What is the difference between black coffee and espresso? Black coffee and espresso are perhaps some of the most prominent characters in the coffee scene. The day starts with them across the world. Every coffee drink recipe will have either black coffee or espresso in it. Today, we will look into similarities and differences between black coffee and espresso! Let’s dive in.


This post contains references to products. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products, at NO charge to you. Please visit this page for our Affiliate Policy. 

Comparison and difference between black coffee and espresso

  Black coffee Espresso
Volume 8 oz 1 oz
Ingredients Coffee and water Coffee and water
Machine Drip coffee maker Espresso machine
Beans Arabica or Robusta Arabica
Roast Medium or dark Medium
Grind size Medium Fine
Flavor Strong, flavorful Intense, rich, creamy
Time to brew 5 minutes Up to 2 minutes
Caffeine 95 mg 63 mg
Calories 2 calories 1 calorie
Cost per drink Circa $0.4 Circa $0.13

What is black coffee all about?

Can you imagine an all American breakfast without a mug of black coffee? A big, hearty mug of hot coffee has become the epitome for breakfast in our culture, just like some delicious bacon and pancakes. And in almost every American home you’ll find what it takes to brew a delicious mug of black coffee, a drip coffee machine.

Black coffee can be quite cheap to brew, depending on the type of coffee you buy. In general, an 8 ounce cup of black coffee costs about $0.30  to $0.40 to brew.

Who can enjoy black coffee?

There are a couple of groups of people that may fall in love with black coffee:

  • Individuals who want to decide on the strength of their coffee. One of the advantages of black coffee is that it can be as rich or as strong as you would like. It is all up to you, the coffee barista, how much coffee grounds you put in the drip coffee maker.
  • Those who like drinking several cups of coffee throughout the day. Black coffee is extremely easy to brew, and it can come in fairly large quantities. As a matter of fact, some drip coffee makers can brew up to 64oz of coffee at a time. Be careful though! 8oz of black coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine. This is quite a lot. Drinking late in the day may interfere with sleep and sleep patterns.
  • People who have to watch their cholesterol levels. In general, people with increased cholesterol should drink filtered coffee, which means that black coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker using a paper filter is the correct choice for them.

Brewing black coffee can take anywhere between 2 to 15 minutes

Brewing black coffee is easy and convenient. In fact, newer drip coffee makers are fast. However, the brewing time largely depends on the quantity of coffee to brew. To fill a full 12-cup carafe, the machine can take anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, brewing just one cup of coffee is fast, ranging anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes.

Any additional ingredients to have a mug of perfect black coffee?

Though black coffee should be served without any additives, I drink my coffee with milk. On some days, I experiment with frothing milk with a very simple and inexpensive milk frother. On other days, I just add plain milk to my coffee.

I have found that there were no magical rules really. I have experimented quite a lot to know how I like my coffee. You may want to run some tests and see how much milk you prefer, and stick with what’s best for you?

Black coffee and weight loss

Adding milk to my coffee does not help with my weight loss, though. While 8 oz of black coffee have only 2 calories, a tablespoon of fat free milk can add up to 5 calories to my diet.

And I am not using creamer, because that would be even worse for my waist line: a tablespoon of plain nondairy powder creamer has around 33 calories, and a tablespoon of a plain nondairy liquid creamer has around 20 calories.

How to brew a perfect cup of black coffee

✔️ What coffee beans should I use for a perfect cup of black coffee?

Drip coffee makers are not very pretentious, and they can accept almost any type of coffee.

  • Grind size: a medium grind size works best with drip machines. We recommend staying away from the fine grind size, since these can clog the metal filters inside drip coffee makers.
  • Roast: this truly is a personal preference. We recommend medium or dark roast for the full richness and depth of flavor.
  • Bean type: Arabica beans work best with any brewing method, but if you are buying your coffee from the supermarket, the chances are high that you might be using Robusta coffee, since this is the bean type many supermarket coffee brands use.

✔️ What drip coffee makers can brew some awesome coffee?

We keep the list of the best drip coffee machines updated. This might hopefully be a good resource to begin research.

