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Night owls and coffee connoisseurs will find their ideal caffeine powerhouse in Red Eye Coffee. Eight ounces of drip brew coffee with a shot of espresso make this strong drink provide much more caffeine than conventional espresso drinks or traditional americanos. Great for all-nighters, the Red Eye is named for its capacity to keep your eyes open at their most necessary.
Red Eye Coffee Recipe | How To Make The Perfect Red Eye Coffee
Red eye coffee is a powerful coffee drink that combines drip-brewed coffee with a shot of espresso for an extra caffeine kick. Perfect for early mornings or when you need maximum energy, this simple yet effective combination delivers bold flavor and sustained alertness in one satisfying cup.
| Prep Time | Brewing Time | Total | Serving |
| 3 minutes | 7 minutes | 10 minutes | 1 |
Nutrients:
| Calories | Caffeine | Protein | Fat | Sodium | Carbohydrates |
| 5 kcal | 140 mg | 0.3 gm | 0 gm | 5 mg | 30 g |
Essential Equipment:
| Drip coffee maker | Espresso machine | Coffee grinder |
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Drip brewed coffee | 8 oz |
| Espresso | 1 shot |
| Sugar | (as per taste) |
| Flavored syrup | (optional) |
Steps For Making
Let’s start with how to make a red eye coffee recipe. It is always important to keep the quality of ingredients maintained to a high level to make the best red eye coffee.
Brew The Drip Coffee
- Fill the water reservoir of your drip coffee maker with filtered water
- Place a paper filter in the filter basket of your coffee maker
- Add medium-ground coffee beans (approximately 2 tablespoons per 6 oz of water)
- Distribute the coffee grounds evenly in the filter basket
- Start the brewing cycle and brew 8 oz of drip coffee
- Pour the freshly brewed coffee into your serving mug
Pull A Shot of Espresso
- Grind fresh coffee beans to a fine consistency using your grinder
- Add the finely ground coffee to your espresso machine’s portafilter
- Tamp the grounds evenly and lock the portafilter into the machine
- Place a small cup under the portafilter or position it directly over your drip coffee
- Pull a single shot of espresso (approximately 1 oz) in 25-30 seconds
Combine and Serve
After pulling the espresso shot, pour it directly into the mug containing your drip coffee. Add sugar and flavored syrup according to your taste preferences. Stir gently to combine all ingredients and serve immediately while hot.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using stale coffee beans: Fresh beans are crucial for both the drip coffee and espresso components
- Incorrect grind size: Medium grind for drip coffee, fine grind for espresso – don’t mix them up
- Poor coffee-to-water ratio: This throws off the balance and strength of your base coffee
- Letting coffee sit too long: Serve immediately after combining for the best flavor and temperature
- Over-extracting the espresso: Stick to 25-30 seconds to avoid bitterness
These values are according to the ingredients mentioned above i.e. 8 oz of drip brew using Robusta coffee beans and 1 shot of espresso using the same coffee beans. Adding sugar or flavored syrups may change the values accordingly.
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What Makes Red Eye Coffee Special?
The extra caffeine rush required for early morning flights or late-night study sessions gives Red Eye coffee its name. The smooth, well-known flavor of drip coffee combined with the strong intensity of espresso produces a drink that is approachable yet exceedingly stimulating, thus it is ideal for people who need a lot of caffeine without compromising flavor.
How Much Caffeine In Red Eye Coffee
Red Eye Coffee packs approximately 200-280mg of caffeine per cup, combining roughly 95-165mg from 8 ounces of drip coffee with 64-75mg from a single espresso shot. This makes it significantly stronger than regular coffee (95mg) or americano (154mg), delivering nearly double the caffeine content for maximum alertness and energy.
What Is A Red Eye Coffee?
A red eye coffee is a caffeinated drink that contains a certain amount of drip brewed coffee (or any strong brewed coffee) and a single shot of espresso. Mixing up espresso is an interesting step in this recipe. Changing the number of espresso shots will create different variations.
For example, one espresso shot will make red eye coffee, two shots will create black eye and three shots will be titled as green eye/dead eye. It is important to know about all these terms whether you are ordering one in a coffee shop or making the recipe at home.
How Do You Classified Red Eye Coffee Taste Wise?
The red eye coffee is a stronger drink rather than other fellow drinks due to the higher amount of coffee grounds used in it. 1 cup of drip brew coffee commonly uses 1, 2 or 3 shots of espresso. But only the drink with 1 shot of espresso is called red eye. Amount of espresso shots other than 1 give different results and variations.
It has large amounts of caffeine in it which also makes it more bitter than a regular black coffee or simple espresso. If you want a lighter version of the similar flavor, you must try americano coffee or drip brew coffee separately. Although all these drinks don’t take much time to make.
What Is The Best Type Of Coffee Beans For Red Eye Coffee?
It is recommended to use Robusta coffee beans to make the Red Eye Coffee. Robusta beans have higher caffeine content (which is almost 2.2-2.7%) that makes them the perfect choice of this recipe. The higher caffeine content which is almost 2x of Arabica, makes it more bold and more bitter.
It is also ideal to use the same coffee beans to make espresso shots. Espresso shots must be stronger as well as drip brew coffee to make a strong combination of a typical red eye recipe. But there is a slight difference in the grind size, use medium grind size for drip brew and fine grind size for espresso. These sizes are ideal for the perfect taste and flavor.
Final Thoughts
The red eye originated in the United States of America. The term red eye comes from the red eyes of night travelers due to tiredness of journey. They need strong coffee to cure their tiredness. This amazing and unique recipe was introduced in around 1990. According to some sources it actually originated in the East and West Coast.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a red eye coffee?
A red eye coffee is a caffeinated drink that contains a certain amount of drip brewed coffee (or any strong brewed coffee) and a single shot of espresso.
How to make a red eye coffee
To make a red eye coffee you need 8 oz of drip brew and a single espresso shot. Combine them well and your favorite red eye coffee is ready to serve.
What’s the difference between a black eye and a red eye coffee?
The key difference between a black eye and a red eye coffee is the number of espresso shots. 1 espresso shot will make the red eye and 2 shots of espresso will form a black eye coffee.
How many shots is a red eye?
There is only one shot of espresso used to make a red eye with a cup of drip brew coffee.
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