Espresso Drinks

Espresso? Cappuccino? Latte? Or just a cup of java? Confused? All are some of the many espresso-based drinks that are possible with your espresso machine - though plain ‘ole coffee is not often thought of as espresso-based. Espresso is simply pressure-brewed coffee as opposed to the drip-brewed coffee that many are familiar with. The difference between a cappuccino, espresso, café latte, café mocha and a coffee, have to do with the ratio of ingredients combined with the espresso shot.

All have a couple qualities in common. Good water is an important first ingredient. Try a good filtered water with low minerals (tap water isn’t great because of chlorine and other impurities). Taste is personal and you’ll have to experiment, but look for a fresh roasted Arabica bean. A true Italian-style espresso is made from dark roasted (not burnt) and finely ground beans. The grind is also critical – too fine and it’ll hamper water flow, too coarse and you’ll get a watery brew and poor crema.

Espresso:
A 1 to 1.5 oz. single shot of pressure brewed coffee that many say tastes best when served in a warm espresso cup. A double espresso – as you would expect at about 2.5 oz. - is often served in a warm cappuccino cup.

Cappuccino:
Equally layered during preparation, a cappuccino starts with a double shot of espresso on the bottom. Next is followed by 3 oz. of steamed milk (prefer whole) and then 3 oz. of frothed milk on top. It may be topped with a flavoring like ground chocolate or cinnamon.

Café Latte:
A double shot of espresso (~ 2.5 oz.) and 6 oz. of steamed milk. No frothed milk added.

Cafe mocha:
Espresso, chocolate syrup, and steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. (a latte with chocolate.)

Café Macchiato:
A double shot of espresso (~ 2.5 oz.) and a dollop of frothed milk. It’s served in a small espresso cup.

Café Americano:
American drip coffee - Italian style. It’s made from equal portions of espresso and boiling water. This results in a turbo version of brewed coffee.

Cafe Freddo:
Chilled espresso served in a glass, often iced.

What about all that caffeine?
A double shot of espresso actually has about 50mg of caffeine compared with about 100mg of caffeine in a standard 6 oz. cup of drip-brewed coffee. There are two main reasons for this shocker: 1.) Arabica coffee, considered a better bean, is most often used to make espresso and this has less caffeine than Robusta coffee (more often used for drip-brewed) and 2.) Espresso is pressure-brewed with a small amount of water compared with a larger amount of water dripping through a filter or screen with drip-brewed coffee. When more water is used, more caffeine is released from the beans.