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Know Your Espresso Better - The Types & Ingredients

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How many times have you gone into a coffee shop and stared in confusion at menu? All those the fancy names of coffee drinks such as Macchiato, Espresso con Panna, Cafe Breve, and Americano - what do they mean? It has happened to the best of us. We usually take a while to go through the descriptions accompanying those names and then order our drink, wondering the whole time whether we made the right choice or not.

Well, read through this blog so that the next time you visit a coffee shop, you are confident enough to order the right coffee drink for yourself.


Know your espresso better:


Espresso (ess-press-oh): We will start at the beginning. Espresso is made with finely ground dark-roast coffee beans, through which pressurized steam is passed. Espresso is an extremely strong, concentrated form of coffee.

Espresso Macchiato (mock-e-ah-toe): The word Macchiato means “marked or stained,” and in this case, it means coffee or espresso stained or marked with milk. It is made with just one shot of espresso and a little milk. In commercial parlance, the milk is substituted by a bit of milk foam.

Espresso con Panna (kon pawn-nah): Espresso con Panna means “espresso with cream” in Italian. It is made with a single or double shot of espresso with whipped cream on top.

Caffe Latte (caf-ay lah-tey): Caffe Latte is made with a shot of strong espresso coffee, covered in a generous dose of hot steamed milk and topped with steamed milk froth. It is usually served in a glass or bowl.

Flat White: This coffee drink is generally more popular in Australia and New Zealand. It is made by pouring steam milk over a single shot of espresso. For a stronger taste, you can add two shots of espresso instead of one.

Caffe Breve (brev-ay): This coffee drink is an American variation of latte. When you order it, you get an espresso shot with a steamed milk/cream mixture, instead of just milk. This is a more creamy version of coffee and definitely not a good choice if you want just the naked rush of caffeine.

Cappuccino (kapp-oo-chee-noh): The name literally means “small cap” and it is an Italian coffee drink, made with an espresso shot, hot milk, and steamed milk foam, all in equal proportions. People usually like to drink it with shaved chocolate, raw sugar or cinnamon topping.

Caffe Mocha (moh-kuh): A variety of Caffe Latte, Caffe Mocha is made with one third espresso and two thirds steamed milk, with a portion of chocolate added to it in the form of sweet cocoa powder. In some countries, chocolate syrup is also used.

Americano (uh-mer-i-kan-oh): This coffee drink is similar in strength to the regular drip coffee, but it is flavored differently. Its strength varies with each shot of espresso and the amount of water. It is mainly made by combining hot water and espresso.

We hope that this illustrated account of various espresso drinks will help you in getting it right next time you want to order a coffee for yourself.

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Know Your Espresso Better - The Types & Ingredients