Buying coffee has become a lot more complicated in recent years. Whereas the only decisions you used to have to make were a) whether you wanted it black or white and b) whether you wanted sugar, now you have a whole menu full of options, sometimes even in what seem like the most rudimentary of cafes.
Are you still unsure what all those Italian-sounding terms actually mean? Do you keep getting your mochas, your macchiatos and your cappuccinos mixed up? Are you starting to get embarrassed by the queues forming behind you in your local coffee shop as you once again take ten minutes trying to work out what’s what? Have you actually ever seen a ristretto on a cafe’s menu?
If your answer to all those questions (except the last one) is ‘Yes!’, then don’t worry, because our Ultimate Guide to Different Types of Coffee will put you right – while also helping you understand just how many types of coffee you can get from Nu Vending coffee machines!
Different Types of Coffee
Espresso
When you want an intense hit of caffeine while also looking like you belong in a cool Parisian or Roman bistro, an espresso is what you should be asking for. It forms the basis of many modern coffee varieties and, like so much that’s good and complicated in modern coffee, it originated in Italy. It is made by passing steam through very finely ground beans under high pressure, unlike traditional coffee for which you pour hot water over coarsely-ground roasted beans in a filter.
Fun fact: A single shot of espresso contains about 63 mg of caffeine per ounce. Regular coffee has about 12 to 16 mg of caffeine per ounce.
Americano
The Americano is one of the more straightforward coffees, and in the average UK coffee shop is what you are most likely to be served if you bypass all the other more complicated options and insist on just asking for a coffee. Basically, it’s an espresso that has been diluted with hot water. That makes it similar in strength to a traditional coffee, but with a richer flavour (as long as it has been done right; we can’t guarantee this for every Americano you are served).
Fun fact: The Americano got its name (which, you may have guessed, is Italian for American) after American GIs stationed in Italy apparently found the espresso too strong for their taste and asked for it to be watered down.
Cappuccino
The original cappuccino made its first appearance in Viennese coffee houses in the 1700s as the kapuziner, although today’s drink is significantly different. It is made up of equal parts of espresso, steamed milk and foamed milk which are layered in that order (heading up from the bottom) in the cup. It is usually made even more interesting at this point by the addition of cinnamon or chocolate powder to the top. In much of mainland Europe, cappuccino is considered very much a morning drink only.
Fun fact: The name was taken from the colour of the robes worn by monks of the Capuchin order, although the word itself actually derived from the Latin word ‘caputium’, meaning ‘hood’.
Caffè latte
While the name may translate simply as ‘coffee and milk’ – the equivalent in French would be café au lait – in the world of modern coffee, it has to be slightly more complicated than that in order to distinguish it from all the other combinations of coffee and milk on the menu. Usually referred to as just a ‘latte’ – and pronounced ‘latt-ay’ – it is made up of one part espresso and two parts steamed milk, which are combined (unlike a cappuccino, where the coffee and milk are layered). This is then topped with a thin layer of foamed milk – no more than 5mm.
Fun fact: In North American politics, ‘latte drinker’ is often used as a derogatory term for those perceived as being elitist or middle-class intellectuals out of touch with the concerns of the ordinary working person.
Flat white
Here we start to enter the arena of subtle differences that can confuse and even overwhelm the unwary. Remarkably similar to a latte, it actually contains a much smaller amount of milk – approximately 100 ml with 35 ml of espresso as opposed to the latte’s 250 ml of milk. Flat white probably originates in either Australia or New Zealand, but which can take the credit is the subject of some debate.
Fun fact: Although the 1962 British film Danger By My Side contains a reference to ‘flat white coffee’, this probably had nothing to do with the drink we know today, whereas the reference in episode 123 of Australian soap The Young Doctors in the mid-1970s probably did and would support the drink’s supposedly Antipodean origins.
Long black
Like the flat white, the long black originated in Australia and New Zealand and has an unimaginative yet descriptive name. Like a black Americano, it’s basically a combination of espresso and hot water, but with one crucial difference. With an Americano, you start with the espresso and add the hot water; with a long black, it’s the other way round – you start with the hot water and then add the espresso on top. This difference is crucial, resulting in a coffee that has a stronger taste and aroma than the Americano.
