Regular Drip Coffee is quick and convenient. It’s what most of us tend to drink in our day-to-day lives, but have you ever wondered how it’s different from other coffee, like espresso? Both methods have their own benefits and drawbacks. However, espresso is something more commonly enjoyed in social areas like cafes, rather than at home first thing in the morning.
Both of these brewing methods are quite different, and no doubt there will likely be some things you didn’t know about them. Gamble Bay Coffee is a company dedicated to providing all sorts of information about coffee to you so you can enjoy every cup to its fullest.
So, with that being said, let’s look at how these two brewing methods are different and why the way you brew really matters.
How are Regular Drip Coffee and Espresso Coffee Different?
Before we go in-depth into each of the processes individually, let’s quickly go over how they are different from one another.
- Espresso coffee uses a much more finely ground coffee than regular drip coffee. Drip coffee tends to be made either from the beans themselves, or thick ground coffee.
- Espresso coffee can generally be made much quicker than regular drip coffee because of the way it is brewed. However, home espresso machines are quite expensive compared to the average drip coffee machine, which can make up for the time the drip coffee takes to brew.
- Drip coffee generally won’t be as thick as espresso. Espresso generally has a more syrup-like consistency which makes the feel of it quite different.
- Espresso is a coffee designed for a social experience. It’s a coffee to be enjoyed in the company of friends, early in the morning at your local cafe.
- Espresso requires a special machine and generally some skill to operate. Although it has become more accessible with the introduction of home espresso machines, these machines are rather expensive.
Both of these coffees are in a balancing act. Espresso can be made quickly, but you generally have to go to a cafe to obtain it, while drip coffee can be made right from home. Having an espresso machine, like the Cuisinart EM-200 or the Mr. Coffee ECMP1000, at home can remedy this, but, as I said, these machines are expensive.
Now we’ll take an individual look at these methods.
Is Espresso Better Than Regular Drip Coffee?
The answer to this is an obvious yes. Espresso has many benefits to it that makes it much better than Drip Coffee. For one thing, espresso doesn’t use paper filters like most regular drip coffee machines do. This allows many of the oils and minerals that are naturally present to flow into the coffee and makes espresso much healthier than drip coffee.
Espresso requires no specific roast level or bean blend. Most bean blends taste different, or are roasted in different ways, and everyone has different tastes. You can find our thoughts on some of the best bean blends, here. The Third Wave of Coffee gave us companies like Starbucks and others which have brought about several different takes on the regular Espresso. Nowadays, you can have an espresso made in almost any way you can imagine.
Espresso has become widely popular, and for most people that live near cafes, it is their go-to morning coffee. It takes much less time to go grab a cup of espresso from your local barista than it does to wait for a drip coffee machine to brew; however, some drip machines can offset this in certain ways.
So for many people, the availability of espresso and the health benefits it can provide will be enough to convince them to prefer an espresso on their next morning routine rather than drip coffee.
That said, not everyone may live close enough to a cafe or have the funds to spend on an espresso machine. There’s nothing wrong with that, and there are ways to get great taste and enjoyment out of regular coffee.
Is Drip Coffee Better Than Espresso Coffee?
Without a doubt, the answer is no. Drip Coffee just doesn’t have the same benefits as Espresso.
Now, most of us do have a drip coffee maker, I do, I use it on occasions where I’d rather stay at home than go to a cafe. Drip coffee can be given personal touches that really improve the taste and the overall experience of it. Some more expensive machines you can find have different filtering methods that get it closer to having the benefits of espressos and things of the like.
One of the bright sides of drip coffee is the machines are generally inexpensive, and among some of the more expensive machines are those that can help you save a lot of time. There are machines that have internal clocks you can set to start brewing coffee in the morning, preventing the hassle of having to wait when you wake up. As soon as you get up you can go enjoy a cup of coffee with little to no hassle.
That is the big benefit to drip coffee. Most of their machines have little conveniences like this that make them more and more tempting. They definitely save a lot of time, if you’re in a pinch.
If you are looking into getting a good drip machine, I would recommend a coffee maker like this BESTEK one, it is inexpensive and has the programmable timer, as I mentioned earlier.
So Which Method is best?
Overall, espresso really takes the cake.( I love a slice of cake with my coffee.) Although drip coffee is convenient, and at times useful for those late mornings, nothing can beat having a fresh cup of espresso with foam on top.
At the end of the day, I think we all love our coffee. Espresso, regular coffee or otherwise. It gives us the energy to get through the day. Drip coffee is a common thing in every household and it is typically what most of us will choose.
If you have the funds to drop on a home espresso machine, it would definitely be worth the investment. It can save a lot of time and being able to enjoy espresso in the comfort of your own home can make it all the sweeter. If you have the time in the mornings, I would also recommend checking out a French press, they are cheaper than espresso machines, and, at the cost of some time, you can make a cup of coffee just as good as an espresso, if not better.
But those mornings when you can go sit at the cafe with a friend and enjoy a hot cup of Espresso are what really makes coffee universally enjoyable.
