The Espresso Family
Nothing as cool as hearing the word “espresso” utter from the mouths of people at a cafe. That was how I felt the first time I heard espresso spoken in a coffee store. Being from Nigeria, we don’t have the culture of going to a place just to get a cup of coffee or espresso or any drink that is not a nice cold bottle of beer! So having lived in the US for a few years, I have always been curious to know what all this espresso buzz was all about.
I figured it referred to coffee in one way or the other, but I never truly knew what espresso meant, along with cappuccino, caffè latte and other espresso drinks until a few months ago. I always walked into a cafe and ordered whatever cool Italian named drink that was on the menu without knowing what they consisted of. This ended when I moved to Boston last summer from Connecticut and did a barista training at Tatte Bakery & Cafe and learned how to make various kinds of espresso drinks.
Espresso
Espresso is brewed by passing nearly boiling water into fine coffee grains and is usually 1.5 oz in size. Espressos are usually double shots. Most of the espresso is black with the top being light brown. A nice espresso is not too bitter or watery, and it has a good mouth feel.
Caffè Macchiato
A macchiato is an espresso with a tiny amount of foam on the top. This is usually served one size — in a 2.5 oz or 3 oz cup. A macchiato has an espresso to foam ratio of 2:1. This is a good choice if you want an espresso with little milk to lighten the taste.
Cortado/Gibraltar
This is an espresso drink that is slightly bigger than the caffè macchiato. This is frequently served one size — in a 4 oz cup. Cortados are one part espresso, one part steamed milk and one part light foam. This is a good choice if you want an espresso drink with slightly more steamed milk than the caffè macchiato.
Cappuccino
Don’t you just love the name? A cappuccino is an espresso with steamed milk and foam in a slightly bigger cup, usually one size — in a 6 oz or 8 oz. The cappuccino has a very noticeable amount of foam on top, and is a good choice if you want a medium sized espresso drink. It’s one part espresso, one part steamed milk, and one part foam.
Flat White
This is similar to the cappuccino, the difference is that it has lighter foam — hence the term, “flat white”. This is also similar to the latte, but with less volume. This is served in a 6 oz or 8 oz cup.
Caffè Latte
The famous latte! This is an espresso with steamed milk and foam. A latte can be made in a small (12 oz) or large (16 oz) cup. A latte is not as bitter as an espresso because of the added steamed milk. It’s one part espresso, one part steamed milk, and one part foam.
Caffè Mocha/Moccacino
A caffè mocha or moccacino is an espresso drink with chocolate mix, steamed milk and foam. It’s basically a latte with chocolate. Mochas are made in a small (12 oz) or large (16 oz) cup. It’s one part espresso, one part steamed milk, and one part foam. This is a good choice if you want some added sweetness to your espresso drink.
Caffè Americano
An americano is espresso poured into hot water. An americano can be made in a small (12 oz) or large (16 oz) cup. This is similar to a cup of coffee because the water dilutes the strength of the espresso; giving it a similar power to coffee but a different mouth feel.
Awesome! Am I an espresso expert now?
Yes, pretty much! In general, espresso drinks are just espresso with steamed milk and foam in different ratios and cup sizes. Espresso drinks are also great because depending on the milk you select — whole, oat, almond or soy, the taste and art of the drinks will be different. Furthermore, there are variations in cup sizes at different cafes, but they should not be a wide difference, such as a cortado being served in a latte cup. Now, you can be confident in going straight into that coffee shop and ordering any espresso drink with your new found knowledge!
