One word, so many meanings…..You can make this a simple as possible, but why do that when we can make it complicated!

….just depends on what you are saying.

Espresso - a beverage produced by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee in a rapid manner (ideally between 26 to 34 seconds) and normally made from a blend of coffees which then provides its unique flavour complexity.

Espresso - a blend of several types and/or origins of coffee that when mixed together will produce a well balanced shot (in terms of body and acidity) with a clearly defined and lasting crema. The actual word comes from the fact that this beverage is  made rapidly - hence in italian, fast.

Espresso - a definition of a particular roasting profile used by some roasters. Not scientific or quantifiable, hence no two shall ever be the same, lest by chance….

Espresso - a grind size, which of course must be different for every machine out there due to the nuances and capabilities of each machine. Commercial equipment tends to use a very similar grind, home equipment usually follows a rule of thumb, the less you paid for the machine, the coarser you will need to grind the coffee in order to get a decent pull.

Espresso - a plant sold at Home Depot that supposedly will give espresso beans? Actually bought some a few years back just for the novelty of having a coffee plant growing in Canada….they died rather quickly, a testament to my poor gardening skills

Espresso - brown paint that nobody could come up with a better name for and that varies vastly from beige to almost black…..

Not last, most definitely least…..EXPRESSO…..there is no X in espresso, do not use it, do not say it, it does not belong there…..enough said.