Coffee Guide

Kylie — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:48:02 -0500

Thanks for the feedback! Maybe I'll expand it at the end of the week if I have the time. I didn't write about Melanges, after all....

Great Post!

Anali — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:03:51 -0500

I didn't know all of these things before and this is a nice little reference guide. I saved it to del.icio.us and even added a new "coffee" category! Thanks Kylie! : )

Anali's First Amendment

I switched to decaf last August, but I still love the stuff....

Lisa Stone — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:21:57 -0500

I agree Kalyn - great post Kylie! I linked it from the homepage.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

Great post!

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:51:39 -0500

I knew some of this, but definitely not all of it.

I have a Cuisinart Grind and Brew and good coffee beans is one thing I splurge on all the time. I just have to have good coffee to start the morning.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Is this informative?

Kylie — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:25:50 -0500

Or did you already know all of this? Let me know!

An Illustrious Guide to Coffee Drinks

Kylie — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:18:58 -0500

It is estimated that specialty coffee sales are increasing by 20% each year; in America alone, the coffee industry is worth about 18 billion dollars, and about 50% of Americans consume espresso drinks. A little bit surprising, considering that espresso has traditionally been much more popular in central Europe. Nonetheless, it is clear that espresso is here to stay.

But have you ever wondered about how espresso is prepared? Have you ever heard somebody order a drink that you've never even heard of? This guide aims to bring you up to speed with everything espresso-bean related. Hopefully, you'll learn something impressive enough to catch the attention of a barista next time you order.

How Are Espresso Drinks Made?

Espresso is prepared by forcing pressurized steam through finely ground coffee beans (usually a darker roast). A serving of espresso is 'one shot', or one ounce of the drink.

Think of it is strong, concentrated coffee, because that's basically what it is.

What Are the Different Kinds of Espresso Drinks?

	Espresso [ess-press-oh] • Developed in Milan, Italy in the early 20th century. • Brewed by forcing very hot water under high pressure through coffee that has been finely ground. • Espresso contains approximately three times the caffeine content as regular brewed coffee
	Espresso Macchiato [ess-press-oh mock-e-ah-toe] • Espresso with a small amount of hot, foamed milk. • "Macchiato" simply means "marked" or "stained".
	Espresso con Panna [ess-press-oh kon pawn-nah] • Means "espresso with cream" in Florentine Italian. • A more old fashioned drink than a latte or cappuccino.
	Caffé Latte [caf-ay lah-tey] • Usually referred to as a 'latte' in North America. • Sometimes prepared with approximately one third espresso and two-thirds steamed milk. • A latte is sometimes served in a bowl.
	Flat White • The volumised milk is prepared by folding the top layer into the lower layer so the resulting drink has only a very thin layer of froth at the top. • Australian flat white's are usually stronger than those found in other countries.
	Cafe Breve [caf-ay brev-ay] • Espresso in half and half, in proportions equal to those of a cafè latte • A mocha breve is espresso, chocolate, and half and half in proportions equal to those of a cafè mocha.
	Cappuccino [kapp-oo-chee-noh] • Differs from a caffé latte because it is prepared with much less steamed or textured milk. • The foam on top of the cappuccino acts as an insulator and helps retain the heat of the liquid, allowing it to stay hotter longer. • Cappuccino takes its name from an order of Franciscan Minor friars (named "cappuccini").
	Caffé Mocha [caf-ay moh-kuh] • Mocha is also a type of 'chocolatey' coffee bean (from Yemen). • A variant is white café mocha, instead made with white chocolate.
	Americano [uh-mer-i-kan-oh] • Has a similar strength but different flavor than regular drip coffee. • A 'red eye' is made by adding drip coffee instead of hot water. • Americano was not popular in the United States until the explosion of chain coffeehouses

How Can I Vary My Order?

• 'Double' or 'Triple' the number of shots in your drink (double latte, please?)

• Ask for 'long poles', which means that the milk or cream will be foamed more thoroughly

• Substitute soy milk for milk or cream for a more earthy flavour

Is Coffee Good for Me?

Well...it's not necessarily healthy itself, although several health benefits have been observed. Here's just a few:

• Can prevent Parkinson's and lower chances of getting Diabetes and colon cancer.

• Antioxidants can strengthen one's immune system.

• Decaffeinated coffee is supposedly less healthy.

• Drinking espresso can decrease risk of ovarian cancer.

See the Original Article