PSA: Your "espresso" beans might not be espresso beans at all

So I went to a local roaster last month and asked for their espresso blend. The guy behind the counter just pointed at a bag and said "that's our espresso roast." I bought it, took it home, and it tasted like burnt dirt. Then I went back a week later and actually talked to the roaster. He told me there's no such thing as espresso beans - espresso is just a brewing method. That "espresso roast" is just a marketing thing, usually means they roasted it darker. Now I just pick a medium roast single origin and dial it in myself. Tastes way better. Anyone else get tricked by this or am I the last one to figure it out?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancyj111mo ago

Wait, the roaster guy straight up told you that to your face?

ryan_shah381mo ago

@nancyj11 yeah he just looked me dead in the eye and said it while I was holding a bag of beans I thought were "single origin" - guess I deserve it for being that guy who thinks fancy labels make me a coffee connoisseur or something.

ryan_barnes1mo ago

Isn't it funny how we fall for marketing in other areas of life too, like "gourmet" frozen dinners that are just regular meals in a fancy box? I swear half the stuff in the grocery store is just repackaged to sound more impressive. You really gotta dig past the label to find what's actually good, you know?