What are espresso cups and what are they used for?

 

Espresso cups are not normal cups at all. They're actually more like coffee shot glasses, which makes sense considering they're not meant to hold your standard brew, but rather espresso. Although they look like tiny versions of cups that people use for morning caffeine, your average java drinker would probably get quite riled up trying to get the effect of such a small container. After all, most people don't drink coffee to feel energized without needing to sleep?

What Makes Espresso Cups Different?

The regular cups that people use for their morning fix are obviously much larger than the average espresso cups. However, espresso cups do not have a particular standard size. Many times, the only way to distinguish between what a company calls its espresso cups and its latte or cappuccino cups is by looking at the labeling. Each of these little cups has matching Coffee machine cleaner.

Why are espresso cups so small?

Espresso is much stronger and thicker than a standard coffee cup, which is why espresso cups are much smaller than other cups that people generally drink their coffee from. An average cup of coffee only has about a third of the caffeine of the same volume of espresso. Of course, this is a very rough estimate, as the amount of caffeine and the strength of the blend are highly dependent on how the coffee and the bean itself are ground. You can easily get very different experiences trying different brands and blends within those brands, and espresso is not excluded.

What is espresso?

Espresso is a type of coffee, but the difference is not so much in the bean as in the preparation. The biggest difference between regular coffee and espresso is density. To make espresso, a machine forces high pressure water through very fine coffee beans, creating a denser and stronger coffee than normal. The result is almost like coffee syrup, and when you experience it, it becomes very obvious why one would not want to drink a standard cup of coffee in one sitting.

Can single cup coffee makers make espresso?

Generally speaking, one-cup coffeemakers aren't very good at making real espresso. The required water pressure generally exceeds the capacity of a one-cup coffee maker. Espresso capsules generally fit a 1-cup coffee maker, but the results are not generally favorable. There are some K-Cups coffee options called espresso, but they are generally stronger coffee blends. Sure, you'll get a stronger cup of coffee with both options, but you can leave your espresso cups behind as it won't be that different. Ironically, ESE coffee pods work much better in adapter-equipped espresso machines than 1-cup coffee makers.