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I've liked coffee for years and I'm thinking on buying a espresso machine. Before that, I want to know why the coffee seems more tasty when it is done that way than with a french press or a drip coffee maker and what are the pros and cons of a espresso machine. Thanks!

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    The steam that is so good at lifting the aromatics out of the coffee for tasty espresso is also quite bad at carrying with it caffeine molecules. So one other difference, aside from taste, is that you will get a higher jolt from French press or drip coffee. Something to think about when considering how many cups of espresso you will need to grind out in the morning.
    – Dmitri
    May 16, 2015 at 8:05

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To answer the second part of your question ('the pros and cons of an espressomachine'):

Pros:
- Taste. If done right, you will capture much more of the coffeebean in your cup.
- Milk foaming. Most espresso machines have the possibility to froth milk for cappuccinos or lattes. Look up 'latte art' on Google Images for some inspiration :-)
- Process. The making of coffee becomes an enjoyable ritual with shiny machines, hot water and steam.
- hobby: there is an enormous amount of ustensils, tools, cups, coffees, online forums etc. to discover for enhancing your espresso.

Cons:
- Taste! as much more taste ends up in your espresso cup, you will also taste the defects much better (bad or stale coffee, badly grind, wrong water temperature etc.) will give you a sour or bitter cup.
- Technique. It takes practice to prepare a good espresso (except if you opt for a machine that takes coffee pads - but your choice of coffees will be limited and often not fresh).
- Cost. Espresso machines (good ones) are costly. And it doesn't stop there. To make really tasty espresso you might want to grind the beans yourself, so you'll need a grinder that can grind fine enough for espresso. After that you might start to suffer from upgraditis...
- Room on the kitchencounter. An espresso machine can take up quite some space.

Hope this helps!

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The best explanation of I've ever seen of what espresso really is can be found here. It starts with the basics, and if you read the PDF at the bottom of the page, gets into some of the details.

The thing that makes espresso espresso is that the high pressure in the machine extracts much of the aromatic oils from the coffee grounds, which form the "crema" on the top of the espresso. You don't get this emulsion of oils at normal pressures, so no matter how strong you make a drip or press coffee, it's not espresso.

Dr. Joseph John often gives talks at Coffee trade shows, and he sells an excellent espresso blend. (I'm not affiliated with Josuma coffee, except as a satisfied customer.)

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I have made coffee for years and the difference between the press and the espresso machine and the percolator which also should be mentioned are as follows:

The French Press has to be used with care because it can make coffee taste awful if it sits in it for long. French Press coffee is best consumed within a few minutes after its made. If it sits on the grind for a long period of time it overbrews and develops a clumpy taste.

If it sits in the pot of a coffee machine or likewise an espresso machine, it has probably filtered through the grind before getting into the cup and is not resting directly on top of or below the grind. letting it sit for a long time will not affect the taste as much. I would suggest the espresso machine or percolator over the press. One has also to consider whether one likes espresso or not. If you prefer drip coffee for the flavor which many people including myself do - and if you do not like complicated machinery, it would be best to opt for a percolator that is simple, good quality and easy to operate

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I believe that one of the major differences between espresso and other forms of coffee (especially French Press) is that the water is in contact with the coffee grounds for much less time. It's pressurized to move through the fine grounds fast (I believe that that's where the name comes from).

In drip coffee and even more so in a French Press, the water and the grounds are in contact for much longer. This would mean that if there are flavor elements which take longer to move from the coffee to the water, they'd have time to do that. This can enormously change the flavor profile of the coffee -- even if you're using the exact same beans.

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French Press is not an espresso coffee machine. I find a detail explanation here.

The expresso coffee maker uses steamed water to extract coffee taste and flavor in a very short time under high pressure, which a french press style coffee maker can't do. As a results, flavor and taste as well as crema are totally not the same.

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  • This doesn't really address the question - why does the flavour differ, and what are the pros and cons? I think OP understands the difference between the two/three
    – canardgras
    Mar 20, 2017 at 8:50

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