{
    "id": 1070292,
    "title": "Red espresso: rooibos through an espresso machine",
    "slug": "red-espresso-rooibos",
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    "url": "https://teas.co.uk/wiki/red-espresso-rooibos/",
    "modified": "2026-09-18T00:45:35+01:00",
    "excerpt": "Red espresso is finely ground rooibos brewed like a coffee shot. How it works, why ordinary rooibos will not do, and how to make a red latte without a machine.",
    "content_text": "Red espresso is rooibos ground as fine as coffee so it can be brewed in an espresso machine. You put it in the portafilter, pull a shot, and get a deep red, concentrated rooibos with a light crema. It behaves like espresso in a drink \u2014 red latte, red cappuccino, iced red americano \u2014 but it is naturally caffeine-free, because rooibos is not tea and not coffee.\r\nThe idea began in South Africa, where rooibos grows, and the original brand's brewing guidance is the usual starting point: about 14g of ground rooibos for a 60ml double shot, without tamping. Red Espresso brewing guide\r\nWhy you cannot just use ordinary rooibos\r\nAn espresso machine forces hot water through a compacted bed of grounds at pressure. That only works if the particles are the right size and shape. Ordinary loose rooibos, or the contents of a tea bag, is far too coarse: the water rushes straight through, you get coloured water rather than a shot, and fine bits escape into the cup.\r\nGround rooibos sold for espresso machines is milled specifically for that job. That is the whole product.\r\nTwo other practical points:\r\n\r\nDo not tamp it hard. The maker's guidance is not to tamp; rooibos compacts differently from coffee and over-tamping chokes the shot.\r\nClean afterwards. Rooibos stains and leaves fine red residue. Flush the group head and rinse the basket, or your next coffee tastes faintly of it.\r\n\r\nMaking a red latte without a machine\r\nYou do not need an espresso machine to get the same drink.\r\n\r\nBrew double-strength rooibos: two bags, or 4g of loose rooibos, in 100ml of freshly boiled water for 5 minutes. Dragonfly Organic Pure Rooibos works well.\r\nSteam or froth 150ml of milk, dairy or oat.\r\nPour the milk over the rooibos concentrate.\r\nSweeten if you like \u2014 a little honey suits it.\r\n\r\nThat is a red latte in three minutes, and rooibos is forgiving enough that a long, strong brew does not turn bitter.\r\nWho it suits\r\n\r\nAnyone avoiding caffeine who misses the ritual of a coffee shop drink.\r\nHouseholds where one person drinks coffee and another does not: the same machine makes both.\r\nEvenings, when a flat white is out of the question.\r\n\r\nRooibos also takes milk naturally well, which is why it works in these drinks where most teas would not. More in our rooibos guide.\r\nCommon questions\r\nIs red espresso actually espresso?\r\nNo. It borrows the brewing method and the format, not the coffee.\r\nDoes it contain caffeine?\r\nNo. Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free.\r\nWill it damage my machine?\r\nUsed as intended, with a product ground for espresso machines, it is fine \u2014 clean it afterwards. Do not put ordinary loose tea in a portafilter.\r\nDoes it taste like coffee?\r\nNo. It tastes like a very concentrated rooibos: sweet, woody, smooth. The comparison is about the drink you build with it.\r\nCan I use a moka pot or an Aeropress?\r\nAn Aeropress works well with double-strength rooibos and is much easier to clean. A moka pot is harder to control and clogs more easily.",
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