No, there is no filter coffee tree and no espresso tree. There are Arabica and Robusta trees. We use them to make espresso or filter coffee. You can mix them or use them as single varieties. But how do you make filter coffee or espresso? What does it take? Let's get that cleared up now.
Espresso vs filter coffee – what are the differences?
Let’s start with the green coffee!
As the name suggests, the coffee plant is more robust - more resilient - than Arabica. Robusta grows from 300 meters and the harvest only takes 3 to 6 months and is very productive. The caffeine content is significantly higher than that of the Arabica plant, and its taste is more earthy and strong. This is why in growing regions such as Vietnam (the largest producer of Robusta), the coffee is "enhanced" with sweetened condensed milk.
The coffee plant grows at around 850m and is a little diva. It needs to be looked after and cared for, it can't be too cold, but also not too hot. Coffee grows around the equator - where there is a warm, humid climate. The taste of the Arabica bean doesn't disappoint. Arabica coffee can taste like blackberry, apple and green pepper without me using any additives.
Roasting the coffee beans – the difference between espresso vs. filter coffee!
Now we have to decide whether we should roast the beans in single varieties or mix them. With our plantation coffees, all the growing areas are single varieties. So if it says 100% coffee from Papua New Guinea on the label, it actually contains 100% coffee from Papua New Guinea .
In espresso, however, the coffee is often mixed: 80/20 (Arabica/Robusta) or 70/30 (Arabica/Robusta) are Germans' favorite blends. Our Espresso No. 1 has exactly this blend, try it yourself! The Arabica green coffee comes from Brazil and Colombia, the Robusta from India. It is roasted at 180°C - approx. 20 minutes. Towards the end of the roasting, it is given a little more fire - so 200°C.
What happens to the green coffee at the end of the roasting process? The water in the green coffee bean disappears and the sugar in the green coffee bean begins to caramelize. This gives Espresso No. 1 a great chocolate caramel flavor.
With filter coffee, we start the roasting process at a lower initial temperature. Here, the roasting temperature is on average 20°C lower than with espresso roasting.
The lighter we roast (whether filter coffee or espresso), the fruitier the coffee is and the more acidic the coffee has.
The darker we roast, the more we take away the fruit and acidity from the coffee and add roasted aromas on top.
What should you pay attention to when buying coffee?
However, industrial roasts in particular have the disadvantage that they are roasted far too dark and therefore have an extremely oily shine. This gives the espresso an almost burnt and bitter aftertaste.
Another question is whether you should buy whole beans or already ground coffee. We generally recommend buying the beans and grinding them fresh as needed. It doesn't matter whether you want espresso or filter coffee. The fresher the ground coffee, the better.
Espresso beans should always be prepared in a portafilter. Of course, you can also use a fully automatic machine or an Italian pot, but the portafilter remains the be-all and end-all.
Filter coffee is best filtered by hand, with a Chemex or Hario filter. Essentially, espresso and filter coffee are two very different things. Just like red wine and white wine or fish and meat. Both can be made from the same green coffee beans and yet taste completely different - the roasting has a very big influence on the taste! Try it out, search and find your own taste.
Food for thought from our coffee homeland
Most households in Germany have 4-6 types of tea but only one type of coffee. Perhaps there should simply be more variety in the cup and also the openness to try and discover new types and countries of origin. A strong cafe crema or filter coffee in the morning, an espresso with a light fruity note at lunchtime, a cappuccino or filter coffee in the afternoon and then another espresso or espresso martini to finish off in the evening;) Everything in life is about taste. Live yours!
Feel free to try our range and test the variety of coffee for yourself: filter coffee from Kaffeebrewda , espresso from Kaffeebrewda , country roastery coffee , country roastery espresso , fully automatic coffees and Nöörd Specialty Coffees . You can't decide? Then get a sample package and get the full variety in one go!