Are you happiest when caffeinated? Here at Spiffster Tie Club we go through hundreds of coffees every day. Maybe even twice as much on a Monday morning (Needed or we’ll accidentally dip our necktie in our coffee trying to wake up. Good thing we run a tie subscription service). But it got us thinking what the different types of coffee are. So we went ahead and did some researching and decided it’s time for our Spiffster members to learn the differences between coffees. Afterall, coffee is without a doubt, one of the most common and popular types of beverage in the world.
Espresso Based Drinks
The espresso-based drinks are coffees that can be made using espresso or cappuccino machines. These drinks have the following common ingredients:
- Steamed milk
- Foam
- Espresso
The only difference in these drinks is the quantity of the three ingredients. The main differences between espresso coffee and drip coffee are the fineness of the grind and the brewing time. Espresso beans are ground very finely — much finer than for regular coffee. The consistency of the grind is almost like powdered sugar. The more finely the coffee is ground, the slower the espresso comes out. The brewing time for espresso coffee is much shorter, made possible by espresso machines that generate higher water pressure than your Keurig. What should come out is a dark brown, slightly thick liquid with a small amount of foam (aka Crema) on top.
Types of Coffee
Here are some things you need to know about different types of coffee.
Americano
The favorite among many Starbucks coffee drinkers. Americano is known to have a Latin American origin, dating back to the 1970s. This is also known as Long Black, and making this coffee is extremely easy. All you have to do is add one or a double shot of espresso and hot water. This was made popular by the American soldiers for rationing coffee.
Short Black
Most commonly known as espresso, the espresso is the base of every coffee. This type of coffee can also be enjoyed solely. It is made using a smaller content of the caffeine. You will have to shoot boiling water under high pressure with the help of ground up coffee beans. After that, you can pour it into a mug.
This type of coffee doesn’t require any extras or milk. Though making it seems simple and easy, it is quite challenging to master. This is because it is the purest coffee experience that can only be enjoyed if the brew is good. It is the reason why it is an acquired taste for only some people.
Flat White
This type of coffee can be found in New Zealand and Australia. For making flat white coffee, you need to pour steamed milk from the bottom of the jug on the shot of espresso. The milk at the bottom is creamy rather than frothy and not diluted with foam, which results in a stronger drink that uses a smaller serving size to deliver the same amount of coffee. It is an ideal choice for moms and dads who try to stay awake.
Piccolo Latte
Also known as Macchiato, it consists of a shot of espresso and foamed milk. This drink is topped with foamed milk that is dashed into the cup. It is stronger than cappuccino as steam milk is not added. The serving size is usually small, mostly in an espresso sized cup. Often served with a syrup such as caramel or vanilla that makes a delicious coffee drink.
Cappuccino
In cappuccino, steamed milk is added to the shot of espresso and micro-foam is added on top of the milk. It is an espresso-based drink of Italian origin, that is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 wet foamed milk. Therefore, it is typically stronger than lattes. Usually, it is topped with chocolate and served in a cup.