‘Don’t approach me till I’ve had my morning coffee.’ Is this a phrase you’ve heard before? Maybe not if you’re not a morning person who craves a steaming coffee mug as soon as you wake up.
Many individuals appear and sound happy in the morning because of coffee and its delightful scent. It jolts our nerves and wakes us up from our exhausted state. It’s also the one thing that gets us through a long and stressful day. Moreover, when you’re ultimately fatigued at the end of the day, all you want is a lovely, steaming cup of coffee.
You can make coffee in various methods, including drip machines, French presses, and, of course, espresso machines. So, what is espresso, exactly? Is it healthier or less healthy than regular brewed coffee?
I will tell you the pros and cons of espresso in this post. Let’s scroll down!
Contents
What Is Espresso?
Espresso is a coffee beverage that is produced by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee beans. It’s rich, robust, and concentrated, and it’s commonly used as the foundation for café classics like cappuccinos and lattes.
However, not every espresso is concentrated coffee. Three characteristics characterize authentic espresso:
- The temperature of water: 200°F
- Nine bars of pressure during extraction.
- Time to extract: 25-30 seconds
The ability of an espresso machine to consistently fulfill those three requirements determines whether it is terrible, serviceable, sound, or outstanding.
Steam espresso machines are inexpensive, sometimes around $150, and while they may call themselves espresso machines, steam cannot reach 9 bars of pressure. The resulting “espresso” is better described as “very concentrated coffee.”
Fantastic espresso machines maintain stable high temperatures and offer consistent pressure, allowing for a consistently drawn shot within the 25-30 second time range.
Have you noticed how often I use the phrase “consistently”? That isn’t a coincidence. You want your espresso machine to be able to achieve the same extraction parameters consistently. This ensures that the same formula pulls the same shot every time.
Related post: Ristretto Vs Long Shot
What Is The Best Way to Drink Espresso?
Although espresso is referred to as a shot, it is not intended to be consumed in one swallow. On the other hand, is espresso supposed to be drunk slowly to appreciate its flavor fully? A shot or double espresso is usually enjoyed plain, but you can add sugar or another sweetener. It’s sometimes accompanied by a sweet cookie, such as biscotti.
Espresso is also used in a variety of popular café beverages, including:
- Caffé Americano: A shot of espresso mixed with hot water.
- Red-eye: Filtered coffee and one shot of espresso.
- Steamed milk: A double shot of espresso topped.
- Cappuccino: A single shot of espresso topped with steamed and frothed milk.
Check out this video for more instructions on how to drink espresso:
Is Espresso Bad For You? Pros And Cons Of Espresso!
We’re delighted you inquired! We’ll go through the benefits and drawbacks of espresso in this post, as well as why we think you should drink it. The benefits of espresso over coffee are many. It has the same amount of caffeine as a full cup of coffee, but it fits in a shot glass! Isn’t it thrilling? But don’t get too enthusiastic; there are some disadvantages.
If you’re like us, you’ll want to be able to weigh these disadvantages against the benefits of drinking espresso before making a decision. That’s why we’ve compiled this comprehensive overview of espresso’s benefits and drawbacks. So are you ready to determine whether or not you should drink espresso?
Let’s get started.
Pros Of Espresso
Fewer Coffee Beans
Depending on how you brew your drip coffee, this one may be contentious. When comparing the benefits of espresso vs coffee, we always use fewer beans for espresso. Why? When brewing drip coffee, it’s common to use a complete filter and produce a huge pot. Almost usually, some is remaining in the pot that you discard later.
You simply need to fill the smallest filter with espresso. You also avoid wasting coffee beans by sipping the entire shot. When creating a coffee drink with numerous shots of espresso, things may become a little heated. If you make a triple shot latte, you may use the same amount of coffee beans. But for most users, you’ll use fewer beans when making espresso.
Low-Calorie Intake
One of the best espresso pros is that you may enjoy the advantages without worrying about consuming too many calories. Even the perfect shot of espresso may be helpful while still being guilt-free.
The number of calories in espresso varies depending on what you drink it with, but an ounce of plain espresso has just approximately three calories.
As a result, it’s an excellent way to get your day started. It’s also a good cheer-me-up in the afternoon when you’re feeling tired.
Improve Long-term memory
It has been proven that drinking espresso improves memory. It not only helps your brain retain stored knowledge, but it can also assist you in recalling that information.
If you take an espresso while preparing for a school test and another espresso shortly before the exam, the espresso will aid in your memory of the information. It’s related to the concept that chewing gum while studying might help you recall what you’ve learned.
Apart from that, espresso offers a slew of other advantages to assist you in the long run.
Avoid Type 2 Diabetes
A Harvard University research published in Diabetologia in 2014 followed men and women for four years and discovered that progressively increasing their coffee consumption lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by 11%. Those who reduced their consumption, on the other hand, saw their risk rise by 17%. So isn’t that a good excuse to drink espresso every day?
While it’s tempting to believe that caffeine is helpful at work, some don’t quite agree. However, according to Healthline, “consuming caffeinated coffee over a long period may also modify its influence on glucose and insulin sensitivity,” which means that being a frequent coffee user for a long time “may be what produces the protective effect.”
Good For Depression
Do you want to hear a motivating fact? Your espresso habit may aid in the prevention of depression. Yes, you look forward to that morning injection and the resulting mood boost, but there may be more to this emotional connection than meets the eye.
According to Chinese experts, depression is triggered by an immune system reaction that results in brain inflammation.
They believe that specific antioxidants present in coffee might help to decrease inflammation. Other researchers relate this directly to caffeine, comparing it to that sense of morning motivation on a larger, more long-term scale.
Cons Of Espresso
Need Extra Time
For us, the main disadvantage is that espresso takes longer to prepare. Unless you have an industrial espresso machine, you’ll need to wait for your machine to warm up, then grind your beans, tamp down the grounds, and extract a shot of espresso. If you like to make your espresso in a pan or a Moka pot, this will also take longer.
In roughly the same amount of time that it takes to brew one shot of espresso, most drip coffee makers can brew an entire pot of coffee. However, there are times when this isn’t the case. For example, some high-end espresso machines feature timers that can be programmed to prepare you a shot before you even get out of bed in the morning.
These devices are relatively costly, and you can get a coffee maker with similar functionality for a lot less money.
Cause Anxiety
Jitteriness and uneasiness, which are frequent anxiety symptoms, are caused by a high intake of espresso.
Limit your espresso consumption to prevent feeling agitated. A standard 2-ounce cup of espresso has 128 mg of caffeine, according to the USDA. Given that you’re only permitted 400 mg of caffeine per day, that works out to around three shots of espresso or four cups of black coffee.
Hormone Fluctuation
Excessive caffeine consumption activates the fight-or-flight response. These “fight or flight” chemicals are adrenaline produced throughout the body, a survival strategy that prompts your body to react to circumstances around you.
Too much coffee at once, on the other hand, might put your body on high alert and lead to problems.
Shifts in estrogen levels, on the other hand, can be dangerous for women. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, breast, ovarian cancer, and endometriosis are linked to changes in estrogen levels after drinking too much coffee over time.
This is why it’s crucial to limit your caffeine intake throughout the day, especially if you drink espresso.
Conclusion
That concludes the discussion. These are the essential pros and cons of espresso that we are aware of. After reading this article, we hope that you better understand whether espresso is the right coffee drink for you. For the record, we adore espresso and believe it is an excellent coffee beverage.
However, we also enjoy drip coffee, so that we may be biased. Best of luck with your espresso-making and drinking endeavors! Friends, stay energetic!
