Short answer
Espresso is a concentrated coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground, tightly packed coffee in about half a minute. It is the base of most cafe drinks. Katiza Café lists a single and a double espresso on its menu.
Espresso is a small, concentrated coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground, tightly packed coffee under pressure for roughly 25 to 30 seconds. The result is a short, intense drink topped with a golden foam called crema. Espresso is also the base for latte, cappuccino, flat white and most other cafe coffees.
What is espresso?
Espresso is a brewing method and a drink: a machine pushes hot water through a compact puck of fine coffee grounds, producing about 30 ml of thick, aromatic coffee. The word comes from Italian and is commonly explained as meaning pressed out or made quickly for the customer.
Espresso is not a type of bean or roast. Any coffee can be brewed as espresso, although many cafes choose a medium to dark roast for body. Because the method extracts quickly, grind size and dose matter more than in most other coffee methods.
How is espresso pulled?
An espresso is pulled by grinding fresh coffee finely, packing it into a portafilter, tamping it level and running hot water through it for about half a minute. The shot is then served immediately.
- Grind coffee fresh, fine and even.
- Dose the coffee into the portafilter basket and level it.
- Tamp firmly and evenly.
- Lock the portafilter in and start the machine.
- Stop the shot when the cup holds the target amount, often about twice the weight of the dry coffee.
- Serve at once, because crema fades.
Cafes adjust the grind and dose daily, since humidity and coffee freshness change how fast water flows through the puck.
What is crema?
Crema is the reddish-gold foam that sits on top of a fresh espresso, formed when pressure dissolves gas and emulsifies coffee oils. A thick, even layer of crema is a sign of fresh coffee and a well-run shot.
Crema tastes slightly bitter and disappears within a few minutes. Many people stir it into the espresso before drinking so the flavours blend.
Single vs double espresso: what is the difference?
A single espresso uses less coffee and makes about 30 ml, while a double uses about twice as much and makes about 60 ml. Most modern cafes pull doubles as their standard shot and use them in milk drinks.
| Feature | Single | Double |
|---|---|---|
| Typical volume | About 30 ml (1 oz) | About 60 ml (2 oz) |
| Dose | Smaller basket | Larger basket |
| Common use | Straight sip | Straight sip or milk drinks |
The Katiza Café menu lists both: Espresso, Simple at $3.60 and Espresso, Double at $3.85 on Uber Eats, read 14 November 2026. These are app prices and may differ in the shop.
What do espresso drinks have in common?
Almost every cafe coffee is espresso plus something else: milk, foam, water or chocolate. The difference between the drinks is the amount and texture of the added part.
| Drink | Built from |
|---|---|
| Americano | Espresso and hot water |
| Macchiato | Espresso with a small amount of foam |
| Cortado | Espresso and a similar amount of warm milk |
| Flat white | Espresso and steamed milk with fine foam |
| Latte | Espresso and plenty of steamed milk |
| Cappuccino | Espresso, steamed milk and thick foam |
| Mocha | Espresso, chocolate and milk |
Each of these is on the Katiza Café menu, so a reader can compare them by ordering over several visits.
How does roast and grind affect espresso?
Roast level changes the flavour of espresso: lighter roasts taste brighter and more acidic, while darker roasts taste heavier, more bitter and smoky. Grind size controls how fast the water flows, and therefore how the shot tastes.
- Too coarse: water runs quickly and the shot tastes thin and sour.
- Too fine: water runs slowly and the shot tastes harsh and bitter.
- Just right: a balanced shot with sweetness, some acidity and a clean finish.
Cafes rarely share their blend on menus, and the Katiza Café listing does not state its coffee origin or roast, so that stays unknown.
How do you drink espresso?
Espresso is usually drunk in two or three sips, soon after it is made, often with a glass of water on the side. Many cafes serve it in a small, thick-walled cup that holds heat.
Some drinkers add a little sugar, others take it plain. In Italy and elsewhere, espresso is commonly taken standing at a counter. In Canadian cafes, it is also common to order it as a double.
How can you order espresso at Katiza Café?
Katiza Café sells espresso as Espresso, Simple ($3.60) and Espresso, Double ($3.85) on Uber Eats, read 14 November 2026, along with milk drinks built on it such as the cortado ($4.75), the macchiato ($3.95) and the Americano ($3.85).
The cafe is at 216 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest in Old Montreal. RestoMontreal lists hours of 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Thursday and 9 AM to 6 PM Friday to Sunday, so call before a late visit. The menu page shows every drink, and the hours and location page lists the sources.
How do you store coffee for espresso?
Coffee for espresso is best stored whole bean, in an airtight container, away from heat, light and moisture, and ground just before brewing. Ground coffee loses aroma quickly.
Buy only as much as you will use over a few weeks, and avoid refrigerating or freezing opened coffee repeatedly, since moisture can condense on the beans.
Espresso vs drip coffee: what is the difference?
Espresso is brewed under pressure in about 30 seconds from finely ground coffee, while drip coffee is brewed by gravity over several minutes from a coarser grind. The result is a smaller, thicker, more concentrated drink than drip coffee.
| Feature | Espresso | Drip coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Grind | Fine | Medium |
| Brew time | About 25 to 30 seconds | Several minutes |
| Pressure | Machine pressure | Gravity |
| Serving size | 30 to 60 ml | 240 ml or more |
| Body | Thick, with crema | Lighter, no crema |
The two are not interchangeable in recipes, so a cafe drink named after espresso should be built from a real shot.
What is a ristretto or a lungo?
A ristretto is a shorter, more concentrated espresso pulled with less water, and a lungo is a longer one pulled with more. Both use the same coffee and machine as a standard shot but change the volume.
- Ristretto: roughly half the usual volume, sweeter and thicker.
- Standard shot: the baseline.
- Lungo: roughly double the volume, thinner and more bitter.
Katiza Café’s menu lists only the simple and the double espresso, so ristretto and lungo are not recorded among its drinks.
Common questions
How many ounces is an espresso shot?
A single espresso is typically about 30 ml, or one ounce, and a double is about 60 ml, or two ounces. Exact volume depends on the dose and the recipe a cafe uses.
Is espresso stronger than drip coffee?
Espresso is more concentrated per millilitre than drip coffee, but a cup of drip coffee is larger, so it can contain as much or more caffeine overall. Strength in the cup and in the amount are different things.
What does crema mean?
Crema is the golden-brown foam that forms on top of a fresh espresso shot. It comes from coffee oils and tiny gas bubbles pushed out under pressure, and it fades within minutes.
Can you make espresso without a machine?
True espresso needs a machine that forces water through the coffee under high pressure. Moka pots and AeroPress brewers make strong coffee in the same spirit, but the result is not technically espresso.
Why is my espresso sour or bitter?
Sour espresso is usually under-extracted, from a grind that is too coarse or a shot that runs too fast. Bitter espresso is usually over-extracted, from a grind that is too fine or a shot that runs too slowly.
This page is part of the independent guide to Katiza Café, which has the address, hours and menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Katiza Café itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.