Topic
Espresso & Coffee Drinks
What actually distinguishes a latte from a cappuccino, a macchiato from a cortado, and espresso from brewed coffee — definitions, ratios, and caffeine content.
Articles
25 published
Articles in Espresso & Coffee Drinks
- 01
Standing Egg Coffee: The Korean Viral Drink Explained
What standing egg coffee is, how the egg yolk stands upright on the coffee, the science behind the effect, and how it differs from Vietnamese egg coffee.
- 02
Vietnamese Egg Coffee: The Hanoi Original
What Vietnamese egg coffee is: the Hanoi origin story, how the egg yolk foam is made, how it differs from an affogato or cappuccino
- 03
Ristretto: The Short Concentrated Espresso Shot
What ristretto is: a short, restricted espresso shot pulled with half the water — more concentrated, sweeter, and less bitter than a standard espresso.
- 04
Lungo: The Long Espresso Shot Explained
What a lungo is: the long espresso pull — extraction volume, how it differs from Americano, ristretto, and regular espresso
- 05
Iced Latte: Cold Espresso with Milk Explained
What an iced latte is: espresso over ice with cold milk — how it differs from cold brew, iced coffee, and a blended drink
- 06
Carajillo: The Spanish Coffee Cocktail
What a carajillo is: Spain's coffee with a spirit and Mexico's espresso with Licor 43 — the two traditions, how each is made, and the cultural difference.
- 07
What Is Café Cubano? Cuban Espresso with Sugar
What café cubano is: the Cuban espresso made by whipping demerara sugar with the first drops of espresso into espumita foam
- 08
Café au Lait: French Coffee with Warm Milk
What café au lait is: the French coffee-and-hot-milk drink — how it differs from a latte, the correct ratio, New Orleans chicory version
- 09
Affogato: Espresso Poured Over Ice Cream
What an affogato is: Italy's espresso-over-gelato dessert — the right ratio, gelato vs ice cream, hot-cold contrast, variations
- 10
Spanish Coffee: The Flambéed Rum Cocktail
What Spanish coffee actually is: the flambéed cocktail with 151 rum, triple sec, Kahlua, coffee, and whipped cream
- 11
Irish Coffee: Whiskey, Cream, and Hot Coffee
What Irish coffee actually is: hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and a float of lightly whipped cream — origin, ratio, and how to make it properly.
- 12
Espresso Tonic: The Sparkling Coffee Drink
What espresso tonic is: a shot of espresso poured over ice and tonic water — Scandinavian origin, why bitter-quinine + coffee works
- 13
What Is Crema? The Golden Foam on Espresso
Crema, the foamy layer on espresso — what it actually is, where it comes from, and why thick crema is not the same as a good shot.
- 14
What Is an Americano? Espresso with Water, Explained
An Americano is espresso and hot water — but how you make it matters. The recipe, the water-first vs espresso-first debate, and when it beats drip coffee.
- 15
Ristretto vs Espresso vs Lungo
Three espresso pours compared: ristretto, standard, and lungo. What each one is, how they differ in flavour and caffeine, and when to choose each.
- 16
The Origin of Espresso: How Italy Invented the Shot
How espresso evolved from Turin steam experiments to Milanese lever machines to the modern pump — the inventors, the patents, and what changed when.
- 17
Mocha: Espresso, Chocolate, and Steamed Milk
What a mocha coffee drink actually is: espresso, chocolate, and steamed milk — the origin of the name in Yemeni Mocha coffee
- 18
Macchiato: Espresso Marked with a Spot of Milk
What a macchiato is: espresso marked with a dollop of foamed milk — origins, size, how it differs from a cortado or latte macchiato.
- 19
What Is a Latte? Espresso and Steamed Milk
What a latte is: espresso combined with steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam — ratios, size, how it differs from a flat white or cappuccino.
- 20
Latte vs Cappuccino vs Flat White
The three most common milk espresso drinks compared: what makes each one different, the milk-to-espresso ratio, the foam
- 21
Latte Art: How to Pour Designs in Milk Foam
What latte art actually is: designs poured into espresso microfoam using barista technique — the milk science, practice steps, and common patterns.
- 22
Flat White: The Antipodean Espresso Drink
What a flat white is: a double espresso topped with silky microfoam in a smaller cup than a latte — the Antipodean origin, size, and how it differs.
- 23
What Is Espresso? Pressure, Extraction, the Shot
Espresso, plain: what it is, how it's made, why pressure matters, what crema actually is, and how a shot's chemistry differs from other brewing methods.
- 24
Cortado: Espresso Cut with Equal Warm Milk
What a cortado actually is: espresso 'cut' with equal warm milk — the small Spanish and Latin American drink, its Basque origin
- 25
Cappuccino: The Classic Italian Espresso Drink
What a cappuccino is: espresso plus equal parts steamed milk and thick microfoam — the Italian original, the 6 oz standard, and how it compares to a latte.