Tags
air, Americano, art, barista, black, bold coffee, Caffe latte, cappuccino, chemists, chocolate syrup, coffee, coffee experience, cup, decaf, delicious, drink, Espresso, Flat White, friends, half can, High Street, hot water, jargon, large, large sizes, Macchiato, medium, micro foam, milk foam, mixed, Mocha, money off, mug, points, purchase, requested, rich chocolate, scenario, science, shop, skilled, skimmed milk, skinny, small, spoon, steam, steamed milk, steaming, stretching, strong but delicate, supermarket, sweet, topping, treat, tricky terms, wet, whipped cream
Walk along any High Street and between the supermarkets, chemists and boutiques you will find a plethora of coffee shops.
Chains and independents are both on the rise but if you are used to nothing more than an instant with milk, the fancy names and tricky terms might get you in fluster.
So, let’s go with a quick guide about getting it right when it comes to ordering the coffee the barista way, and no that doesn’t include ‘frappuccinos’.
Espresso (ehs-press-soh)
This is a full-flavored, concentrated form of coffee that come in pure ‘shots’. The shots are made by forcing pressurised hot water through finely ground coffee beans and the result can be drunk as a one hit wonder of used as the base for other drinks.
Americano (uh-meh-ri-kan-no)
One part espresso, three parts hot water, this is a diluted espresso shot and can be drunk black or with milk depending on your taste buds.
Macchiato (mah-kee-ya-to)
Quite simply, this is an espresso topped with a large spoon of milk foam.
Cappuccino (cap-ooh-chee-no)
This continental coffee cocktail is one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk and finally, one-third froth. The key to this drink that when the milk is being stretched (steamed) the barista will add more air, which creates more foam which results in a strong but delicate drink.
Caffe latte (kaf-fey lah-tay)
The general rule of thumb is that a latte will be served with espresso, steamed milk and about 1cm of milk froth will settle on the top of the drink. A skilled barista can generate micro foam when stretching the milk and if you are really lucky there will be a little bit of art on the top of your drink. This is perfect for coffee fans who love milk and like their coffee experience to last a little longer.
Flat White
The flat white is becoming increasingly popular as it is strong and smooth but less milky that a latte. It is made with milk that hasn’t had air add to it while being stretched so it’s more about the coffee than the froth and fluff.
Mocha (mo-kah)
An espresso shot mixed with steamed milk, chocolate syrup and a whipped cream topping if you so desire. The delicious combination of rich chocolate and bold coffee is a sweet, indulgent treat perfect when catching up with friends.
You have the coffees sorted but there’s a bit more jargon that comes with the whole ordering scenario.
Skinny is when a coffee is made with skimmed milk.
Ristretto is a short espresso shot that takes twelve seconds to create and one that is sweeter than a full shot which takes twenty seconds – yes coffee-making is an art and science.
Decaf shots are made using decaffeinated coffee beans, so you don’t get that ‘caffeine hit’.
Half-caf is one shot of regular coffee and one shot of decaf.
Wet is when you have the maximum milk the can fit in the cup and can be requested when ordering a latte or cappuccino.
Remember you can get drinks to stay or to go, in small, medium or large sizes. You get points for your purchase and can even take your own travel mug and get money off.
Happy coffee guys and let us know what you go for, and where!
Team Pure Beauty
