What's the difference between hand-brewed coffee and Italian coffee? Can I brew Italian coffee beans by hand?

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What is the difference between the two forms of coffee, which is now popular hand-brewed coffee, compared with the most commonly drunk espresso? For many coffee drinkers, the definition of the two is a little unclear. Today, the editor will share with you the difference between hand-brewed coffee and espresso!

Coffee beans

a. Hand-made coffee:

Usually a single product of coffee beans as the raw material, roasting degree from light roasting, medium roasting to deep roasting are used. It is usually the degree of baking between the number of the figure below, about 9: 13.

b. Espresso:

A coffee shop's Italian recipe is called House Blend, which is usually made from a variety of different individual coffees, which are used in large quantities to make Italian coffee drinks, such as cappuccinos, American coffee and lattes, most of which are roasted deeply to go with milk and hot water. This kind of coffee can only be grinded by a professional Italian bean grinder, which is also an important foundation and key to making high-quality Italian coffee.

Italian beans are the baking degree between the number of 13-16 in the picture above.

Second, the production method

a. Hand-made coffee:

Basically, most of the hand-brewed coffee is extracted with a filter cup, that is, at normal atmospheric pressure. Even with cooking utensils such as mocha pots and Alleros, the highest pressure during extraction can reach about 3bar (three atmospheres).

b. Espresso:

When extracted with an espresso machine, the pressure of the machine will bring the extraction state to 9bar (nine atmospheres). The pressed powder in the powder bowl is under 133kg of pressure, releasing a lot of coffee substances, including some flavor substances that are difficult to dissolve under atmospheric pressure, so espresso is thicker, suitable for making latte with milk or American coffee with water.

Third, the difference in weight

a. Hand-made coffee:

Generally, the quantity provided is about 150~300ml. (increase or decrease according to the ratio of gouache to flour)

b. Espresso:

Generally, the quantity provided is about 30~60ml. (increase or decrease according to the ratio of gouache to flour)

Fourth, the difference of caffeine

In the case of the same amount of powder and grinding thickness, because caffeine is a water-soluble substance, the longer it takes to brew, the more caffeine is released.

The brewing time of hand-brewed coffee is usually 1-3 minutes, and the brewing time of espresso is usually 20-30 seconds, so the caffeine content of hand-brewed coffee will be higher with the same amount of powder and grinding thickness.

It can be seen that coffee extracted for a long time, such as ice drop coffee and cold brewed coffee, has a much higher caffeine content than other coffee.

You can see that there is a great difference in the concentration between hand-brewed coffee and Espresso coffee liquid. When milk is added to a single coffee, the aroma and flavor of the coffee itself will be masked by milk, so generally coffee shops do not recommend hand-brewed coffee with milk.

V. the conclusion of the difference

Can individual coffee be brewed by machine after all? Yes, but all the cooking parameters have to be adjusted. Find suitable cooking parameters with individual coffee beans, you can also make a good quality SOE (single origin espresso).

Can the espresso beans be made by hand? It's okay, too. But for the deeper Italian beans baked, the parameters such as water temperature and grinding thickness should also be adjusted.

Please remember, all the brewing methods and utensils are to provide better coffee, coffee exists for people! Coffee can make everything possible.

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