Coffee Shop drinks explained
This week we give you a run down of every type of coffee you can order at Over Under. From a flat white to a latte, long black to our filter, you no longer have to guess which is which.
Ever gone into a coffee shop and asked for a ‘coffee’ only for the barista to relay about 100 different options back to you? Yes, we know being told pour times and milk ratios can be a little daunting, so we’re here to help. In this week’s blog we chat with one of our head baristas and ask them to share their knowledge on coffee. Don’t worry if you’re still figuring out your favourite type of drink, you can always keep this as a handy reference and work your way through the list.
Espresso
An Espresso is a very small, concentrated coffee and the base of most of our barista-made drinks. It is extracted by forcing pressurised hot water through very fine coffee grounds.
When drinking an Espresso you get all the flavours of the coffee as it is not diluted by water or mixed with milk. It all depends on the coffee you’re using but most espresso has a chocolatey taste. Plus if you add an espresso on top of ice cream - you have an affogato!
Macchiato
A macchiato is an espresso with a little bit of hot foamy milk. It is a very popular drink amongst those who want to feel the taste of the espresso but still have a little bit of foamy texture while drinking it.
It tastes very much like an Espresso but you can feel a little bit of sweetness from the steamed foamy milk. Café Macchiato means marked coffee - coming from the mark the foam makes on the espresso.
Long Black
A long black is shorter than a classic americano. It has the same amount of coffee, but just less water. When making a long black, the water goes in first, then we add a double shot of espresso on top. It’s strong and it packs a punch.
We add the shots after the water so that the crema from the coffee doesn’t break. You’ll also taste the last step of the extraction process when drinking this which adds a sweetness to it. In three words a long black tastes, bitter, sweet and creamy.
Top tip: don’t swirl the cup when you’re drinking it as it will break the crema, mixing everything together
Americano
An americano is usually a drink for those who don’t have time, are on a diet, or are real coffee lovers, as rather than have it mixed with milk they want to taste and experience it. An americano is different from long black as there is more water. Whilst traditionally the shot in an americano is poured before the coffee, we do ours long black-style to keep that beautiful crema intact.
When drinking an americano, you experience all the tasting notes of the coffee because nothing is mixed with it, so you’ll taste that chocolate and hazelnut richness.
Filter coffee
Fun fact, most people tend to think filter coffee is weaker than an americano or long black, which is false because of the ratio we use when brewing each batch. For one cup of filter coffee, you get between 20 - 25 grams of coffee. In comparison, an americano has around 17.5 grammes of coffee per cup. It also doesn’t have crema, unlike a long black or an americano, the brewing method means there is no crema.
All of our Over Under stores have different filter coffee recipes, so you’ll find different flavours and experiences from each. However, our filter coffee usually tastes quite floral, depending on its country of origin.
Flat White
The origins of the flat white can be traced back to Australia and New Zealand where they are very passionate about the drink. The flat white has a ratio of milk 1:2 which means the milk is twice the volume of espresso. It tastes milder than a cortado but stronger than a latte. We call it the cortarto’s big sister.
The milk for the flat white is quite wet with a micro amount of foam. It’s a delicate experience, that will be sure not to overwhelm your taste buds. Traditionally flat whites did not used to carry latte art, but it’s one of life’s little pleasures and now very common.
Piccolo
A piccolo like a mini flat white but with one shot of espresso. We extract a ristretto shot which is highly concentrated, as you don’t get all the steps of the extraction. You get the first piece of extraction which means you'll taste the bitterness of the shot and it will take the barista around 15 - 16 seconds to pour.
The ristretto shot is very popular among Italians and the milk should have a silky, creamy texture to it, with not alot of foam.
A piccolo is also Ed's favourite coffee. He has one every day.
Cortado
The cortado originated from Spain and it means to ‘cut’. You cut the coffee with milk and it’s got a 1:1 milk ratio, which means there is the same amount of coffee as milk. The shot goes in first, with flat white style milk which means there is little to no foam. It also has a kick as the espresso isn’t as diluted with milk compared to the flat white. The result: it tastes stronger but still has the same amount of caffeine.
Cappuccino
A cappuccino is a very foamy coffee. The difference between a cappuccino and a latte is that the milk is steamed differently. When making a cappuccino we introduce a lot more air when steaming the milk as it creates the foam.
The espresso shot goes in first, then we top it with milk and add chocolate sprinkles on top. It’s not just foamy and creamy, it also tastes like chocolate and marshmallow. The idea is that you get the same amount of coffee as a latte, but the milk makes the experience different.
Latte
The latte is probably the easiest drink for our baristas to steam the milk for. The milk is between the micro-foam of a flat white and the capuccino at about a finger’s width of foam. It’s very creamy and shiny, due to the steaming method of introducing air at the beginning and then letting it create a whirlpool in the jug.
The espresso goes in first and then we top it up with latte-style milk and usually people like to add cinnamon or syrup. The latte is the most popular drink to be flavoured. You rarely hear people say “Can I get a vanilla cappuccino”.
Mocha
A mocha is a hot chocolate with a double shot of coffee. It’s delicious, especially if you don’t like the taste of coffee and milk alone. The chocolate makes it very creamy and rich and the milk is steamed the exact same way as a Latte.
If you’re feeling really crazy, you can add chocolate sprinkles on the top and it’s like a liquid dessert.
And that’s a good summation of the different types of coffee available at Over Under. Of course, we have matcha, chai, decaf, turmeric, and tea too, but we didn’t want to overload you. If this has left you wanting to try a new coffee style out, we now have 8 locations across London, so check out where your nearest store is and pay us a visit.
Fancy making the coffee yourself instead? You can buy the Over Under House Blend from our online store and have it delivered straight to your front door. They’re also 3 for 2 on our website right now, so head over and grab yourself a few bags.