You’re probably stood in a queue right now. There’s a good chance that you’re reading this on your smartphone stood in a queue that is slowly approaching the server behind the counter. But not slowly enough. You need to know the types of coffee in a shop and fast.
It’s possible that you’re frantically googling the different types of a coffee in a coffee shop because you’ve been meaning to stop repeatedly ordering a flat white, time and again, and try out something new.
But you’re only just googling it now, in the queue, approaching the counter a medium pace, because what sort of maniac forward plans their coffee order? (Apologies if you are not reading this in a queue but are forward planning their next coffee order from your desktop.)
Quick guide to the types of coffee in a shop
Because I’m kind, I’m going to harpoon my SEO ranking and not make you scroll to the bottom of the article for the answer. Here’s the answer:
Black
- Espresso – tiny cup of very concentrated coffee
- Doppio – two espressos, good luck
- Lungo – one espresso worth of coffee but double the water used to make it
- Black – large size, all of the water is steeped in coffee
- Americano – espresso topped up with water so it’s large size
Foamy
- Cortado – espresso, bit of milk, bit of foam
- Cappuccino – espresso, lots of milk, lots of foam
Milky
- Macchiato – small espresso, small bit of milk
- Flat white – small espresso, loads of milk
- Latte – small espresso, loads and loads of milk
Basically dessert
- Mocha – coffee and hot chocolate, I can see why the name hot chocffe was vetoed
- Affogato – coffee delicately poured over ice cream, for when you’re attending Milan Fashion Week but you’re 10 years old
- Café au lait – coffee with milk, oui?
… but you might want to read ahead to find out – no, just ignore the server – exactly when you should order certain coffee – ok just tell them you want a flat white – and how you should be drinking the most common coffees.
Because there are rules. Mostly around cappuccinos, but rules are rules.
Cappuccino
Depending on who you listen to, you shouldn’t drink a cappuccino after either 11am or 12pm. Either way, it’s a morning drink.
There’s probably someone who says you can’t drink a cappuccino unless it’s pre-11am, you’re sitting in a piazza, you have an ineffective jumper draped over your shoulders and there’s a tiny biscotti perched on the saucer. That’s admirable, but too extreme.
Did you know cappuccinos are named after Cappucin monks? They wear a distinctive hood as part of their robes and the foam covering of a Cappuccino is seen as a ‘hood’.
There’s no point getting a cappuccino in a take-away cup. Trust me. Cappuccinos are for ceremony. They’re the coffee you have when you’re out. Savour it. Take in your surroundings. Enjoy the moment. The foam will just dissipate once it hits the plastic lid anyway.
Espresso
It’s tiny, so it’s not really a coffee you take on the move. You’ve drunk it before you’ve really got anywhere.
The espresso is the quick hit you grab over the counter and drink before you move on. When you really need POWER coursing through your veins. You’re barely in the coffee shop. It’s a smash and grab and the whole coffee shop and drinking experienced is done in minutes.
If you see someone stopping to get an espresso when they’re on the move, you know they’re going to achieve something great in the next half hour.
Flat white
The name is misguiding. It sounds limp, safe and standard. Granted, you won’t have lightening shooting out of your fingers like you would have if you nail four espressos, but a flat white does have a bit of a punch.
Because it’s not drowning in milk, or it’s at least not as milky as a latte, it is a lively hit. Feel free to order this if you need a bit of pep.
The types of coffee in a shop
So now you know. Flat whites aren’t so bad, cappuccinos are to luxuriate over and espresso are to smash down on your way to conquer the world.