Are you always feeling lost at what type of coffee drink to order at cafes and bistros? With so many types of coffee drink, choosing a drink can be overwhelming at times. The selection on the type of coffee drink is up to individual based on their personal preferences. In this article, we are going to walk you through the characteristics of the different types of coffee drinks to lessen your burden and help in your decision making!
There are two major categories of the type of coffee drinks: Non-Milk Based Coffee Drinks and Milk Based Coffee Drinks.
Non-Milk Based Coffee Drinks
Espresso
Concentrated coffee shot, usually 30ml. a good and fresh cup of espresso will feature a thick golden crema (like beer foam) on top. Espresso is also the base of all other types of coffee drinks, only differentiated by different contents – like milk – added to it.
Ristretto
Ristretto is similar to espresso, except that rather than allowing water to pass through the coffee grounds until you have 30ml of espresso, the extraction stops at half that amount – 15ml. The purpose of this is to extract only the best components of coffee for the best coffee shot.
Long Black
Serviced in a tall glass, a long black is made by pouring espresso into a glass of hot or cold water to dilute the intensity of an espresso shot.
Americano
Americano is similar to long black but done in reverse. An Americano is made by pouring hot or cold water into a glass of espresso to dilute the intensity of an espresso shot.
Milk has been a go to pair for coffee, as early as the 1600s people around the world has made a variation of a milk based coffee drink one way or another. With the proliferation of Starbucks and their similar counterparts, we’re introduced to a series of milk based espresso drink, namely the Capuccino and the Latte. But what are the differences between them?
Milk Based Coffee Drinks
Cappuccino
Cappuccino usually consists of equal parts espresso, steamed milk and frothed milk. Ideally, a cappuccino should have all these 3 parts in perfect harmony where the foam, milk and espresso blends uniformly and smoothly and the drinker have exactly as much foam in her last sip as she did in her first.
Caffe Latte
While its translation means coffee milk, this coffee drink is a hot favourite to all who enjoys the flavors of espresso, while wanting the milk sweetness to mask the harshness from the expected dark flavors. A typical ratio of 1:5, it consists of espresso with a lot of warm milk and a little bit of froth. The milk is stretched while being poured into the cup to bring out the flavours (and show off some artistic latte art).
Caffe Mocha
For those with a sweet tooth, Caffe Mocha is a combination of rich chocolate, milk and espresso to provide the ultimate combination. This is a perfect mix of coffee and chocolate.
Flat White
One of the most contentious drink, some would say it a drink served with a smaller milk to coffee ratio hence a smaller cup, others would be like the one we’ll be describing below.
Flat white is very similar to a latte, consisting of espresso and warm milk. The difference here is that the milk in Flat White uses less texturised milk that presents little to no foam.
Cortado
A cortado is a popular smaller-sized hot coffee beverage that contains espresso and warm milk. The balance between the espresso and milk is 1:1, (about half espresso, half milk). This amount of milk primarily serves to reduce the acidity of the espresso. It’s also important to note that the warm milk in the cortado is steamed, but it doesn’t have as much froth or milk foam as other Italian coffee beverages.
So there you have it! The guide to different types of coffee drinks. Now you’re well-equipped to visit the cafes and bistros and order with gusto!