What Am I Ordering – Different Types Of Coffee Drinks And Their Taste
For upon |What is the difference between a latte and a macchiato? I often find myself standing at Starbucks, wondering what coffee best suits my needs for the day.
Essentially, different types of coffees have different caffeine content and are made differently.
For you to know your coffee, you need to know the different types of coffee roasts, different types of espressos and different types of lattes. There could be a handbook written on coffee types and there would still be more left to know.
A summary of the coffee descriptions will help you tell the difference between coffee drinks. It is a common occurrence to sit in a café and wonder what the difference between macchiato and latte is or what is the difference between a cappuccino and macchiato?
Some even wonder what the difference between latte and coffee is. Believe me, Latte and coffee are the same.
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How Region Affects Taste?
Different regions have different coffee styles. It is not always that these differences are glaring; for example macchiato NYC would be slightly different than macchiato in another country or state.
Flat whites, for example, are more popular around Australia and New Zealand.
If I were to ask what the most popular coffee is, my answer would be that there are different kinds of coffee drinks for different regions around the world.
Different Types of Coffee Beans and Their Flavor
The flavor of coffee is a reflection of the region it is grown in. Depending on things like farming methods, soil and elevation; the coffee can have distinctive taste and aroma.
It may even come as a surprise to most of you that even something as seemingly insignificant as shade-grown or organic can have an impact on the taste.
The two varieties of coffee beans grown all over the world are:
- Arabica: Known for its soft taste, these beans are usually used in artisan coffees. These beans require a high elevation in order to grow well, and are, therefore, more expensive than Robusta coffee beans.
- Robusta: Harsher in taste, these beans are used commercially. They are less expensive than Arabica beans and comparatively have a higher level of caffeine. Moreover, the fact that they are easier to grow make then perfect for commercial use.
Types of Coffee Roasts
There are 4 types of roasted coffee beans. In order to easily identify the roast, you can look at the beans and see their color.
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Before we talk about the coffee roasts, it is important to note that as the roast gets darker, not only does the caffeine content decrease but the bean also starts to lose its flavor. Moreover, lighter roasts have higher caffeine content and have a more acidic taste.
The 4 main types of roasts are:
- Light roast: Easy to identify, they have a light brown color. These beans are roasted slightly and have an acidic flavor.
- Medium roast: Also known as regular roast, these beans are roasted until before their second crack. Their caffeine content is lower than light roasts but higher than dark roast.
- Medium – dark roast: Lower in caffeine content, these beans are darker in color and have more oil on their surface.
- Dark roast: Almost chocolate and dark brown in color, these roasts shine form all the oil. They have the lowest caffeine content and have a smoky bitter taste. In dark roasts, the coffee beans tend to lose their own taste and give a flavor more of the roast.
What Is An Espresso?
An espresso also known as a short black is simply a concentrated shot of espresso. To make the perfect shot of espresso, timing is essential.
An espresso shot is made using around 18 grams of coffee and passing hot water through it within a span of 25 to 30 seconds.
Types Of Coffee
All types of espressos are made using a cappuccino machine and constitutes of different ratios of espresso, steamed milk and one other ingredient such as milk foam, water or chocolate syrup.
1. Macchiato
More like an espresso, the only difference is presence of a bit of steamed milk and foam. This dollop of milk lessens the bitter taste of an espresso. You can either go for a short macchiato or a long macchiato.
What It Tastes Like? A little milder than an espresso; short macchiato taste bitter but less harsh than an espresso shot. Long macchiato is stronger in taste; it has a double shot of espresso that makes it stronger and bitter.
Caffeine Content: Short macchiato are lower in caffeine content compared to long macchiato. However, they fall along the same spectrum as an espresso shot.
How Is It Made?
Short macchiato is made using:
- A shot of espresso
- A dollop of milk and foam
Long macchiato is made using:
- Two shots of espresso
- A dollop of steamed milk and foam
2. Americano
A much loved breakfast drink, Americano are usually taken for breakfast. In simplified terms, it could be said that they are diluted espresso shots.
What It Tastes Like? Bitter and strong; an Americano is usually taken without flavoring or sugar. They are rich and aromatic, but lack any sort of creamy or milky texture.
Caffeine Content: High in caffeine content. These coffee drinks are used with breakfast for a good dose of caffeine.
How Is It Made?
- A shot of espresso
- Adding water to the shot of espresso to dilute it
3. Latte
A bit towards the milder side, Lattes have more milk compared to cappuccinos. The coffee consists of espresso, steamed milk and milk froth.
The ratio of espresso and milk is: 1:3, 1:4 or 1:5 depending on personal preference.
What It Tastes Like? A bit towards the milder side, lattes taste less strong due to the milk content. The ratio of 1 part espresso and 3-5 parts steamed milk makes this the perfect coffee for people looking for coffees with a slightly less strong and bitter tasting.
There are usually flavoring added to the latte; vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut etc. These flavoring not only add flavorful variations for drinkers who prefer coffees that fall on the sweeter side but also make lattes more interesting.
Caffeine Content: Lattes have lower caffeine content due to the ratio of milk and coffee shot. Some even ask themselves, Is Latte Coffee? Of course, it’s just a coffee that is more suited to people who prefer coffees that are sweeter.
How Is It Made?
