August 7, 2019

SO WHAT ARE THE POPULAR TYPES OF COFFEE, AND WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM?

If you go to your local café, you’ll likely be presented with some or all of the following options:

Espresso
Latte
Cappuccino
Flat White
Frappe
Mocha
Americano

Most people have a favorite, and they order the same thing over and over again. However, if you wanted to try something new, how would you know what to order? Let’s take a look what what the major differences are between these popular types of coffee.

ESPRESSO

First, let’s start with espresso. Although a straight shot of espresso isn’t the first choice for many people, it is an incredibly important part of the coffee community. This is because espresso serves as the foundation for many other drinks, such as cappuccinos and lattes.

Espresso is made by forcing a small amount of boiling water through very fine coffee grounds using a large amount of pressure. This results in a really thick, and highly concentrated form of coffee. Espresso is also much higher in caffeine content than typical drip coffee, but is usually served in much smaller amounts. You can expect your typical espresso drink to contain a similar amount of caffeine as a cup of black drip coffee.

A cup of espresso is poured inside of a coffee shop

While it can be enjoyed straight, espresso is often added to other drinks.

Brewing espresso typically requires a specialty espresso machine, which can be manual or automatic in nature. Manual machines require the pulling of a lever to create the pressure inside the machine. This is why you might here the term “pulling a shot of espresso.” However, many people now opt for electric machines which use a pump to generate the pressure with the push of a button.

LATTE

Lattes are quite simple drinks. They are made by pouring a shot or two of espresso into a cup of steamed milk, then adding a layer of foamed milk on top. They are typically served hot, but you can certainly find them iced as well. The milk is a great way of diluting the aggressive flavor of the espresso, making this a nice drink to sip on in any occasion. In recent years, latte art has exploded in popularity, in which baristas create artwork in the foam topping of lattes. Local coffee shops often add an artistic touch, and there’s even a Latte Art World Championship in which 1stplace will walk away with a cool $2,500. That’s some expensive espresso!

A fresh latte with latte art drawn on top

Latte art is a great way for cafés to stand out.

CAPPUCCINO

Cappuccinos are extremely similar to lattes. Both consist of espresso and milk, but the cappuccino has less milk and more milk foam creating a richer, more robust taste profile. This makes cappuccinos a great option for people who want a little extra flavor than a latte. They are very foamy in nature and are quite lightweight which can catch first-time drinkers by surprise.

Available at: mocafeusa.com