Know Your Coffee

I think coming from my experiences with coffee via work or leisure, this is another obligatory post/rant I need to have.

I'm sure there are plenty of coffee drinkers out there, and the names are not Greek to you, but DO you actually know how those coffees are meant to be like exactly?!

Coffee Chart drawn by Evelyn

From Right to Left:
1st Row:

Espresso - This is a small cup of potent pure coffee extract. The base of all coffee drinks and usually the cheapest on the menu. When you are served an espresso, you have to look for a brown crema(the brownish foam thing on top) The thicker it is, the fresher the beans are. If there isn't any, it's not good!! The shade of brown the crema has matters too, but it depends on the profile of the coffee beans.

Nice thick crema
(Photo credits to Wikipedia)

Piccolo - These have the same amount of espresso in it as Lattes but with much lesser milk, topped with about 4mm of foam. If prepared well with the right beans profile(example, a straight Brazilian), this can taste like a cup of dark hot chocolate.

Macchiato - Espressos topped with foam. That's it. Small cup of coffee.

2nd Row: (Moving on to the larger cups of coffee)

Americano - aka Kopi-O. I was taught to add the water first then the espresso is extracted on top of the water so the crema does not get broken and it won't taste as diluted. Most places add the water on top of the espresso. Yes, it does affect the taste. (Sounds anal, I know)

Flat White - aka Kopi-C. Espresso with milk. No foam.

Latte - Everyone's typical cup of coffee. Espresso with milk and a little foam to do pretty art with. When you get served this, you can admire the pretty latte art the Barista has done for you, but what is important is that you see an outer ring of brown crema. So when you sip the coffee, you actually get coffee and not milk. Quite logical.

The outer ring of coffee

3rd Row:

Cappuccino - This is The Talking Menu's favourite variant of hot coffee. A little milk and full of frothy goodness.... Unfortunately, most places do Cappuccinos exactly like Lattes, full of milk and little foam. They try to control their free-pouring hoping that more froth comes out than milk, worse, they scoop the foam out. DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. Cappuccinos are supposed to have so much froth that it domes over the brim of the cup, making it almost impossible to do art. It shouldn't spill cause the foam would "harden" and stay in this position. Once again, make sure there's a ring of coffee on the outer layer. (PS. Making this drink requires a lot of concentration and is EXCRUCIATINGLY time consuming.)

"It's called Latte art, not Cappuccino art for a reason" - Evelyn
(Photo credits to Wikipedia)

Mocha - A Latte with chocolate mixed into the espresso. A safe drink usually, cause no matter how much a place screws up the milk and espresso, it'll still taste sweet.

Affogato - Espresso with a scoop of ice cream. If the espresso is really good, this drink is "shiok".

Additional coffee information:

1. Milk is frothed to 65 - 70 degrees. This temperature caramelises the milk, making it a natural sweetener for your coffee. Any higher, it'll be burnt and make your coffee taste flat.
2. Myth: Full cream is easier to froth. They are the same. The fats in the Full Cream milk just make it sweeter than Low Fat.
3. Lots of cafes re-steam their milk to save costs, etc, but this will give you a stomach ache.
4. Please, please, please, do not order a cup of the "Add Shot $1". This "Add shot" means when you order a normal cup of coffee, and you want it to be stronger, it'll cost you $1. Cafes usually do not sell coffee for $1. (It sounds like I'm patronizing you, but it does happen.)

Hope this post was educational to you. Some of us live on caffeine, might as well know what you're drinking.

On a side note, why do people get Mocha then ask for Low Fat Milk? I don't think it'll really help you cut those calories. Since you're already drinking, might as well enjoy it to the fullest. Or am I missing something?