- One shot of espresso in a container
- Add 3-5 parts steamed milk
- Add flavoring if any
- Top with around 1 cm of milk-foam
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4. Piccolo Latte
Piccolo lattes or piccolo coffee is served in espresso cups unlike café lattes. Creamy and rich, piccolo lattes have a bitter taste.
What It Tastes Like? Though bitter, the harshness of the espresso shot is lessened by the addition of rich milk.
Caffeine Content: High in caffeine, piccolo lattes have a high espresso to milk ratio.
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How Is It Made?
- A shot of espresso in an espresso cup
- Steamed milk and topped by milk foam
5. Cappuccino
Loved for its creamy texture and taste; A cappuccino has more milk foam. Moreover, when ordering a cup of cappuccino, it is important to keep in mind that it is less voluminous than a latte because it has a higher ratio of milk foam.
What It Tastes Like? Creamier in taste, cappuccinos are layered with textured milk foam that adds that extra rich texture. These types of coffee drinks are usually topped with chocolate powder for additional taste.
Caffeine Content: Higher in caffeine content, a latte has a single shot or espresso whereas a cappuccino usually has a double shot. However, the caffeine content can vary depending on the number of espresso shots added.
How Is It Made?
- Double shot of espresso
- Steamed and foamed milk that results in 2-3 cm of milk foam
6. Flat white
Similar to a cappuccino, flat whites are more popular in the New Zealand region. Served in cups, these are popular breakfast drinks.
What It Tastes Like? They taste similar to a cappuccino but lack that extra flavor that cappuccino gets from chocolate dusting and foam as toppings.
Caffeine Content: The caffeine content is somewhat same as a cappuccino. They can, however, be used making a single shot of espresso based on buyer’s preference.
How Is It Made?
- A single shot of espresso
- Steamed milk
- Note that there is no microfoam or chocolate on top
7. Mocha
A sweeter and chocolate variation of a cappuccino, mochas are a blend between hot chocolate and coffee. Usually served piping hot, these drinks do have cold variations like Iced mocha etc.
What It Tastes Like? Loved by many, these hot drinks have a lovely hot chocolate meets coffee taste. The bitterness of the espresso shot is mellowed down to a great extent by using the milk and chocolate powder.
Caffeine Content: The caffeine content is less concentrated but the same as a cappuccino for it also uses a single shot of espresso.
How Is It Made?
Mocha is served hot and is made using:
- A single shot of espresso
- Chocolate powder
- Steamed milk
- Milk Foam
- Topped with chocolate powder
8. Affogato
An affogato is neither hot nor cold. It can be either depending on the buyer’s preference and barista style. A move away from the conventional espresso shot, an affogato can be called a coffee shot based dessert.
What It Tastes Like? Creamy and delicious, the scoop of vanilla ice-cream in a shot of espresso makes affogato sweet lovers favorite. The bitterness and harshness of the espresso shot is mellowed out by the large scoop of vanilla ice cream goodness.
Caffeine Content: Not considered a breakfast drink, affogatos do not have concentrated caffeine. However, depending on buyer preference, Affogatos can have single or double shots of espresso.
How Is It Made?
- A single shot of espresso
- One scoop of vanilla ice-cream
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Buyer’s guide – Coffee Drinks Comparisons
Some drinks sound almost the same to people like you and me. I often find myself wondering why flat whites and cappuccinos are different. We have compiled a comparative table for you to better understand your next coffee order:
Coffee Vs. Coffee: Comparison Between Different Types of Coffee Drinks
| Coffee Types | Milk | No. of Espresso shots | Mil Foam | Chocolate | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latte | Yes | 1 | Yes | No | No |
| Piccolo Latte | Yes | 1 | Yes | No | No |
| Flat White | Yes | 1 | No | No | No |
| Macchiato | No | 1 | Yes ( ¾) | No | No |
| Cappuccino | Yes | 2 | Yes | No | No |
Latte Vs. Flat White
The core difference is the presence of steamed milk and milk foam that makes lattes creamier and sweet. Moreover, lattes come in flavors and flat white doesn’t.
Latte Vs. Macchiato
Macchiato are stronger and harsher in taste then lattes for they are just espresso shots diluted by milk foam.
Cappuccino Vs. macchiato
The difference between a cappuccino and macchiato is the milk foam to espresso ratio. Though both have milk foam, macchiato are ¾ milk foam, and cappuccinos are just topped with milk foam.
Latte Vs. Piccolo Latte
Piccolo lattes are served in espresso cups and are smaller, versions of a latte. Unlike lattes, they do not have flavored and iced variations.
Cappuccino Vs. Flat White
The difference between a flat white and cappuccinos’ is simply the absence of milk foam and chocolate dusting on flat whites. Region specific, flat whites are cappuccinos without any topping.
Latte Vs. Mocha
The difference between a latte and mocha is the presence of chocolate powder. Mochas are chocolatier and sweeter compared to unflavored lattes.
Conclusion
Most coffees are variations of one another. So similar, sometimes we get confused and fail to see the significance of even the minutest of differences. The only thing that separates a flat white from being called cappuccino is the lack of milk foam or chocolate topping.
The taste of a coffee is defined by not only the type of roast, coffee bean, and region but also how the barista chooses to make it.
Your cappuccino can taste vastly different from mine, simply because there is freedom to add more foam or an extra shot. The options are endless and therefore, the variations are too!
Don’t forget to share your thoughts in comments and let me know which coffee drink is your favorite and at what time you would like to have it.
The article was originally published here.
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