Albeit a little confusing, coffee beans and espresso beans are pretty much the same thing.

An espresso bean is a coffee bean but has been marketed and produced for optimal use in an espresso machine. 

You can use espresso beans in other methods of coffee brewing and you may find that the coffee beans you are purchasing have no mention of the word ‘espresso’ but extract a wonderful shot. 

However there are a few differences between coffee beans and espresso beans…

Roast Level

To start off with espresso machines, force hot water through a bed of ground coffee to extract a shot of espresso.

The process is short and the water is only in contact with the coffee for around 30 seconds. Although the coffee is ground fine, there is also a preferred roast level for espresso beans which is on the darker side of medium roast. 

Darker roast coffee has a lower density to lighter roasted coffee and is naturally more porous. This means that water can extract more of the soluble compounds at a quicker rate if the coffee is roasted dark as opposed to lighter on the scale. 

So you will often find the roast level for espresso coffee beans slightly darker than coffee beans roasted for filter.

Type of Coffee

As espresso coffee is often either added to water to make a long black or Americano or is served with milk to create milk based espresso drinks such as lattes or flat whites the coffee needs to taste ‘strong enough’ to cut through the added ingredients. 

Espresso coffee beans, especially commercial grade, will often contain Robusta coffee. As the name suggests, Robusta is a hardy coffee plant that produces coffee with a darker and stronger tasting flavour profile. 

Specialty espresso coffee beans that contain 100% Arabica coffee will often contain coffees from certain countries such as Brazil that are also famed for their full bodied flavours. 

Blends

Espresso coffee beans may be from a single origin but are commonly a blend of coffee beans. This is because blends offer a balanced cup where coffee roasters aim to highlight darker notes that will still be present once added to milk.

There are coffee blends that are geared towards filter coffee too but more often than not single origin coffee is better suited as a pour over.

So although espresso beans are coffee beans. Not all coffee beans are meant to be used as espresso beans. 

My top tips would be to assess the roast level of the coffee, you’re looking for a medium to dark roast, the coffee should be dark brown not black and still have a matt complexion (there shouldn't be any oils on the surface).

Have a look on the bags and if it’s a blend then there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to extract top notch espresso.

Can regular coffee beans be used for espresso?

Yes, any coffee beans can be used for espresso. Just be aware that if the coffee is roasted lighter, the water is less able to extract all of the soluble compounds so the shot may be weeker.

Also lighter roasts and certain types of coffee exhibit lighter, complex notes that may be lost when used in an espresso machine especially when combined with milk. 

Are espresso beans stronger than coffee beans?

This question has a few layers to it. 

Firstly, espresso beans and coffee beans as discussed are the same thing, however espresso beans are typically roasted on the darker end of the roasting scale.

So espresso beans may have a stronger taste as they exhibit darker flavour notes however the caffeine content remains the same whether a coffee is roasted dark or light. 

The exception to this is if the espresso beans contain Robusta coffee (which many blends do), which typically has a higher caffeine content than Arabica coffee. So in this case espresso coffee beans not only taste stronger but also have a higher caffeine content.