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I love rooibos and ever have since my first South African friend, Adele, introduced it to me in 2014. Receiving a box of rooibos tea straight from her homeland was so exciting. She had so much joy sharing about this daily drink from a far away land.
After working in a tea house in Colorado, traveling around the world, and serving a lot of tea to friends in my own house, here's the only con I've had from this delightful herbal tea.
It never feels as strong as I'd like it to be.
Maybe that's just the coffee drinker in me, but I have always wanted Rooibos to hold up to milk really well. Play around with it a bit more.
Well, it is finally happening, and I may never go back to tea bags and loose leaf version.
Rooibos espresso, here we come.
What Red Espresso Is
Red Espresso is a South African company making something I hadn't seen before: rooibos ground to espresso fineness. That's it. It's still just rooibos, but the grind is fine enough to run through an espresso machine, a moka pot, or an AeroPress.
Just rooibos, milled for espresso-style brewing.
The product comes from South Africa, which is the only place rooibos actually grows, so there's nothing manufactured about this. It's a genuinely clever solution to a real problem.
They also make Nespresso pods, which I find kind of incredible. The fact that you can pop a rooibos capsule into a Nespresso machine and pull a caffeine-free "shot" is impressive.
That's on my list to try next.
How I've Been Using It
I started with my AeroPress, and I was genuinely surprised by how well it worked.
With regular loose-leaf rooibos, I always felt like I needed a lot of leaf and a long steep just to get something with any body to it.
With Red Espresso, I used a small amount, brewed it short and strong, and got a concentrated cup that actually held up in milk. It was darker, richer, and had that woody sweetness I love about rooibos, but intensified in a way I hadn't experienced before.
Blog: Tea AeroPress: Why It Works Well and What Teas to Try First
I didn't need to use much of it either. A dose that felt conservative gave me something strong enough to mix with steamed oat milk and still taste clearly like rooibos the whole way through. For an evening drink without caffeine, that's exactly what I wanted.
Why Rooibos Works Well with Milk
Rooibos has always been a natural pairing for milk. The tannins are low compared to black tea, so it doesn't go bitter or chalky when you add dairy or plant milk. The roasted, earthy notes actually play well with oat milk specifically. And because it's caffeine-free, it's something I can drink at 9pm without it touching my sleep.
The problem has never been the flavor profile. It's always been the strength. Red Espresso solves that.
Blog: What is the Difference Between Coffee and Tea? What is Specialty?
What to Get If You Want to Try This
Here's the short list of what you need:
This is the product. Worth ordering if you have any of the brewing methods below. The Nespresso pods are also available if you want the easiest possible entry point.
This is what I reach for first. It's portable, easy to clean, and gives you a lot of control over strength and brew time. If you already have one, start here. If you don't, it's one of the best pieces of tea and coffee equipment you can own for the price.
Blog: Tea AeroPress: Why It Works Well and What Teas to Try First
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine
If you want to run Red Espresso through an actual espresso machine at home, the Breville Barista Express is the move. It has a built-in grinder (though for Red Espresso you won't need it since the grind is already done), solid pressure, and it's the kind of machine that handles both daily coffee and occasional experiments like this without issue. It's an investment, but it's the most popular home espresso machine for a reason.
Cheers!
If you've been frustrated by rooibos being too weak for milk-based drinks, Red Espresso is the answer. It's not a gimmick. The grind actually produces a concentrated brew that holds up the way espresso does in a latte. And because rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, it's one of the few things I can make in the evening and not pay for it later.
I'll keep testing it in the moka pot and eventually try the Nespresso pods. But the AeroPress results alone were enough to make this a regular in my kitchen.