Espresso
Espresso
18 g coffee → 36 g out in 25–30 s at 90–94 °C.
The base of almost every café drink. Sour means grind finer; bitter means grind coarser.
Coffee drinks
From a 20 ml ristretto to a Vietnamese iced coffee: what's in each cup, how to make it at home, and which beans to use.
Ristretto
Espresso
18 g coffee → 18–27 g out (1:1 to 1:1.5). Same grind, stopped early, or a touch finer.
Sweeter, thicker and less bitter than a full shot.
Lungo
Espresso
18 g coffee → 54–72 g out (1:3 to 1:4), grind a little coarser.
Longer and lighter. Works nicely with lighter espresso roasts.
Americano
Espresso + Hot water
Double shot, then top up with 120–180 ml hot water.
Named after American soldiers in Italy who watered down their espresso.
Long black
Hot water + Espresso
100–120 ml hot water first, then a double shot pulled on top.
Water first keeps the crema intact, so it's stronger and more aromatic than an Americano.
Macchiato
Espresso + Milk foam
A single or double shot 'stained' with a spoonful of milk foam.
Not the caramel drink from the chains. The Italian original is tiny.
Cortado
Espresso + Steamed milk
Double shot plus an equal amount of warm, lightly textured milk.
Cortar means 'to cut': milk cuts the espresso's intensity without hiding it.
Piccolo
Espresso + Steamed milk + Milk foam
A ristretto topped with 60–70 ml silky milk in a small glass.
A mini latte. Baristas' favourite for tasting a new espresso with milk.
Flat white
Espresso + Steamed milk + Milk foam
Double shot (or double ristretto) with 120–140 ml milk steamed to thin, glossy microfoam.
Stronger than a latte and with less foam, so the coffee leads.
Cappuccino
Espresso + Steamed milk + Milk foam
Single or double shot, then roughly equal parts steamed milk and thick foam.
Named after the brown hoods of Capuchin friars. In Italy, a morning-only drink.
Latte
Espresso + Steamed milk + Milk foam
Single or double shot with 200–250 ml steamed milk and about 1 cm of foam.
The easiest canvas for latte art. Chocolatey, nutty beans shine here.
Mocha
Chocolate + Espresso + Steamed milk + Cream
20–30 g dark chocolate or cocoa melted with a double shot, then 180 ml steamed milk. Cream optional.
Named after Mocha in Yemen, the port Baba Budan's seven beans came from.
Raf coffee
Espresso + Cream
A shot of espresso, 150 ml light cream (10%) and vanilla sugar, steamed together until velvety.
Invented in 1990s Moscow for a regular named Rafael. Dessert-sweet and silky.
Filter kaapi
Decoction + Steamed milk + Milk foam
1 part filter decoction, 2–3 parts boiling milk, sugar to taste. Pour between tumbler and dabarah to froth.
Medium-dark roasts, often with 20–30% chicory. See the full method in Learn.
Cà phê sữa đá
Condensed milk + Brewed coffee + Ice
Drip 20 g dark roast through a phin filter onto 2–3 tbsp condensed milk. Stir and pour over ice.
Traditionally made with robusta: bold, chocolatey and sweet.
Egg coffee
Brewed coffee + Whipped egg cream
Whisk 1 egg yolk with 2 tbsp condensed milk until thick and pale; spoon over a strong phin or espresso coffee.
Created in the 1940s when milk was scarce. Tastes like tiramisu in a cup.
Turkish coffee
Brewed coffee
7 g powder-fine coffee, 70 ml cold water and sugar (optional) in a cezve. Heat slowly until it foams, then pour. Don't stir after.
Unfiltered: let the grounds settle and don't drink the last sip.
Cold brew
Brewed coffee + Ice
Steep 100 g coarse coffee in 1 L cold water for 12–18 hr. Strain, dilute 1:1, pour over ice.
Smooth and low in acidity. Fruity naturals make great cold brew too.
Iced latte
Ice + Cold milk + Espresso
Glass of ice, 180–200 ml cold milk, then a double shot poured on top.
Pour the espresso last for the layered look.
Espresso tonic
Ice + Tonic + Espresso
Ice, 150 ml chilled tonic water, then a shot of espresso poured gently on top.
Bright, bitter-sweet and fizzy. Try it with a fruity light roast.
Affogato
Vanilla ice cream + Espresso
A scoop of vanilla ice cream 'drowned' in a hot shot of espresso.
Dessert and coffee in one. Chocolatey espresso roasts work best.
Beaten coffee
Cold milk + Milk foam
Beat 1 tbsp instant coffee, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp hot water until thick and pale; spoon over hot or iced milk.
Indian homes have made beaten coffee for decades, long before it went viral as dalgona.