When you’re planning an event and deciding on your beverage service, you might wonder whether you’ll opt for espresso or regular coffee (drip coffee). The choice is simple once you know the main distinction between their textures and concentrations. 

Espresso is a thick, concentrated shot with a bold flavour. On the other hand, drip coffee is milder, lighter-bodied, and usually served in a much larger volume. 

This difference affects everything from flavour intensity to service speed, and it’s also the reason why they are not the same drink.

Coffee vs Espresso: The Core Difference

The key distinction between espresso and regular coffee is the extraction method, not the type of coffee beans used. For instance, espresso uses high pressure and a short duration, resulting in a highly concentrated drink. 

Conversely, drip coffee uses a gravity-fed, slow method, which yields a milder, larger beverage.

Aside from the brewing or extraction process, the grind type also distinguishes espresso from drip coffee. Fine-ground coffee is usually used for espresso, while a coarser grind is more ideal for drip coffee. 

What is Espresso? 

Espresso is a highly concentrated coffee drink achieved through a specialised high-pressure brewing process. This method requires near-boiling water to be forced through finely ground, compacted coffee under immense pressure, typically 9 bars. 

As mentioned, the extraction is fast, typically 20 to 30 seconds, which is only made possible with a professional espresso machine. The result is the signature concentrated shot, characterised by a layer of reddish-brown foam called crema. At the same time, this short extraction gives the espresso its intense, bold flavour and a velvety, thick mouthfeel.

Regular Coffee: The Slow and Steady Drip

Regular drip coffee uses time and gravity for extraction. Unlike the espresso process, the brewing method involves hot water filtering or dripping through a medium-coarse bed of coffee grounds. 

This process is also slow, typically taking 4 to 12 minutes, and yields a low concentration of dissolved solids due to the high water-to-coffee ratio. The result is a milder, cleaner-tasting beverage, usually served in a larger volume. 

However, this still differs from the local Singaporean Kopi style. While different types of Singaporean Kopi also rely on filtration like drip coffee, they use a cloth sock filter to achieve a slightly thicker consistency.

What is Stronger: Espresso or Coffee?

Espresso is significantly stronger than regular drip coffee on a per-ounce basis. This intensity is the primary reason for its reputation as a “strong” drink, though overall caffeine content can vary by serving size, particularly for these reasons:

• Concentration: The actual strength is measured by Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Espresso’s high-pressure extraction yields a high TDS of around 8–12%, making it an intense brew. In contrast, drip coffee typically has a TDS of only 1.15–1.45%
• Caffeine: While one ounce of espresso has more caffeine per volume, a typical large cup of drip coffee will often contain a higher total amount of caffeine (approximately 95 to 120 mg in an 8-ounce cup) than a single 1-ounce espresso shot (approximately 63 mg). The flavour intensity, however, remains with the espresso due to its superior concentration.

Why Method Matters for Quality and Events

The gentler wash of drip coffee and its slow brewing process is ideal for a quiet morning at home. However, when you’re serving hundreds of excited guests at a corporate function or a wedding reception, that pace would only cause chaos and long queues. 

For events, you need the guarantee of high-volume service, precision, and café-quality consistency, which is exactly what Nineteen95 can provide. Our mobile coffee cart packages include speciality-grade Colombian beans and fresh barista milk to ensure every beverage meets true café standards.

What’s more, the espresso method is key to our high-volume service, allowing our baristas to quickly pull shots and create customised beverages for hundreds of guests with minimal waiting time.

Contact Nineteen95 today about our corporate events and wedding coffee cart packages and let your guests enjoy a quality caffeine fix.