Preparing a cup of coffee certainly seems like one of the easiest things in the world. Simple machines can usually deliver your morning jo in a number of minutes. But, it still seems like people keep trying to find more and more complicated ways to prepare their favorite drink and, unfortunately, all of these difficult and fancy coffees can quickly get confusing.
There’s no denying the fact that, aside from water, coffee is the most popular drink in the world. Complicated coffee drinks like lattes and cappuccinos are found in fast food restaurants and coffee shops alike. There is no wonder that people get attached to these drinks and want to make them in their own home. But, the drinks often sound so complicated that one can’t possibly imagine ever actually mixing up a skinny mocha latte cap-icano in their own home, right?
Well, let me tell you a little bit of a secret from inside the coffee industry – no matter how fancy a coffee drink looks, there really isn’t any variety of coffee that is too difficult to prepare. Let me tell you a little bit about what some of your favorite coffee drinks really are. A lot of people order fancy drinks all the time and have no idea what they are actually made of.
Espresso
Let’s start off with the most basic drink besides coffee itself. Espresso is a condensed drink that is prepared by flash steaming water and using intense pressure to push it through finely ground coffee beans. The water goes through the beans when it is superheated and under great pressure. This process causes a great deal of flavor and strength to get into your drink. It also causes a good number of particulates to get into your drink as well.
Espresso is usually drank by people who are looking for a jolt or burst of energy because of its high caffeine content. However, it is interesting that espresso is usually drank in small doses. Because it is drank in small doses, a shot of espresso contains just about the same amount of caffeine as a mug of coffee. But, if you’re looking for a quick ‘pick-me-up’ and don’t want to down an entire mug of jo, then a shot of espresso is a great alternative. You can take some of the edge off by adding sugar to sweeten the taste.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino is loved by millions of people all around the world, few of whom actually understand what it is. The cappuccino that you find at fast food restaurants or in highway gas stations is actually nothing like a real cappuccino. Most of the time, these chinos are sweet concoctions which are nothing more than flavor power mixed with hot water and tons of sugar. The sugar content is probably the reason why these drinks are so popular – but they usually have no coffee in them at all.
A real cappuccino is made with espresso, milk and frothed milk. Frothed milk is milk that has been injected with steam. The milk is quickly heated and a thick layer of foam forms on the top. A barista (coffee bartender) will first froth milk to the desired temperature and foam before adding a shot or two of espresso depending on the size of the cappuccino. They will then add extra hot milk to flavor the cappuccino. Sometimes, a customer will ask a barista to add sugar but they will sometimes leave that up to the customer. A cappuccino is sometimes served with chocolate sprinkles or spices on top of the foam.
Latte
A lot a is very close to a cappuccino – except with the omission of frothed milk. Instead, a latte is a mixture of espresso and steamed milk. The steamed milk does not have a layer of thick foam, rather it is just very warm and has a very, very thin layer of foam.
There are two different kinds of latte. The first is a café latte, which is created when the steamed milk is added to the espresso. The second kind is a latte macchiato, which is created when espresso is added to micro-frothed milk. A café latte has a stronger coffee flavor while the latte macchiato has a more creamy flavor.
Americano
There isn’t anything too fancy about an Americano. In fact, most of the coffee that is drank throughout the country, and possibly throughout the world, could be considered Americano. It is simply a normal cup of coffee served with milk on the side. Yes, it might sound surprising to hear that this is not a complicated drink. Ignore the fact that it has a fancy name.
So from now on, hopefully you will not be intimidated by all of the fancy coffee names. There really isn’t too much variation in the ingredients used in these drinks. The basics are just coffee beans and milk. The difference in taste comes with how the ingredients are prepared and mixed.
If you want to start making fancy coffee drinks in your own home, you really just need to get a coffee bean grinder and an espresso machine. Most espresso machines will include a milk frother on the side. This will help you create steamed milk for some of the more fancy drinks.