# Does Greek coffee had more or less caffiene than espresso?



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Does Greek coffee had more or less caffiene than espresso?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Depends on types of coffees and quality of same. Same as asking which has more butterfat  US Butter or Irish Butter???????


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

If the same quality and quantity is used, does the brewing method affect the caffine?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Not sure about caffeine, ask a chemist , but it effects taste.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Caffine is heat sensitive, and is affected by the roasting time rather than the brewing. Dark roasts, for instance, have lower caffine levels even if you start with the same beans.

My understanding is that espresso is based on the grind. It's a very fine grind, almost powder, which results in a very strong brew (based on equal amounts of coffee and water, that is).


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

KYHeirloomer said:


> Caffine is heat sensitive, and is affected by the roasting time rather than the brewing. Dark roasts, for instance, have lower caffine levels even if you start with the same beans.
> 
> My understanding is that espresso is based on the grind. It's a very fine grind, almost powder, which results in a very strong brew (based on equal amounts of coffee and water, that is).


Thanks!

Greek coffee is even finer than espresso, so it should have more caffine then.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Not necessarily, Abe. The grind affects how dark and strong the brewed coffee will be. But the caffine levels are determined by how long the beans were roasted.

With coffee, "strong" is a word describing the flavor. You can, for instance, brew a very strong cup of decaffinated coffee merely by changing the grind.

Do you have access to a coffee press? Normally they are used with a course grind. But try brewing a press using a finer grind (not as fine as esperesso, though, or you'll clog the filter). You should be able to go as fine as a drip grind. Note how much darker and stronger the coffee is, even though you started with the same beans, same amount of water, and steeped them for the same amount of time.

What you will not have affected, however, is the caffine level.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Abe,

You're asking about brewing methods and not the roast or blend?  That is, you're talking about the brewing method of steeping the grinds in an ibrik (aka cezve) as opposed to using an espresso machine to force hot water through a porrofilter pressure-packed with grinds?

Everything else being equal, ounce for ounce, the coffee prepared in an ibrik, according to the usual Greek/ Turkish/ Arab method will be more caffeinated.   Offhand, I forget by how much but do recall the difference may primarily be attributed to grind (i.e., contact area), contact time, solubility and temperature variation.  

Everything else being equal, cup for cup espresso has about 1/3 less caffeine than found in coffee brewed n "normal" automatic and pour over drip/filter makers.  The joker in the deck is that an espresso demitass is about 1/4 the size of a coffee mug.  Ounce for ounce, espresso is a little more than twice as caffeinated. 

Stupidly, I'm pulling this from that bag of cement I call my head and not from any recent research -- including Wiki.  Maybe somebody who's interested should actually research it.

By the way, "espresso roast" coffee is a very poor choice for making espresso.  The brewing method so concentrates the flavors that very dark roasts taste horrible.  "Espresso" and other extremely dark roasts can work pretty well in fitler-drips though.

Shoot me a shot from the wonderful pot,

BDL


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

If it makes you more nervous, or keeps you awake! !!! Maybe /


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## giraffic (Jan 16, 2010)

Ed Buchanan said:


> Depends on types of coffees and quality of same. Same as asking which has more butterfat US Butter or Irish Butter???????


I've tried Irish Butter....... it has a very"odd" taste to it. Is it just butter fat that would make it Irish butter?


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