Calling all coffee lovers! Here’s a list of the most popular types of espresso drinks! We’ve got everything from the good old latte to the sophisticated macchiato–and even an espresso cocktail mixed in. Maybe you need a refresher on your coffee drink types…but if you want to make them at home, click over to the recipe to learn more! These recipes are part of our Barista Series where we teach you how to make coffeehouse-quality drinks at home. Ready to get drinking?
And now…the top types of espresso drinks (and how to make them!)
Espresso making tools
There are a few special tools you’ll need to make all types of espresso drinks at home. There’s a variety of options and price ranges. Here’s an overview: What’s a latte? A latte is a coffee drink with espresso, steamed milk and a layer of foam on top. It has ⅓ espresso and 2/3 steamed milk, with a thin layer of foam on top. Variations: Vanilla Latte, Lavender Latte, Oat Milk Latte, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Gingerbread Latte What’s an Americano? An Americano is an espresso drink made with hot water and espresso. The drink can be made with either one or two shots of espresso, and varying ratios of water (usually 2:1). What’s a macchiato? A caffè macchiato or espresso macchiato is a shot of espresso that’s topped with frothed milk. What’s a cappuccino? A cappuccino is an espresso drink with steamed milk, milk foam and espresso. It has equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam (⅓ each). What’s a flat white? A flat white is a coffee drink with espresso, steamed milk and a layer of foam on top. It’s similar to a latte and cappuccino, but has a thinner layer of foam on top. What’s a mocha? A mocha or mocha latte is a drink made with espresso and steamed milk that’s flavored with chocolate syrup. Variation: Mocha Cappuccino What is a cortado? The Cortado is an espresso drink of equal parts espresso and steamed milk. It’s always the same volume: one doubleshot of espresso and 2 ounces milk. What’s Breve coffee? Breve coffee, aka cafe breve or breve latte, is a drink of equal parts espresso and half and half. What’s an espresso con panna? Espresso con panna (‘espresso with cream’ in Italian) is a coffee drink with a single or double shot of espresso topped with a dollop of whipped cream. What is ristretto? Ristretto is a short espresso shot that’s pulled in less time than the standard shot (it means “restricted” in Italian). It uses the same amount of coffee, but is made in 15 to 20 seconds versus 25 to 30 seconds. Variation: Lungo (long espresso shot) What’s an iced latte? An iced latte is a drink with espresso, milk and optional sweetener. (In contrast, iced coffee uses brewed coffee and optional milk. ) Variations: Iced Vanilla Latte, Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte What’s iced espresso? Iced espresso is espresso served over ice, often with milk. It’s similar to iced coffee, but it uses espresso instead of brewed coffee. Variations: Iced Espresso, Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Espresso What’s in iced Americano? An Iced Americano is a drink made with hot water and espresso, served over ice. What’s an iced cappuccino? An iced cappuccino is a coffee drink with espresso, milk, ice, and optional sweetener. It’s very similar to an iced latte, but served with cold foam (a la Starbucks). Try either: Iced White Chocolate Mocha or Iced Mocha What’s an iced mocha? An iced mocha is drink made with espresso, chocolate or chocolate syrup, and milk, served over ice. What’s red eye coffee? Red eye coffee is a coffee drink that combines drip coffee with one or two shots of espresso. What’s a dirty chai latte? A chai latte takes traditional masala chai, a milky spiced tea from India, and combines it with frothy steamed milk of a cafe latte. The “dirty” version of it adds a shot of espresso. Variations: Chai Latte, Vanilla Chai Latte, Iced Chai Latte
Best choice: an espresso machine. You don’t need a countertop espresso machine to make any of the types of espresso drinks above. BUT, it’s much, much easier and they come out with better quality. The steamer steams milk to perfection, and you can pull the most beautiful creamy, espresso. Here’s the one we use: Countertop Espresso Machine. Cheaper option: manual espresso maker. A less expensive option is a manual espresso maker. It’s portable and it makes good espresso. You’ll need to use it in combination with a milk frothing tool (below). Here’s the one we use: Manual espresso makerCheapest option: Aeropress. You can make espresso in an Aeropress coffee maker! It’s not nearly as good but it works. You’ll also need to get a milk frothing tool for lattes and cappuccinos. Here’s our recipe: Aeropress EspressoMilk frothing tools: milk frother, French press or whisk. For the frothing: a handheld milk frother is just $10 and works great! If you already have a French press, it’s great for frothing. Or you can go simple and just use a whisk (not as effective but does the trick).
More coffee drinks
There are lots more ways to make coffee outside these espresso drinks! Here are some favorites: No reviews
Cold Brew Coffee Dark and chilled to perfection!How to Make Pourover Coffee The best way we’ve found to make a stellar cup of pour over.How to Make Iced Coffee Here’s a killer iced coffee recipe that’s better than a coffee shop…and cheaper.Chemex Iced Coffee This Chemex iced coffee recipe takes just 10 minutes and doesn’t even require chilling!
