For years I have been using the same coffee maker to brew my morning cup of Joe. This had seemed like an adequate means of getting my caffeine fix in the morning, but last Christmas my mother in-law bought me an espresso machine. In my naivety, I thought that this premium model was simply a superfluous extravagance, but I quickly learned to appreciate the luxuriousness of quality espresso.

As I have learned, there is actually a distinct difference between coffee and espresso, two terms that I formerly used interchangeably. Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage that is created by brewing finely ground beans at a high pressure. This process actually gives it a higher caffeine content than traditional coffee, which means that it is more effective at waking me up in the morning.

The taste of espresso is also stronger and more concentrated, which any coffee aficionado will appreciate. Because of this strong flavor, espresso is often mixed with other ingredients to create lattes, mochas, and other specialty coffee beverages.