Are you a little baffled by the choice when it comes to coffee? Have you asked yourself what style of coffee you should drink? Americano? Latte? Macchiato? Although some coffee lovers choose a simple black or white coffee, there are so many different styles to choose from, and it’s this variety that attracts many people to try different types of coffee. However, the huge variety can also be a little daunting for some, forcing them to stick to what they know. Amore Coffee has been in the coffee industry for a long time and we’d like to share what we know with our readers and customers. Read on to find out about many of the different styles of coffee – many of which can be automatically prepared by our bean-to-cup coffee machines.
Espresso
Espresso is sometimes erroneously called expresso; which is probably because it sounds really similar to espresso and it is a very quick method of making coffee. Espresso coffee is all based around an Italian method of making coffee that produces around 30ml of rich, strong coffee which is regularly referred to as a shot of espresso. People drink espressos on their own, but they are also the basis of many different beverages. An espresso can be made automatically in a machine, or manually with an espresso maker.
Method to make an espresso
Freshly ground coffee is pressed (also called tamped) into a filter basket which is set into a portafilter. The coffee grounds are pressed with around 5 pounds of pressure (a gentle press with your arm fully extended) until the coffee is reasonably compact. The portafilter is then slotted into the espresso machine and almost boiling water (ideally around 80 °C) is poured through the compacted coffee. As the coffee is compacted, the hot water takes around 25–30 seconds to get through the coffee and into the cup beneath it. This amount of time is ideal to ensure the water dissolves the coffee grounds’ flavours, oils, sugars, acids, and tannins without absorbing so much that it tastes too strong and the bitter notes override the sweet notes.
If you want a double espresso, it may be called a ‘doppio’. However, depending on where you are, it may also just be called a double espresso.
The flavour of espresso
Espressos are for die-hard coffee enthusiasts who love the pure taste of coffee and like it strong. A well-made espresso should be slightly sweet, slightly bitter, and have a variety of other rich flavours working harmoniously in the background. If you get this right, all of the types of coffee listed below will taste even better.
Americano
The term ‘caffè Americano’ is Italian for ‘American coffee’. There is a popular story about the origin of this term, which says that American G.I.s during WWII asked for coffee that was a similar strength to the drip coffee they were used to back home, so the Italians prepared them one or two shots of espresso and added hot water to it. The resulting ‘Americano’ was about as strong as drip coffee, but it had a different, slightly richer, flavour.
Method to make an Americano
The standard Americano consists of two shots of espresso, so make two shots of espresso as described above, then add some hot water. There is no official amount of water to add, and it probably depends on the cup or mug you use, but a good guide is to add at least double the amount of espresso. The more water you add, the weaker the coffee will be – but as espresso is so strong, making it much weaker is usually a good thing for many drinkers.
The flavour of Americano
A good Americano should taste a lot like espresso, only weaker. So there should be sweetness and bitterness playing against each other, and a rich, full-bodied flavour than comes from the various oils. Also, as there are tannins in coffee, an Americano (especially a black Americano) should almost feel as though it is drying your mouth out slightly – you get a similar effect in other drinks rich in tannins, such as black tea and red wine.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino is the classic Italian breakfast coffee. It is espresso coffee with a little milk and a lot of foam on top. Traditionally, the Italians order a cappuccino for breakfast because the foam keeps the coffee underneath nice and warm, giving them time to read their paper and eat the rest of their breakfast without it getting cold.
Method to make cappuccino
Make one or two shots of espresso, as outlined above. Steam some milk in a jug using a steam wand. Hold the jug so that the steam goes into the milk at an angle and the wand is situated just above the surface of the milk. When you get this right, the steam will make a loud hissing, gurgling sound. If the sound isn’t very loud, then you are just steaming the milk and not getting enough air into it to make foam. Stop before you burn the milks – so no more than 65°C. If you do it right, you should have turned half or more of the milk into foam. Opinions differ slightly, but a rough ratio to remember of espresso:milk:foam is 1:1:1.
The flavour of cappuccino
A good cappuccino should have all of the richness of espresso, but the milk should soften the bitter, acidic side of the flavour and give it a rounder, sweeter finish. The foam will keep the coffee warm and the coffee will also pour through the foam in your cup or mug as you drink it, adding an even creamier texture.
Latte
Latte is the shortened form of the Italian term ‘caffè latte’, which translates to English as ‘milk coffee’. And that’s exactly what it is, but with a twist: the milk is steamed to give it a velvety texture that mixes well with the coffee, producing a rich, luxurious finish. A latte should have a layer of foam along the top. Foam, as with a cappuccino, is created by using steam to aerate milk to the point that it is no longer runny. Foam is light and always sits on top of a latte.
Method to make a latte
Prepare two shots of espresso as described above. Then steam milk, tilting the steam wand so that it hits the milk at an angle, aerating it, but don’t make the angle too extreme (as this will make foam for a cappuccino, not milk for a latte). Leave a thermometer in the milk as you steam it and stop when it gets between 60–65°C. Pour the milk into the coffee, shaking the jug so that the velvety milk folds into the espresso, mixing nicely. There should be a little foam on the top of the steam milk, but use a spoon to slide it on top if you prepared too much milk. The ideal ratio of the different volumes of espresso:milk:foam should be 1:2:1, and some argue that it should be 2:5:1.
The flavour of latte
A good latte should have a rich, strong coffee flavour, but with enough velvety milk that the flavour is smooth and slightly sweet from the milk’s natural sugar. A badly made latte will have bitter coffee (from a badly made espresso) or it will have that bitter, burnt milk taste if the milk’s temperature is taken too high.
Other Types of Coffee that Use Similar Methods
Flat white
Flat whites are very like lattes, only they do not have any foam on top. Instead, the milk is steamed until it is very velvety and added to espresso. There are a few different schools of thought, but there is a wider consensus that the ratio of espresso:milk is 1:2. A good flat white should taste smooth, but with the strong espresso coming through.
Macchiato
A macchiato is sometimes called caffè macchiato or espresso macchiato, and it is a shot of espresso with a dollop of milk foam on top. The foam is just supposed to moderate the espresso’s strong flavour a little, without adding too much milky flavour to the drink. A macchiato is perfect if you’re a cappuccino drinker and you want something a little quicker, or as a stepping stone to drinking pure espresso on its own.
Mocha
A mocha, or caffè mocha, is basically a latte with added chocolate. So it’s somewhere between a hot chocolate and a latte. You mix espresso, hot chocolate (either from powder mixed with milk or from a syrup) and steamed milk. There should be a little bit of foam on top, as with a latte. The flavours of coffee, chocolate, and steamed milk go together well, with the bitterness and sweetness playing off each other beautifully.
And that’s it for this guide. There are many more different kinds of coffee to choose from, but we hope we’ve helped you understand more about the main options. As you can see, being able to make each of these styles of coffee can be really complex and usually takes the work of a trained, skilled barista. However, our bean-to-cup machines are capable of making many different complicated coffees, so get in touch if you’d like to ask us a little more about them. We’re canny, and we’ve always got time for a chat.