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Even folks who haven’t touched a cup of coffee in all of their lives will likely have heard of Keurig. These little machines can be found in homes all over the country as well as office break rooms. Their simplicity makes them an easy buy for lots of people (especially those who are busy): With just one coffee capsule, one button press, and one minute, you can be on your way with a fresh brew. But what if your brew of choice is an espresso? If you’re a regular Tasting Table reader, you probably already know that Keurigs and all single-serving podded coffee machines like Nespresso can’t brew authentic espresso shots. However, if you know the right trick, you can get pretty close.
Take a dark roast pod (or any espresso-style pod, like the Lavazza Espresso K-Cup Pods), and then brew with the smallest brew size available in your Keurig (either 4-ounce or 6-ounce setting, depending on the model you have). The smaller the size, the less water is used for brewing, and the more concentrated the flavor will be. It’s a bit more coffee than a typical 1-ounce shot of espresso, but the final Keurig brew should give you roughly the same level of boldness — and just as mighty and flavorful of a kick!
So, what exactly are in those espresso K-Cup pods?
You probably have them in your pantry right now: K-Cup pods with “espresso” splashed across the label, like the Starbucks Espresso Roast K-Cup Pods or Maud’s Espresso Coffee Pods. Lots of people mistakenly believe that these pods give them a shot of espresso with a button push. However, the reality is that inside these pods is actually just dark-roast coffee blends, designed to give you as bold of a brew as possible to mimic the intensity of a true espresso. So, what you get is basically just an extra-strong cup of coffee. It’s not a bad thing; in fact, you can use a Keurig-brewed dark roast like the Café Bustelo Espresso-Style K-Cups as the base for your espresso martini. We’d even say it’s the best K-Cup for an espresso martini. Nonetheless, it’s still a long way from a proper espresso.
Want proof? The next time you make a Keurig “espresso,” take a close look. The crema, a critical component in any good shot of espresso, is going to be missing. The crema forms from the oils and gases trapped inside the beans being forced out and into the brew by the high-pressure jet of hot water produced by the espresso machine. Keurigs brew at less than one bar of pressure, while most espresso machines have nine bars of pressure, so no matter what size setting you use, your brew is always going to lack a crema.
If that’s a dealbreaker for you, perhaps a good budget espresso machine might be more your style. But if Keurig’s all you have? Well, a cup of strong “espresso-style” coffee can still taste pretty darn good.
