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It is important to understand, espresso beans are the same as any other coffee bean. The difference comes in the roasting process and there are many names given to espresso drinks which oftentimes have only minute differences.
Espresso
Espresso is sold in coffee shops by the "shot." Espresso is brewed by forcing very hot water, under pressure, through finely ground coffee beans. A perfect shot of espresso will have three distinct parts or sections: the crema, the body, and the heart. The crema is the light brown layer on the top of the espresso shot and herein lies the flavor. If you have ever purchased a shot of espresso that tasted bitter, there probably was no crema in the shot.
Americano
An Americano is made by simply adding hot water to the brewed espresso shot. This makes the drink taste stronger than regular brewed coffee, but not as strong as the straight espresso. The amount of water to add will depend on your individual taste.
Red Eye or Black Eye
For those who are brave, a cup of freshly brewed regular coffee can be supercharged by adding one or more shots of espresso.
Latte
The term latte comes from the Italian "caffe latte", meaning "coffee and milk". Many people visit their local coffee shop and simply order a latte, hoping to get a hot espresso beverage with steamed milk. If you were in Italy and ordered a latte, you would get just a glass of milk. Like any other espresso based drink, a latte can be made with 2%, skim, almond or soy milk, depending on a person's individual preference. A latte can be flavored with any flavoring available at your local coffee shop. So, if you just order a latte, you will get espresso and milk. If you want a vanilla latte, you had better ask for that.
Breve
A breve is made with espresso and steamed milk, just like a latte. The difference is that half and half milk is steamed and mixed with the brewed espresso.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino is an Italian term meaning "small cap". In the United States, a cappuccino is basically a latte with a lot more milk froth or foam on top. Some people order either a "wet cappuccino" or "dry cappuccino, neither of which is correct terminology, but what they mean is they want either more milk than froth or more froth than milk. In actuality, when you order a "dry cappuccino", you are really ordering a latte.
Mocha
Contrary to popular belief, Mocha is not an Italian word. Caffe Mocha gets its name from the town of Mocha, Yemen. This Red Sea coastal town was once a dominant exporter of coffee. A mocha is no more that a latte with chocolate flavoring. This espresso drink can be either hot, as a frappe, or over ice. It is a great-tasting beverage with either dark or white chocolate or a combination of both.
Frappe
A frappe, or just "frap," is a cold espresso-based beverage made by combining the espresso with 2%, skim, almond or soy milk and flavoring, then blending the mixture with ice cubes. A frappe is just a flavored latte that looks something like a smoothie or milkshake. The flavor of your frap will depend on your imagination.
Macchiato
A macchiato, meaning "marked," is simply a latte in which the brewed espresso is added last. By adding the espresso last, a stain or mark is added to the center of the steamed milk forth. This type of coffee beverage was actually invented to help waiters in coffee establishments distinguish between different types of espresso drinks. A macchiato can be flavored with the flavor of choice, with one of the most common flavorings being caramel.
You will not be confused by the menu hanging on your local coffee shop's wall if you just remember that there are only three basic types of espresso drinks. It will either be iced, a cold beverage over ice; a latte, a hot beverage with steamed milk and espresso; or a frappe, a cold beverage consisting of espresso and milk blended with ice.
The most difficult part in ordering your favorite espresso drink is deciding on which flavoring to use. It doesn't have to be complicated and you can never go wrong with either chocolate or vanilla.
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