Coffee
Drink Basics
By Gary Gresham
When you enter a
coffee house, you have a multitude of drink choices like
latté, cappuccino, straight shot and caffé mocha just to
name a few.
Sometimes knowing what to order can be overwhelming
unless you know what you are getting. After all, who
wants to pay an outrageous amount of money for a mystery
drink that you may not even like?
So PerfectCoffees.Com has come to the rescue, and after
you read this, you'll have a basic understanding of how
the most popular coffee drinks are made and what they are
made of.
Most coffee drinks start with espresso and espresso is
just coffee that is brewed a certain way. It is finely
ground to almost a powder then very hot water is forced
through the grounds under intense pressure.
The brewing process is timed so that the flavorful and
aromatic oils are extracted from the coffee and not the
bitter components. This produces a strong flavored, but
not bitter, concentrated shot of coffee.
Straight Shot
The straight shot refers to espresso coffee and the
secret to good espresso is the extraction time, volume,
and golden crema which is a thick light brown layer of
frothed coffee oils that float on top of a properly
extracted espresso.
The short shot or ristretto is extracted to a volume of
three-quarters of an ounce. The shorter restricted pour
magnifies the essence of the coffee and the chance of any
bitter elements being extracted is minimized. If you have
ever ordered an espresso shot in Europe they usually
serve the ristretto.
The long shot or lungo is extracted to a volume of one
and one-half ounces.
The double shot is a 2 ounce shot using twice as much
coffee in the portafilter.
The correct way to serve a straight shot is to extract it
directly into a warmed demitasse cup. The warm demitasse
cup will keep the straight shot warm and prolong the
crema. A straight shot is best enjoyed immediately after
brewing.
It is rare to see people drinking straight shots of
espresso in the US. Most people here drink variations
using steamed milk mixed with the shots to make the
different coffee drinks listed here.
Espresso Macchiato
The Espresso Macchiato starts with a shot of espresso and
then a small amount of foamed milk is spooned over the
shot. Macchiato in Italian means "marked," as the
espresso is marked with foam.
Espresso Con Panna
This is an Espresso Macchiato using whipped cream in
place of the foamed milk. The drink gets its name Con
Panna which means "with cream."
Caffé Americano
The Caffé Americano is a drink similar to American brewed
coffee. It is made with a single or double shot of
espresso combined with 6 to 8 ounces of hot water out of
an espresso machine. The result is a very smooth cup of
coffee that is much hotter than brewed coffee.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino is made with a fluffy, wet foam, mixed with
espresso coffee upon the pour to create a blend of the
two flavors. Cold milk is essential, as is expertise in
the foaming process. Cappuccino has a large volume of
foam making it a light weight drink and less filling.
Caffé Latté
Caffé Latté is similar to the cappuccino but with much
less foam and more steamed milk. A latté is made by
holding back the foam with a spoon while pouring the
frothed milk from the steaming pitcher. The caffé latté
is completed by being topped with a small amount of the
held back foam.
Caffé latté gets its name from the addition of coffee to
milk. For an iced latté, cold milk is combined with the
espresso and then the ice is added.
Caffé Mocha
A caffé mocha is made by adding powdered or chocolate
syrup to a hot shot of espresso and blended. Steamed milk
is then be added to the espresso-chocolate mixture and
usually it is topped with whipped cream.
Iced mochas are made with cold milk and the ice added
after the coffee and chocolate have been blended.
Flavored Coffee Drinks
Some popular coffee flavors are: vanilla, Irish creme,
almond, hazelnut, caramel and fruit flavors such as
orange and raspberry. These drinks usually start with a
flavored syrup that is mixed with hot espresso and
stirred. Then steamed milk is stirred in like in a latté.
An iced version of these flavored coffees made with cold
milk instead of steamed makes a delicious cold drink in
the summer months.
So now that you know what's in the basic coffee drinks,
try one you haven't tasted yet. Who knows, you might find
a new favorite.
Copyright © 2004
PerfectCoffees.com - All Rights Reserved.
About The Author
Gary Gresham is the webmaster for www.perfectcoffees.com
where you can purchase quality coffee, tea, cups &
mugs, coffee gifts and delicious desserts online. He
offers a free monthly coffee newsletter at
www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html.
Gary@perfectcoffees.com
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