Can You Make Regular Coffee With An Espresso Machine

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Coffee and espresso are incredibly popular caffeinated beverages and pretty big topics to discuss. A person’s coffee consumption is just as likely to be a personal ritual as it is a regular part of their daily routine. 

As consumer tastes have broadened over the years, one question that the prospective espresso machine buyers always ask is if they can use the same espresso machine to make normal drip coffee.

Key Takeaways:

So, can you make regular coffee with an espresso machine?

You can’t make regular coffee in an espresso machine unless you have a coffee and espresso combo machine. A standard espresso machine is designed to quickly force hot water through fine coffee grinds. Regular coffee, on the other hand, calls for coarser coffee grinds and a much longer brew time.

The process of making an espresso is a lot different than that of making drip coffee. An espresso machine uses high pressure to force water through coffee within only a few seconds while coffee makers rely on the power of gravity to gradually pull water through the filters.

Also, espresso machines use a fine, powder-like grind of coffee while coffee makers use a coarse, thicker grind.

Even though you can’t make regular coffee in an espresso machine, you can make an Americano, which comes pretty close to the taste of regular coffee.

Can you use regular coffee in an espresso machine?

Yes you can use regular coffee in an espresso machine but the drink that you will make will not taste like traditional espresso as it will have a sour funkier taste.

Espresso can be made using any type of coffee bean, the only difference is that the espresso bean is simply a coffee bean that’s roasted more, ground finer, and brewed in an espresso machine or aeropress. 

How to make coffee with an espresso maker?

As we discussed earlier, it is not feasible to make regular coffee with an espresso machine, although we can make an Americano that comes quite close to how normal coffee tastes.

To make an Americano, pull your espresso shot as usual and heat up 2 ounces of water for every ounce of espresso you plan to use. 

Next, add your espresso to the hot water, never the other way around. Adding the water to the espresso runs the risk of scalding the espresso if your water is too hot. 

Can you use regular coffee in an espresso machine?

Is an espresso machine the same as a coffee machine?

No, drip coffee makers are simple, inexpensive brewers that will produce large batches of regular coffee. Espresso machines, on the other hand, are pricey with a pressure pump that shoots near-boiling water through ground coffee at pressure, which gives espresso its bold, concentrated flavor. 

Is Espresso stronger than coffee?

Yes, in terms of the amount of caffeine per ounce – espresso is stronger than regular coffee. But overall a serving of regular drip coffee actually has more caffeine than a shot of espresso. 

Although you may have one shot or one ounce of espresso which contains approximately 60-65mg of caffeine, a regular cup of coffee has at least 8 ounces which typically amounts to 120-125mg of caffeine.

How many shots of espresso is equivalent to a cup of coffee?

In terms of total volume one shot of espresso is one ounce and a regular cup of coffee is between 8-10 ounces.

In terms of the amount of caffeine – Approximately 2.5 shots of espresso has the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. One shot or one ounce of espresso has about 60-65mg caffeine and a medium cup of coffee has 8-10 ounces which roughly amounts to 120-125mg caffeine.

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Amit Gupta

Hi, my name is Amit Gupta, and I am the owner and contributor at Cafeish. My obsession with coffee started when I received my first French press as a gift almost ten years ago. Since then, my love of coffee – and the number of coffee gadgets I own – has grown considerably.

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