Macchiato
If an espresso is just that bit too intense, but you still want a hit from your coffee, you can find the perfect compromise with a macchiato. This time you’re adding only a very small amount of frothed milk – no more than one or two teaspoons – to your espresso. The idea is that it just takes the edge off the bitterness of the coffee rather than overwhelming it completely. Macchiato, by the way, is Italian for ‘marked’ or ‘stained’. In Portugal, they call it a cafe pingado, which has nothing to do with a cartoon penguin – it literally means ‘coffee with a drop’.
Fun fact: The macchiato has the highest concentration of coffee to milk of any widely recognised type of coffee.
Mocha
Is it a hot chocolate with a shot of espresso or a caffè latte flavoured with chocolate? For the sake of this guide, we’re going with the latter. Usually, your espresso and milk will have cocoa powder and sugar added, but there are a number of variations – for example, you might get some whipped cream or a marshmallow on top, or use white chocolate instead of the more traditional milk or dark. Basically, a mocha is for someone who’d prefer to order an actual hot chocolate, but is embarrassed to ask for one in a trendy coffee shop or just needs a pick-me-up.
Fun fact: Mocha takes its name from the port of Mocha in Yemen. Mocha was a major exporter of coffee dating back to the 1300s.
Cortado
The Spanish clearly felt that the choice between the macchiato, latte and flat white still wasn’t giving you enough options as to the proportions of espresso and milk. To that end, they invented (if such a word can be used to describe a slight variation in the quantity of milk being added) the cortado, which is made up of equal amounts of espresso and steamed milk. The fact that your milk is steamed rather than frothed also gives you a smoother drink.
Fun fact: If you ask for a cortado in Spain, you’re actually more likely to get something that looks and tastes a lot like a macchiato.
Doppio
Once you know that doppio is Italian for double, it shouldn’t take you too long to work out that a doppio is simply a double espresso. In practice, that means you’ll be getting not only twice the amount of coffee, but also a bigger drink (60ml instead of the usual 30 ml). If you really want to feel on edge for the rest of the day, ask for a triplo.
Ristretto
A ristretto takes the caffeine hit of an espresso and compresses it into half the size drink. It also uses a finer grind of coffee. That can have noticeable changes in the taste of the final coffee in that you should end up with a sweeter, less bitter and more intense drink than the espresso. Because it’s such a small drink – about 15 to 20ml – some coffee shops will only serve double ristrettos.
Piccolo
To make a piccolo – also known as a piccolo latte – you need to take a single shot of ristretto, put it into a 90ml glass and top it up with steamed milk
Filter
Rarely seen in many coffee shops these days, filter coffee is made by passing hot water through coarsely ground beans. It takes longer to make than an espresso and requires less specialised equipment, which means it tends these days to be more popular for brewing coffee at home.
Fun fact: Although espresso has more caffeine per ounce, the average filter coffee will actually provide more caffeine in total.
Irish coffee
Combine four parts hot coffee, one part Irish whisky and some brown sugar. Stir and top with cream. Sit back and enjoy. Of course, once you’ve enjoyed the delights of an Irish coffee, why not explore its simple concept further by trying out a Jamaican coffee (made with rum instead of Irish whisky) or a Russian coffee (vodka)? Meanwhile, in Germany you can get a Rüdesheimer Kaffee, which uses a local brandy.
Fun fact: you can’t get an Irish coffee from a Nu Vending machine yet – sorry!
Affogato
Some cafes will list an affogato as a beverage, others promote it as a dessert. That’s because it consists of a shot of espresso poured over some gelato or ice cream (plain or vanilla – don’t go mad with heavily flavoured ice cream). How you classify it will probably depend on which element you consider most important. Its full name is affogato al caffe, which literally translates from the Italian as ‘drowned in coffee’.
Here at Nu Vending, we supply one of the widest ranges of coffee machines available in the London area and between them, you’re likely to be able to make the vast majority of the drinks listed above. This means that you can be sure that when you get a Nu Vending coffee machine, you’ll be offering your staff and visitors a fantastic choice of delicious and freshly brewed coffees, made with the finest beans and guaranteed to delight any coffee drinker.
Contact us now to find out more.
