While most of us enjoy the amazing flavor of strong coffee, we also appreciate the morning kick it gives us.
But have you ever asked yourself “is filter coffee stronger than espresso”? Today, I’ll answer that question for you!
So without further ado, let’s dive in, so you can have a better idea about coffee strength!
Does the Brewing Method Impact the Coffee Strength?
The short answer is yes! Different brewing methods can affect the strength, taste, and overall quality of your coffee drink.
Coffee strength is mainly determined by the amount of caffeine in the final cup. However, some rate the coffee strength based on the richness of the taste.
Let’s have a look at all the brewing method factors that can impact the coffee strength.
Brewing Time
If you want more caffeine in your coffee drink, you need to brew it for a longer time. This means that the caffeine inside the beans gets more time in contact with the water. This results in more caffeine extraction, and therefore, stronger coffee.
Brewing Pressure
The “presso” part in the word “espresso” stands for pressure. That’s because to make espresso, you force steam in ground coffee beans under high pressure.
This pressure is another factor that helps in extracting more caffeine from the coffee beans. If the coffee machine has a stronger pump, it’ll create a higher pressure.
This results in forcing more caffeine out of the ground coffee beans and into your brew. A machine that has a pressure of 9 to 15 bar will pull off the trick perfectly.
Agitation and Stirring
By stirring the coffee and water mix, you increase the caffeine extraction rate. However, you should keep in mind that water extracts all soluble solids and not just caffeine.
Water Temperature
The temperature of the water you’re using is another factor that can impact your coffee. Water is one of the most popular solvents on earth.
However, the hotter it gets, the more powerful it extracts. That’s why the ideal temperature for brewing the coffee is around 200°F (93°C).
Coffee Grind Size
Another key factor is the size of the coffee particles you’re going to use. The finer your ground coffee the more surface area that comes in contact with water. As a result, you extract more caffeine for a stronger coffee.
Grinding coffee too fine also makes it easier for water to extract all soluble solids with caffeine.
The Technique You’re Using
All these factors play a role in the flavor and the amount of caffeine in your cup. That’s why every technique has its unique set of instructions regarding them.
There are tons of techniques to get your brewing process going. These techniques have different contact time with the coffee. Also, they have different particle sizes, pressure, and temperature.
So it goes without saying that the method you’re going to follow will have a different set of instructions.
These instructions will change all the previous factors. As a result, each one of these techniques will have a different level of strength. For example, the pour-over technique immerses the particles completely under hot water.
Additionally, you might stir the coffee, resulting in a stronger coffee. This technique is similar to Turkish coffee, which is known for its bitter and caffeine-rich content.
On the other hand, a cold brew takes the temperature factor out of the equation. As a result, it has low strength and less caffeine.
The French Press brewing method usually uses has a longer dwell time. This means higher chances of extraction. That’s why it’s recommended to use larger coffee particles while using this technique unless you’re a bitter coffee.
What Has More Caffeine: Espresso or Filter?
While comparing brewed (filtered) coffee to espresso, you’ll find that they’ve different levels of caffeine. You can make filter coffee with different brewing methods. And as I mentioned above, each one of those methods can affect the final amount of caffeine in your cup.
The average filter coffee cup (8 fl oz or 236.5 ml) has about 150 to 250 mg of caffeine. This means that it has about 18.8 to 31.3 mg of caffeine per 1 fl oz.
On the other hand, a single fl oz (33 ml) of espresso in a shot has about 63 mg of caffeine. However, the average shot of espresso is about 2 fl oz, which totals caffeine content at about 125 mg.
As you can see, espresso has a higher level of caffeine concentration per the single fluid ounce. However, filter coffee packs more caffeine per entire serving – How do sugar or cream negate the effects of caffeine in your coffee?
In other words, a cup of filter coffee gives you a larger amount of caffeine. Yet, you should put in mind that a lot of factors can affect the amount of caffeine in a filter coffee. These factors include:
- The type of machine you’re using
- The brewing method and its factors
- The type of coffee beans
- The total amount of coffee per serving
What Is the Difference Between Espresso and Filter Coffee?
Let’s start the comparison by identifying each one of them.
Espresso is the base foundation of all of the espresso-based drinks. It’s also known as “short black”.
To make an espresso shot, you need to brew it with water vapor (steam) through ground coffee beans that are packed densely.
Espresso shots are usually served in small cups. The average cup of espresso is about 1 to 3 fl oz. espresso is usually made under high pressure of about 5 to 15 bars.
There are many espresso machines that are designed to brew your coffee into espresso. The best one is Breville the Barista Express Espresso Machine.
On the other hand, a “filter” coffee is when you use hot water to brew coffee grounds. You pass hot water over the coffee filter and let it drip the coffee drink in your cup – Drip Coffee vs Perolator. That’s why it’s also known as “drip” coffee.
The best drip coffee maker is the Mr. Coffee Maker. As you can notice, coffee makers are usually smaller and more portable than espresso machines.
However, some manufacturers have created mini espresso machines. For example, the Delonghi DEDICA Espresso Machine.
Both coffee beverages have a lot of variations in terms of the flavor profile and caffeine content in each one.
Why Does Coffee Have More Caffeine than Espresso?
As you already know, the difference in caffeine content is among the biggest variation factors between the two.
Espresso has a higher concentration of caffeine. This happens because you grind espresso to a much smaller particle size compared to filter coffee.
If you use an espresso grinder to grind coffee beans for a filter coffee, the coffee will taste highly bitter.
Also, espresso takes a lot shorter to brew. The average brewing cycle for espresso is about 20 to 30 seconds. This time is more than enough for the ultra-fine ground coffee to give you a good espresso.
One the other hand, brewing filter coffee takes several minutes to reach the ideal coffee flavor.
Espresso machines also have the pressure and temperature factors in hand. They reach higher temperatures when compared to regular coffee makers. Additionally, regular coffee makers usually don’t have a pressurizing unit.
What Kind of Coffee Has the Most Caffeine?
There are many kinds of coffee beans around the world. However, the 2 most popular ones are Arabica and Robusta.
Coffee Robusta is the most caffeine-rich type of coffee. The reason behind this is the altitude where it grows. Robusta coffee grows at altitudes of less than 3000 ft (1000 meter).
Caffeine is a natural repellent for insects. So robusta coffee adapted itself to have more caffeine to fight insects.
When you go up higher, fewer insects are present. That’s why Arabica coffee doesn’t need a lot of caffeine in its composition.
However, the single most caffeine-rich coffee is Death Wish Coffee. It has the highest concentration of caffeine per serving on the planet. This translates to more than 600 mg of caffeine in your cup of coffee!
Final Thoughts
With that said, you now can answer the question “is filter coffee stronger than espresso”?.
Technically, espresso has more caffeine per fluid ounce. However, filter coffee has more overall caffeine in your cup.
You now also know more about all the factors that can increase the amount of caffeine in your coffee!
