Coffee Drinks Explained
In most cafes in the United States, there’s bound to be two types of machines that make coffee. The most popular drink is the “regular coffee” also known as filter coffee or drip coffee. This is made with a drip filter machine which pours hot water on to a bed of ground coffee sitting in a paper filter. The brewed coffee then drips on to a thermal pot from which the regular filter coffee is drawn. Pots usually hold a large volume of coffee so that many customers can be served quickly.
The other machine is the espresso machine. This technology was developed in Italy in the last century, and unlike a big pot of coffee waiting to be served to customers, the espresso is done individually to order. Hence, the name espresso, meaning expressly for you. To extract all the goodness out of the coffee in a very short amount of time, this technology not only delivers hot water to the coffee, but also pressure. All 130 pounds per square inch of it. The resulting brew is a mere ounce, but an intense, viscous, slapping ounce at that. Aside from the obvious shrinkage in volume, the espresso is also identifiable by the thick layer of reddish brown fine foam, called the crema, that settles on top of it.
And the taste difference? A regular filter coffee has a strength that appeals to many. Some people prefer it black, while others like to add a little milk and sugar. The espresso, on the other hand, is quite intense and drinking it black requires getting used to. A lot more people prefer to complete the drink with 7-11 ounces of steamed milk. Enter the cappuccino, latte, flat white, cortado, doppio, macchiato, americano. Yes, all these drinks start off as espresso and are differentiated by the finishing touches.
Our coffee menu wouldn't be complete without the Cold Brew which involves a brewing method of coffee and cold water. Cold brew is usually extracted as a concentrate and the ratio of coffee to water is higher than drip filter coffee and therefore packs more of a caffeine punch. Cold Brew works well with our Greatness Blend. You can get started now with our simple and complete Cold Brew Bundle that include instructions.
The modern coffee menu can be perplexing to many given the variations available. To summarize, we have developed a coffee drinks menu guide. Bear in mind, rules vary from cafe to cafe but our resident barista champion insists that the most important rule of coffee is to enjoy it!| COFFEE | BASE | FINISHING | CUP SIZE |
| ESPRESSO | Finely ground coffee extracted via pressurized water | A shot of espresso | 4oz |
| FILTER COFFEE | Ground coffee brewed via a paper filter process | Add milk or sugar as desired | 8oz / 12oz / 16oz |
| MACCHIATO | Espresso | Dollop of Steamed Milk | 4oz |
| RISTRETTO | Espresso | Extracted shorter than a regular espresso | < 4oz |
| DOPPIO | Espresso | A double shot of espresso | 4oz |
| CORTADO | Espresso |
Steamed milk with 3/8 inch of silky fine foam |
4oz |
| AMERICANO | Espresso | 7-11oz of hot water | 8oz / 12oz |
| RED EYE | Filter Coffee + Espresso | Add milk or sugar as desired | 8oz / 12oz / 16oz |
| FLAT WHITE | Espresso |
Steamed milk with 1/8 inch of silky fine foam |
8oz / 12oz |
| LATTE | Espresso |
Steamed milk with 3/8 inch of silky fine foam |
8oz / 12oz |
| CAPPUCCINO | Espresso |
Steamed milk with 5/8 inch of silky fine foam |
8oz / 12oz |
