These days, getting a dose of your daily caffeine is pretty easy and almost always available. There’s a plethora of choices as well which may be attributed to the numerous sources of coffee beans all over the world as well as plenty of ways to brew coffee.
For many years, people have been making ways to perfect the art of making and drinking coffee. It has gone far from the simple daily brewed coffee to the modern-day espresso you get to sip every day. These days, the magical coffee bean has become more than just your usual drink it’s an addictive necessity that most people crave for everyday.
Here’s a look of the world’s popular coffee drinks that are available at most coffee houses and can easily be made at home:
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Espresso
This type of coffee is said to be the foundation for the different varieties of special coffee drinks. Espresso is that strong black coffee that most people have been used to drinking for years now. It is done through forcing steam to the sweet-smelling coffee beans at high pressure.
This type of coffee is achieved using an espresso machine.
You will know that you have achieved that perfect espresso when you have a thick, golden-brown cream on its surface. If it’s perfectly done the sugar you have poured on it will float on the surface for few seconds before it sinks at the bottom.
Espresso may either be prepared as it is or with bits of sugar. When you want it done “short”, it means that you will have it prepared with less water thereby making it more concentrated while having it “long” means that you will have more water making it less concentrated.
Check out the De’Longhi espresso machines.
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Cappuccino
Cappuccino’s been a popular drink these days that even the most common coffee shops offer it and even versions of it. To achieve that classic cappuccino, you oly have to combine equal parts of steamed milk, milk froth and of course, espresso. And if you’ve done it properly this drink can be both your dessert and your drink.
Sprinkle your cappuccino with a bit of grated dark chocolate or your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder to make the best out of your drink.
Wanting your cappuccino “scuro” means that you want it with less milk therefore making it more concentrated and darker, “chiaro” on the hand means that you want more milk while a “skinny” cappuccino is prepared with skim or nonfat milk. Cappuccino may also be prepared with ice, making it the perfect drink for summer.
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Caffe Latte
This type of coffee is done with three parts of steamed milk to one part of espresso and on top a layer of milk foam. To have it taste better, add some sugar to your latte.
Caffe Latte didn’t really exist in Italy but has its origin in America. The better baristas can make fantastic images in the foam. Popular images are ferns and love hearts.
Caffe Latte is best to pair with cakes, cookies and bread giving your snack time a different twist.
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Caf au Lait
Caf au Lait is the French version of the caffe latte. The only thing that differentiates it from Caffe Latte is that it instead of espresso, you use brewed coffee and is mixed in equal parts with steamed milk. Based on how it is prepared, Caf au Lait is actually the lighter and weaker version of the Caffe Latte. Add some sugar to make the best of it.
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Americano
The name was said to have originated based on how Americans would usually do with their espresso, which is to dilute it first. To prepare for it, you only have to have a single shot of espresso and dilute it with a cup of hot water. Over the years, the Americano type of coffee had been perfected by many coffee houses and had even revolved its preparation to something rich in espresso and creamy.
For most people, Americano is more preferred to be prepared as it is but others find it more tasty and delicious if they decrease the amount of milk so they can taste espresso better.
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Caf Mocha or Mochaccino
Mochaccino is another version of your Cappuccino or Caffe Latte that has been added with a chocolate powder or syrup.
Actually, coffee houses had already made different versions of this type of coffee and if you find their recipe to be appealing to your taste, you can always ask them how they do it.
For an extra twist to your usual Mochaccino, you can also finish it off with a whipped cream.
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Cold Brew
Also known as Cold Press, the Cold Brew type of coffee is done by precipitating coffee out of coffee grounds soaked in water at a cold or room temperature for at least 12 hours and even more. After the long hours of holding period, the grounds are then filtered out of the water through a paper coffee filter or any filtering system. This gives the coffee with a more concentrated result.
The newly filtered cold coffee is then diluted with milk or water and may be served with ice, served as hot or may also mixed up with other ingredients like coffee.
Cold Coffee is said to be sweeter as compared to other types of coffee probably because it’s less acidic.
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Decaffeinated Coffee
If you want the goodness of a coffee without the caffeine then a Decaffeinated Coffee is the best choice.
During the decaffeination process coffee beans undergo four different methods to extract caffeine, namely ethyl acetate method, water method, carbon dioxide method and the dichloromethane method. All these process are intended to lower the caffeine content of coffee beans.
Decaffeinated coffee became popular during the 20th century because of the people’s clamor to maintain good health without totally avoiding coffee. Decaf coffees are often served as a regular brewed coffee, a mix of regular caffeinated coffee and decaf, instant or espresso.
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Frappe
This type of coffee is the best choice if you want espresso served in cold. Frappe has been popular in Europe and Latin America especially during summer season.
Preparing for Frappe is pretty easy. You simply have to mix 1-2 teaspoons of instant coffee, water, sugar and ice and there you have it your very own Frappe. It will taste more like a coffee milkshake and is best to pair with some cookies or cakes.
