Types of Coffees

We've all been there: standing in line at our favourite coffee shop, sweating because we don't know the difference between a cold brew and a traditional iced coffee. Oh, I'm sure I have.

We have touched on everything right from the differences between Robusta and Arabica coffee beans to how you can prepare your favourite cup of joy. Keep your grip on the steering wheel. We're delving into your morning beverage of choice.

What you should know about the types of coffee

Let's start with the fundamentals. These are the varieties of coffee you're probably already familiar with because there's not much to them other than the coffee you're already familiar with. We're talking about black and espresso coffee, as well as coffee with a little sugar or milk.

Espresso

Espresso is similar to black coffee in that the beans are chosen, roasted, and prepared before being crushed into a considerably finer grind and 'pulled' to make a very strong coffee drink as opposed to the slightly milder flavour of black coffee.

Coffee served black

Coffee in its purest form is black. The coffee beans are chosen, roasted, and prepped before being ground and brewed in the machine of your choice (or through the pour-over method). After you've done this, all that's left is the coffee in your cup.

Sugared and/or milked coffee

If you don't like black coffee because it's a little too harsh, dark, or powerful for you (or for some other reason), you can add a little cream or milk, or even sugar or artificial sweetener. Alternatively, any combination of the above might be used to create a somewhat different flavour.

Types of Coffee Beans

When you're looking for the best coffee flavour, you'll come across four different types of coffee beans. The majority, however, will fall under only two of those four species: Arabica and Robusta. Even so, there are several that are classified as Liberica or Excelsa, so we'll discuss those as well.

1. Excelsa and Liberica

Because they aren't imported, neither of these are extremely widespread in the United States. The Philippines are the only place where Liberica is produced, while Southeast Asia is the only place where Excelsa is grown.

Liberica has a floral or even fruity scent, as well as a substantial body. They also have a unique smokey or even woody flavour to them. As the Arabica bean succumbed to coffee rust in the 1890s, they became fairly popular. However, as trade with the United States ceased, so did their popularity in the United States.

Beans from the Excelsa genus are a little more frequent, but not by much. They grow on 30-foot-tall trees and have a tarter, fruitier flavour than other types. In most cases, these are utilised as a part of a coffee blend rather than as a stand-alone coffee.

Both of these coffees are typically slightly roasted to maintain the flavours gentle and authentic, but even darker roasts will retain the flavour.

2. Arabica

The vast majority of coffee you'll discover falls into this category, accounting for roughly 60% of all sales. It's of good quality, and it's mostly from Latin America. There's a reason why people adore this coffee variety and continue to consume enormous amounts of it.

Arabica beans are often produced at high altitudes with plenty of shade and rain. They're a little sensitive, which means they're more vulnerable to illness and environmental changes. They are, on the other hand, lively, with complex flavour and fragrance profiles, and are excellent for both hot and black brewing.

3. Robusta

Robusta coffee is the second most popular coffee species, with a strong, slightly bitter flavour when compared to Arabica beans. Because of its flavour characteristic, it's commonly utilised for strong coffee and espresso. Not only that, but it has a greater caffeine content in general.

They are generally hardy (as the name implies) and can withstand changes in climate and altitude, as well as illness. They're perfect for huge crop areas and have a low acidity level. However, they have a stronger flavour profile and go well with coffee drinks that require cream or sugar.

Types of Coffee Roasts

There are four main sorts of roasts that you may find for coffee in general. Light, medium, dark, and extra dark are the four options. Every other roast type will fall somewhere in this list and will be treated as a sub-type or subclassification rather than a whole roast type.

1. Roasted Extra Dark

Finally, because of the longer roasting period, the extra dark roast has the lowest level of caffeine and acidity. It will have a rich flavour that is typically smokey and harsh.

2. Roasted Dark

When you reach dark roast, you'll notice that the toasted flavour has faded and you'll be left with a real roast flavour. It will contain less caffeine and acidity, which will result in a fuller and heavier flavour. It has a little spicy flavour and a deeper tint to it.

3. Roasted in the middle

The flavour of a medium roast is more balanced. You'll get something that's a little darker, but it'll still be toastier than full-bodied. Although it has a significant amount of caffeine and acidity, part of it has been roasted away. You'll also receive a rich aroma here.

