The term espresso roast refers to the way coffee beans are roasted and prepared, typically for espresso brewing. Here's a breakdown:

1. Roasting:

• Espresso Roast: Generally a medium to dark roast, designed to create a balance of boldness, smoothness, and body that works well under the high pressure and quick brewing process of espresso machines.
• Other Roasts: Include light, medium, and dark roasts. Light roasts are often brighter and more acidic, while dark roasts are heavier, with stronger roasted flavors.

2. Caffeine Content:

The amount of caffeine depends on roasting level and brewing method:

• Roasting Impact: Lighter roasts tend to retain more caffeine because the beans are less roasted and have a higher density. In contrast, espresso or dark roasts lose a small amount of caffeine during the longer roasting process but develop bolder flavors.
• Brewing Method: Espresso itself doesn’t have "less caffeine" but is served in smaller quantities (1 oz or so). By volume, espresso has more caffeine than drip coffee, but a full cup of drip coffee contains more total caffeine because of the larger serving size.

Summary:

• Espresso roast is roasted darker than light or medium roasts but less than some dark roasts to suit the brewing process.
• Light roasts tend to have slightly more caffeine by weight, but brewing choices impact the final caffeine content more. Espresso packs a caffeine punch in a small serving but contains less total caffeine than a typical 8 oz cup of drip coffee.