At Pact we appreciate that everyone’s an individual, with personal preferences when it comes to how they like their coffee.

That’s why we strive to cater for all brew methods and tastes. So when you start a plan, we’ll ask you a few questions to make sure we get your coffee just right.

One of the choices you’ll make is between filter or espresso coffee.

We thought we’d take a little time to explain a bit more about what the difference is. Spoiler alert: it’s all about your preferred brew method.

Which coffee is right for you?

Espresso is, first and foremost, a brewing method (a little more about that later!). But the coffees you’ll see labelled as espresso work best in espresso or bean to cup machines. Espresso tends to require a darker roast, and a more robust flavour – so these coffees have been specially selected and balanced with this in mind.

On the other hand, our filter coffee option is suitable for the V60, AeroPress, French Press, Drip and Chemex. These coffees range from light to medium-dark roasts, which helps preserve more of the subtle flavours in the coffee.

So, choose espresso coffees for espresso and bean to cup machines, and filter coffee for most other brew methods! This is our recommendation – but we’ll grind any of our coffees for you, whichever way you like.

The History of the Espresso

Once upon a time, brewing a cup of coffee could take quite a while and as we all know, sometimes you need that caffeine hit straight away. So in the 19th century, inventors started looking for a way to speed up the process.

Many machines and patents came along, but the one that’s widely considered to be the first real espresso machine was invented by Angelo Moriondo in 1884. It was the first machine to use both water and steam to produce coffee instantly. However, this was a large scale bulk brewer, as opposed to a machine that brewed coffee for each individual customer.

Welcome to the stage, Luigi Bezzerra! Who in 1901, improved on Moriondo’s design and created a machine that could brew coffee to order almost instantly. It was Bezzerra’s invention that would inspire many other espresso machines, which spread across the world to bring expresso coffee to the masses. 

The History of Filter Coffee

The very first paper filter was invented by Melitta Bentz in 1908. She was a German entrepreneur, who loved coffee but disliked the grounds that were often found in brewed coffee at the time.

Taking matters into her own hands, she experimented with different ways of brewing. This included using her son’s blotting paper, in precisely the same way we use a filter for pour over coffee now. The result was a superior brew, free of grounds and far easier to clean up after.

A patent soon followed and together with her husband, she started the Melitta company, which is still a thriving business today. 

Pact’s Coffee Menu - Filter vs. Espresso

Best for espresso enthusiasts:

Try Bourbon Cream Espresso - a dark roast coffee, with rich, chocolatey hints of Bourbon biscuits, it’s everything an espresso should be.

Best for filter fans:

Choose Planalto - thick and creamy, like a chocolate malt milkshake, Planalto is our bestselling filter coffee - delicious brewed in everything from AeroPress to the V60.

Need some brewing tips?

Check out our Brew Guides for help achieving filter or espresso brewing perfection.