4. Roasted Lightly

A 'blond' roast is a light roast with a lot of flavours. It also has a somewhat more toasted flavour and the greatest levels of acidity and caffeine. This is because it hasn't been roasted long enough to remove these characteristics.

Different Coffee Brewing Methods

There are Several Types of Brewing Methods:

You'll need to start looking at different ways to brew your coffee once you've decided on the particular roasting level you want for it. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to brew coffee, and they all rely on your own choice.

1. Espresso

Espresso is next, which is made with an espresso machine. Instead of water dripping through the filter, it employs pressured hot water. This produces a shot,' which is an even more concentrated amount of the coffee product.

2. Drip

Because it uses a normal coffee maker, this is perhaps one of the easiest ways to prepare coffee. All you have to do is add water and coffee grounds, and it will make your black coffee. Then you may personalise it with whatever you like.

3. A refreshing brew

Finally, there's cold brew coffee, which has a low acidity but a high caffeine content since it steeps in room temperature rather than boiling water. You can then chill it more or add ice to make a true 'cold brew.'

4. Pour everything out

This is another quick and easy way to make coffee, albeit it will require a bit more effort on your part. This is due to the fact that you must boil the water yourself before filtering it through coffee grounds. However, the finished effect is frequently more powerful.

Types of Coffee Served Black

Now that we've covered some of the fundamentals, let's look at some of the numerous ways you can drink coffee and the various varieties of coffee available. We'll start with all of the numerous variations on a regular cup of black coffee so you can figure out whether this is where your favourite cup of coffee is hidden.

Black coffee is simply coffee and water with no additional ingredients. While you can add milk or another type of dairy or non-dairy creamer, as well as some type of sweetener, it's no longer black coffee (though it may not technically be anything else either).

1. Espresso

The next option is an espresso, which is an Italian coffee that is substantially stronger than a regular cup of black coffee. It similarly utilises simply coffee and water, but the water is pressurised, resulting in a stronger cup or 'shot' of espresso. During this process, a small amount of foam forms on the top.

2. Long, dark black

A long black is made up of two espresso or ristretto shots (depending on the strength you want). These two shots are then combined with a small amount of water. The finished result is a little stronger cocktail than a plain double-shot of either.

3. Brew in a batch

A batch brew might be the way to go if you want to prepare a huge amount of coffee in a similar style to drip coffee but a little faster. It works in the same way as a drip coffee maker, but it can brew a little more coffee in a lot less time.

4. Vienna

The Vienna follows, which is a double shot or doppio with whipped cream on top. So, if you're looking for a sweet drink that also gives you a caffeine boost and a coffee flavour, this is the one to try.

5. A cup of coffee

You might be drinking a café au lait if you want to get technical about your coffee with milk. This drink is made comprised of a full cup of coffee and a tiny amount of warm milk. So, adding cold milk to your coffee isn't technically the same as adding warm milk, but it does create a different drink.

6. Ristretto

A ristretto is another Italian drink made with half the amount of water. You'll still use the same quantity of coffee, which is pressured and forced through to create a 'shot' similar to espresso, but you'll get a stronger shot with half the water.

7. Americano

An Americano, also known as a caffe americano, is brewed using coffee and water. This one, which is made in the same way as an espresso, uses twice as much water. You double the amount of water instead of halfing it like a ristretto to make the espresso a little weaker.

Types of Espresso Coffee Shots

If you're interested in espresso but aren't sure about the options we've just mentioned, take a look at these two alternatives, which are minor modifications on the previous ones.

1. Lungo

Although the lungo has its own categorization, it is not often considered a separate drink. Because it's a double shot of espresso, it's extremely similar to a doppio. The distinction is that this espresso is considerably more concentrated than a regular espresso.

2. Café Noisette is a noisy café in Paris

A double shot of espresso is used in the café noisette, which is identical to a doppio. This one, however, instead of being more concentrated, includes an ounce (or a shot) of steamed milk. This results in a slightly creamier flavour profile.

