s a higher amount of compounds in coffee retained to bring out the full flavor of the beans.

What’s the advantage of drinking lighter roasted coffees?

Coffee beans that are roasted light allow you to taste the fruitiness and flavours of the cherry that once enveloped the beans, which are the seeds. Some flavours, like the fruity or the flowery profiles, are delicate. Usually, roasters will roast them lightly to preserve their profiles. They are the beans to get if you do not like bitterness. Normally beans that have been roasted light are used for filtered coffee or cold brew coffee.

What type of coffee gives the most health benefits?

New research found that lighter or medium roast beans contain more chlorogenic acids.

Chlorogenic acids are good against inflammation, oxidative stress, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. It is also associated with improved heart health and a reduced risk of certain types of cancer.

Chlorogenic acids could reduce the absorption of carbohydrates in the body, which can help to regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Your cup of joe should be drunk black, and adding any milk will negate the effects of the Chlorogenic acids.

Should I buy whole coffee beans or ground coffee beans?

Whether you want to make the best cup of brewed coffee or make the perfect espresso, the beans to buy must always be whole beans. You will need to buy a grinder and grind the beans fresh. A coffee grinder is worth it, as whole beans are generally much cheaper and the result you can get from freshly ground coffee greatly improves over powdered coffee.

The reason is that powder has a much larger exposed surface to oxidise rapidly. As a result, it only takes a few minutes for coffee grounds to degrade to a state similar to what beans would experience in a couple of weeks.

Is there a particularly best coffee in the world?

There are no best coffee beans for espresso, and it depends on your personal preference. When you make different recipes, you will have different results. For example, a coffee that tastes good to you as an espresso or hot latte may turn out differently as pour over coffee or cold latte. To make coffee or espresso at home, you must have the right equipment. Check out our coffee machine guide.

The Oscar of coffee is an event called the Cup of Excellence. In this grand event, competition micro-lots of beans from around the world are auctions. These are the absolute best cup of coffee money can buy. Unfortunately, they are available in very tiny quantities, and it’s unlikely you could get them from regular coffee roasters.

We have a collection of beans from Le Piantagioni; the owner is one of the international jurors for the Cup of Excellence. They choose the best beans that did not win the Cup of Excellence but from the same plantation that is steps away from competition grade at a tiny fraction of the price. They are our best beans for making espresso or a regular cup of coffee.

Posted By Fine Coffee Company