Among good value drip coffee makers, Ninja Coffee 12 Cup Programmable Brewer has strength settings, custom brew technology, plus other features that we really love. Plus, it is among affordable coffee makers.

For fancier (and more expensive) drip coffee makers, Breville BDC400 Precision Brewer Coffee Maker with Glass Carafe is a great machine.

And since buying coffee beans is always better than buying ground coffee, you’ll need a good coffee grinder. Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind 4.5oz Electric Coffee Grinder for Beans, Spices and More, Stainless Steel Blades, Black (80335R) is an excellent choice.

What is espresso all about?

Espresso is a short, creamy and rich tasting coffee drink that originated in Italy but is now popular in the whole world. Every coffee shop that respects itself has to serve espresso. Even more so since espresso is the base of several gourmet coffee recipes like cappuccino, latte and mocha.

Espresso is not expensive to brew, but it all depends on the type of coffee I choose. If I pay $8 for a pound of coffee, one shot of espresso will cost around $0.13.

Who can enjoy espresso?

There are a couple of groups of people that may fall in love with black coffee:

  • Espresso can be great for individuals who love intense flavors. Espresso is rather strong and rich, and it should not be diluted.
  • People who are in a rush, or enjoy drinking coffee fast. You might notice that espresso drinkers seem to be always in a hurry, and that espresso is usually consumed while standing up.
  • Individuals who do not need to worry about cholesterol levels or heart problems. Espresso is unfiltered coffee and is not advised for people with certain health conditions.

Brewing espresso is quick

Brewing espresso is fairly quick. It typically takes about 2-5 minutes to brew a shot of espresso. Unlike black coffee that can be brewed in large quantities at once, espresso comes in shots. One shot of espresso has 1 ounce of concentrated coffee.

Espresso or some other espresso-based drink?

Many people who prefer to drink their espresso as it is for a quick caffeine kick. The big difference between black coffee and espresso is that 1oz of espresso contains about 63 mg of caffeine. This is about 7 times as much caffeine as in the same quantity of black coffee.

However, there are other espresso-based drinks. You may decide between cappuccino or latte, which we covered in the previous part of the Brew like a Pro series.

Espresso is awesome for the weight loss

A shot of espresso will add almost zero calories to my diet, but the same cannot be said about cappuccinos and lattes. So, if a shot of espresso (1 oz) has 1 calorie, a cappuccino has 90 calories, a latte has 67 calories, and a mocha has 187 calories.

How to brew a perfect shot of espresso

✔️ What coffee beans should I use for a perfect shot of espresso?

Another difference between black coffee and espresso is the way of brewing. Espresso machines are much more finicky than drip coffee makers, and they need to be approach with care.

✔️ What espresso machines can brew some awesome coffee?

An espresso machine might not be the cheapest investment, but it can be a durable one. So instead of spending money on something that will break in a few months, I would prefer to spend on something a bit more pricey. This, consequently, pays back with durability.

Among value espresso makers, I like DeLonghi EC702 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Maker.

But, for those who are able to afford something fancier (and more expensive), De’Longhi La Specialista Espresso Machine with Sensor Grinder can be an amazing option. It features a 15 BAR pump pressure power, active temperature control, advanced latte system and integrated bean grinder.

Bottom line

There are some differences between black coffee and espresso. Black coffee brews in a drip coffee maker, and is typically consumed in larger volumes. There’s more control in deciding on the strength and flavor in brewing black coffee. On the other hand, espresso is much smaller, contains much more caffeine and requires a fancier espresso machine.

Despite those differences, there are many similarities between black coffee and espresso. Both have become among the favorite coffee beverages across the American continent.

Personally, I enjoy both, as long as I add some milk. Therefore, black coffee becomes coffee con leche, while espresso becomes a semi-latte. In the end, though, it is up to you to decide between black coffee and espresso. It is a highly personal decision. The good thing is that both coffee drinks can be personalized.

What do you think the main difference between black coffee and espresso is? Do you see any espresso vs black coffe difference? Which one do you like better, black coffee or espresso? Which one is easier to brew?

Let us know in the comments! Share with your friends!

Did you find the post helpful?
[Number of Owly votes: 4 Average: 5]