Types of Coffee with a Milk Base

The milk-based coffee drinks are the next category of coffee drinks. These are drinks that are always made with milk (rather than black coffee drinks which you may add milk to). Adding different amounts or types of milk, on the other hand, can result in a whole distinct flavour profile.

1. Latte

Lattes, which are created with espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk, are another popular beverage. However, for this one, you'll use a very small bit of espresso, then fill the rest of the cup with steamed milk and top with a small amount of foamed milk. The end product is a thick, creamy beverage with barely any espresso flavour.

2. Cappuccino

Even if you haven't had one, you've probably heard of it before. It's an espresso with foamed and heated milk that's been divided into thirds. So you've got 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 foamed milk on top. As a result, you'll have a creamy drink with a milder flavour. It can be served cold or hot.

3. White with a flat finish

The flat white, made with espresso and steamed milk, is the first item on the menu or wooden table golders. You make your shot of espresso as usual and then add a small amount of steamed milk to the drink. This gives your espresso a creamier flavour while maintaining its power.

4. Galao

This drink is made out of a single shot of espresso with foamed milk. In reality, it's topped with a lot of foamed milk, so there's only a little bit of espresso flavouring and a lot of sweetness and creaminess to go along with it.

5. Macchiato Latte

The latte macchiato is mostly made up of milk, with a small bit of espresso poured on top. To add a little more creaminess and milky flavour, top it with some froth. Because there is very little espresso in the drink, it has a lighter flavour.

6. Gibraltar

This more unusual cocktail is a version of the Cortado and is popular in San Francisco. It starts with a shot of espresso and is then topped off with milk. The drink is presented in a hot glass, but the heat quickly dissipates as the glass cools.

7. Macchiato

This drink is made with espresso and a small amount of milk called a 'dash.' The objective is to obtain the espresso flavour first, then add some creaminess to balance it out. They can also be served with a dollop of steaming milk on top for added froth.

8. Latte Piccolo

A typical ristretto shot (double shot, extra strength espresso) is followed by heated (not warmed) milk in this little latte. It's typically served in a conventional latte glass, with the double shot of espresso in the bottom and warm milk filling the rest of the glass for a little caffeine and a lot of creaminess.

9. Cortado

In a cortado, the amount of espresso and steamed milk is usually equal, though you can have a 1:2 ratio of coffee to milk if you want. Without the foam, it's considerably flatter, but it still has a good balance of creamy and coffee.

Types of Coffee, both iced and cold

Following that are various cold and even iced coffees, which are fantastic if you're facing a hot day and need a little pick-me-up to get through it. They can also be brewed cold straight away or hot and then cooled.

1. Mazagran

This drink isn't as well-known, but it's a rather unique cocktail worth investigating further. It's an iced coffee with lemon and sugar added to it. If you want a bit extra kick or a drink that's more enjoyable for the day, you can add rum.

2. Coffee with Nitrogen

Nitro coffee is a cold brew coffee that has nitrogen gas introduced into it after it has been produced the traditional way. This gives the coffee a creamy mouthfeel and a few little bubbles. It won't change the caffeine or flavour, but it will give you a different texture to experiment with.

3. Tonic made with espresso

A double shot of cold espresso is used to make an espresso tonic. Fill a glass halfway with ice, then add a splash of lime juice and tonic water, followed by your espresso for a unique and slightly sharp flavour.

4. Espresso iced

This drink is similar to an iced coffee but with the addition of a shot of espresso. Fill your cup halfway with ice, then add your shot of espresso, followed by cream and sugar to taste. You can use hot espresso or chill it beforehand, just like regular coffee.

5. Frappuccino

This drink is frequently associated with milk-based beverages, but it is capable of both. It's a coffee or espresso with ice and, in most cases, caramel or chocolate flavoured. To make it even creamier, a small bit of milk can be added. The mixture is then mixed and topped with whipped cream.

6. Iced coffee from Japan

Because it's a classic hot coffee poured over ice, this coffee is actually fairly simple. This results in a quicker taste release and a somewhat cooler drink.

7. Coffee that has been brewed cold

Finally, there's cold brew coffee, which has a low acidity but a high caffeine content since it steeps at room temperature rather than boiling water. You can then chill it more or add ice to make a true 'cold brew.'