Caffè espresso, or just espresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee.
Compared to other
coffee brewing methods,
espresso often has a thicker consistency, a higher concentration of dissolved solids, and crema (foam).As a result of the pressurized brewing process, all of the flavours and chemicals in a typical cup of
coffee are very concentrated.[citation needed] For this reason,
espresso is the base for other drinks, such as lattes,
cappuccino, macchiato, mochas, and
americanos.
The first machines were introduced in Italy at the beginning of the 20th Century, with the first patent being filed by Luigi Bezzera of Milan, Italy, in 1901, who invented a steam pressure system.[1] In 1938, Cresemonesi introduced a piston based espresso machine, which eliminated the burnt taste associated with the steam pressure units.
While
espresso has more caffeine per unit volume than most
beverages, compared on the basis of usual serving sizes, a 30 mL (1 US fluid ounce) shot of
espresso has about half the caffeine of a standard 180 mL (6 US fluid ounces) cup of drip brewed
coffee, which varies from 80 to 130 mg,[2] and hence a 60 mL (2 US fl oz) double shot of
espresso has about the same caffeine as a 180 ml (6 US fl oz) cup of drip brewed
coffee. In
coffee brewing terms,
espresso and brewed
coffee should have the same extraction (about 20% of the
coffee grounds are extracted into the
coffee liquid), but
espresso has a higher brew strength (concentration, in terms of dissolved
coffee solids per unit volume), due to its having less water.
