Picture this. You walk into Starbucks or Costas for the first time and you look at the menu all confused.
You see all these words like Latte, Cappuccino, Macchiato, Espresso. So you just go up and ask for a coffee.
They ask you what kind and you feel like you’re being put on the spot so you just choose a random one.
This happens on a daily basis and as a former Starbucks employee and coffee lover myself, there’s nothing worse than being disappointed with your coffee.
So, imagine all you have to do to avoid that awkward situation is by reading this article and learning the different types of coffee!
Latte
Latte with some nice latte art.
These are going to be explained in layman’s terms, because let’s face it, coffee related words are often tricky to spell and remember.
Lattes are basically just milk and coffee. Now, I know that this is essentially EVERY coffee, but the thing with Lattes is, nothing too special is done with the milk. The milk is steamed and frothed every so slightly, and poured over some coffee shots. Think of it as a milky coffee – the ones that usually have hearts and stuff on the top.
Macchiato
A nice latte macchiato.
Macchiatos are just upside down lattes. Some variations have slightly frothier milk than lattes, but the principle is the same. Start off by frothing and steaming the milk, and then pour it in a cup. Then, pour the shots over the milk, as oppose to the milk over the shots. If you’ve seen one of those cool layered coffees in a coffee glass, it was probably a macchiato.
Cappuccino
A cappuccino.
Cappuccinos are a bit different. They’re a love it or hate it kind of coffee, where the milk is extremely frothy, and almost doesn’t mix with the coffee shots sometimes (depends where you go). You pour your coffee shots, froth and steam your milk a lot, to the point where it’s quite volumous, and then pour over the shot. Cappuccinos are often taken with some sort of syrup in the bottom too, as it’s sometimes like you’re drinking the shots and syrup through the milk, as oppose to with it (if that makes any sense). It’s a much frothier latte essentially.
Extra
If you don’t want any of these fancy coffees, just ask for an americano – that’s coffee shots and hot water. Ask for black, for black, and ask for white for an americano with a bit of milk. Simple.
