Ristretto, Latte, Machiatto: The Big Coffee Dictionary

Do you stand a bit confused at the counter of a café whenever you have to choose what you’d like to drink? There’s no need to feel embarrassed: here is a handbook of the most popular coffee types!

Espresso

The alfa and omega of all the coffees: the real espresso is dark brown with creamy milk foam on top.

Ristretto

The stronger version of espresso: one potion is only 20-25 millilitere instead of 30-35, its colour is darker, the taste is stronger and sharper.

Doppio

A double coffee in both ways: take an espresso and double the amount of coffee and water,

Flat White

The name could be a bit confusing, but the recipe is really simple: flat white is an espresso with milk foam on top.

Café au Lait

A double espresso with milk foam – a French favourite, as the name suggests!

Americano

The favourite of Americans: the “weak coffee” which is basically an espresso completed by half a decilitre water.

Cafe Lungo

1/3 coffee and 2/3 water – the long version!

Latte Macchiato

The word macchiato means stained or marked, referring to the fact that it only contains a bit of coffee, placed right in the milk foam. Real professionals wait a few minutes and put the coffee into the foam spoonful by spoonful to keep the milk layer frothy.

Caffe Latte

1/3 espresso, 2/3 steamed milk, plus of course, a gentle layer of milk foam!

Cappuccino

It contains less caffeine and more milk than a latte.

Melange

This one is quite similar to macchiato, but instead of sugar, melange comes with honey. The original Vienna Melange is completely different, though: it consists of coffee beans brewed in Vienna, milk foam and no honey at all.

Irish Coffee

A real tough day is ahead of you? The version will surely shake you up: in a warm cup goes the sugar, then the whisky, then the coffee.