Every coffee drinker has their favorite type of coffee. Whether it’s something simple like an Americano or rich and creamy like a Latte. Regardless of the type, coffee is delicious and keeps us alert. Below is a list of the most popular types of coffee.
The Black Coffees
Black coffee is a mixture of ground coffee and water. The best way to drink it is as-is. The addition of sugars and creams to the mix affects the aroma, color and taste. While Black coffee is simple, it can be served in various ways. Below is a list of the types of black coffees.
Espresso
Espresso is a traditional and classic black coffee. It is made by pushing fresh ground coffee through a coffee machine using water and steam. This creates a highly concentrated brew that has a thin layer of coffee crema over top of the coffee’s surface. This type of coffee is extremely dense and highly caffeinated, making it the base for the famous Americano and Long Black.
Doppio means “Double” in Italian. It is a double shot of espresso. Some baristas often use a doppio shot as a standard base for their coffees rather than a single shot of espresso.
Ristretto (Restricted)
Ristretto means “Restricted” in Italian. It is a short shot of espresso, made with half the amount of water as a regular espresso. This coffee is extremely strong and bitter. A favorite for any black coffee drinker!
Americano
Americano or Caffè Americano is an Italian term for American coffee. It is said that the name originated from Italy in the Second World War when stationed US soldiers would ration our their espresso with water. An Americano coffee is made by pouring hot water over a shot of espresso, turning a shot of espresso into a large black coffee.
Long Black
A Long Black coffee is a condensed Americano. It’s made by pouring a doppio or ristretto over a small volume of water. Think of a slightly diluted doppio!
Drip Coffee
This one is one of the most common types of coffee. Drip Coffee is when boiling water drips through ground coffee using a paper or mesh filter. This process is much slower than using an espresso machine. Some say this coffee is of lesser quality than an espresso.
Instant Coffee
Just like drip coffee, this one is extremely easy and convenient. Instant Coffee is when you pour freshly boiled water over ground coffee powder and stir. Voila!
Learn about the history of this extremely convenient type of coffee with our article – What is Instant Coffee?
Milk Coffees
Though black coffee is popular among coffee drinkers, there are still many people that would prefer a creamy variation! Adding milk to your coffee neutralizes the acids and smoothes out the flavour of the cup. Below are some variations of milk coffees.
The Cappuccino and Latte
The Cappuccino and Latte are extremely popular types of coffee that tend to be a baristas favourite because it gives the barista the creative freedom to make foam art, turning coffees into drinkable masterpieces. I can’t imagine how many coffees a barista has to go through to master the skill of foam art. It’s simply impressive!
The Cappuccino has three parts to it. This type of coffee consists of one 1/3 espresso (a shot of espresso or doppio) as the base. 2/3 steamed milk, and 3/3 milk foam. In combination, this creates a rich and creamy coffee. Some baristas like to sprinkle chocolate over the top of the foam to give it a little extra!
Lattes are very similar to cappuccinos, but instead, have double the amount of milk and less foam. Giving the coffee a much milky taste to it, and a much-diluted espresso.
Piccolo Latte
Piccolo Latte is known as a small latte or a baby latte. It’s prepared by pouring warm milk over a shot of ristretto and is served in a small latte glass. There are various names for this little milk coffee shot, in Spanish, it’s referred to as a “Cataldo” and Australians love to call them “Mezzo-Mezzo” This is a great choice for coffee drinkers that like to consume many milk coffees, without packing on the calories.
Caffè Breve
Caffè breve, “breve” meaning short in Italian. This milk coffee is referred to as an American latte. It consists of a shot of espresso and steamed half and half or cream that’s topped off with foam. This beverage is considered to be fluffier than the regular latte since there is a lot more foam volume due to the half and half. Many drinks tend to skip on the sweeteners since the drink is very rich and already has a subtle sweetness to it. An excellent choice for dessert.
If you’re like to learn more about this coffee drink be sure to check out our full article on What is a Breve Coffee?
Flat White
The Flat White coffee is made from a shot of espresso and steamed milk with nearly no froth. Learn more about the Flat White coffee and how it compares to the Cappuccino, with our comparison article: The Flat White Vs Cappuccino
Macchiato
Macchiato means “Stained or Spotted” in Italian. This type of coffee is a shot of espresso that’s topped off with a small amount of milk or froth. Some people may refer to it as an “Espresso Macchiato”.
Latte Macchiato
So just like the espresso Macchiato, the Latte Macchiato means “Stained Milk. This type of coffee is prepared just like the traditional latte but served in a tall glass. When poured, it creates a beautifully layered coffee displaying milk at the bottom, espresso in the middle and a nice frothy foam on top!
Cortado
A cortado is made when you evenly combine a shot of espresso and steamed milk, with the milk being much flatter than a latte or cappuccino. The ratio of coffee to milk is usually 1:1 or 1:2. Traditionally served in an espresso shot glass that has a metal handle and a saucer, that has a capacity of 150-200ml. This coffee is extremely popular in Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a cult classic that originated from San Francisco. This popular variation of cortado coffee is served in a famous “Gibraltar” glass. The coffee is made by adding a shot of espresso and two shots of milk into a heated Gibraltar glass. Since the glass doesn’t retain the heat for too long, it’s best to drink it quickly for the best experience.
Mochaccino (Mocha)
The Mochaccino coffee is very similar to the Latte. This type of coffee consists of a double shot of espresso and hot chocolate powder, topped up with some steamed milk. You can garnish it with some cocoa powder or syrup of your liking. Some baristas like to substitute the hot chocolate mix for other flavors.
Out of all the types of coffee, the mocha is an excellent choice for people that are just getting into drinking coffee.
It’s amazing to see how far coffee has come, with so many variations and types of coffee, the option for a coffee is never a boring one! So now the time has come to brew yourself a nice cup of coffee, the question is which one is it going to be?
If you’d like to learn more about the various types of coffee around the world, check out our article: The Different Types of Coffee Around the World
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