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How to prepare coffee?

How to prepare coffee

I was brooding on the post title and I realized I was getting into a mess, since there are infinite ways to prepare coffee.

In Spain, the most ordered coffee types at the hospitality establishments are black, caffé latte and espresso macchiato, then cappuccino or Viennese have also been imported. In this article, we will talk about the wide range of coffee types available for the customers.

However, in order to focus on coffee types we shuld include some influencing aspects:

1st coffee type. Coffee may be sorted using different parameters, if it is blended or not, Arabica or Robusta, originated in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Kenya…

2nd coffee roast brings in many different varieties: light, American, French, Italian… Even classification varies according to the experts.

In addition, we have a 3rd element, related to the coffee machine used to prepare coffee: filter coffee machines, Italian coffee machines, French press, coffee pot…

4th element is what you put on your coffee: just milk, ice, chocolate, brandy, whisky… Sometimes coffee proportions give it different names.

There are infinite options of mixing coffee. In my opinion, this is not disadvantageous but it is a good opportunity for coffe lovers to enjoy a different preparation at coffee time.

Let’s reduce your expectations, since this post is not aimed at ecompassing all the types of coffee preparation -which are as many as you can ever imagine: brewed coffee, decorative beans for desserts, or mix of coffee with moonshine to bring in the famous “licor café” (coffee liqueur).

This post just aims to inform those who love coffee about what is a “short coffee” ora n “Amoretto”, just a short summary of the range of coffee that may be ordered at a café. We will now focus on hot coffee. Information on cold coffee can be found at “Cocina con David” videos. 

 

1ª type: Black coffe just made with coffee and water

Black coffee, also known as espresso or moka:

It’s the original one, coffee brewed served in a little cup: the most enthusiastic coffe lovers have it without sugar to appreciate all its properties. Other people prefer putting some sugar or sweeteners to enjoy it, everyone should be free to choose what they really like.

Ristretto o Piccolo coffee, in Spanish “café corto”.

Approximately half a black coffee, with little caffeine but much flavour. Ristretto is more concentrated than espresso, due to the high grind and the short preparation time.

American coffee

This is a style of coffee prepared by brewing espresso with added hot water, until getting the size of a coffee with milk. In Venezuela, it is known as “guayoyo” or “café aguarapa'o”.

Long black coffee

A long black is made by pouring a double-shot of espresso or ristretto over hot water. The coffee quantity is proportional to water, so it has full body and more flavour then the American one. Two black coffees in just a single cup. 

“Café largo”

It is made with approximately the double amount of water than an espresso. Unlike American coffee, water is not added subsequently.

Coffee with ice cubes

Coffee is added ice cubes, or as people usually do, black hot coffee or with milk is poured over a glass with ice cubes. If you like sweet coffee you should stir sugar before drink, cold coffee gets less sugared.

2nd type : coffe with foamed milk, cream, etc.

Cortado or espresso “cut”

Together with espresso and coffee with milk is the classical Spanish variety coffee. Espresso is added a small amount of milk. Milk proportion varies according to each customer, but generally it represents one-third milk to two-thirds coffee.

Coffee with milk:  

It is usually served in bigger cups than espresso, proportion is 50% milk and 50% coffee, approximately. Except expressely requested, customer is served hot milk.  

Café Manchado:

It is occassionally confused with cortado and sometimes with café Machiatto. Actually, it is the contrary, 2/3 milk and one-third coffee. Its name refers to the “stained” milk by the addition of espresso or black coffee. In Spain, it is also known as café lamina.

Café Latte:

It is antoher variety of coffee with milk, half a long coffee, a little bit more of 25% of milk steamed and less than 25% steamed coffee. Ocassionally, when people order a coffee with milk, they are served a café latte, including steamed milk. Basically, it is an espresso adding steamed milk.  

As milk is added to the espresso, it is seen the ability of the barista in the “art of latte”. The way of steaming milk varies from cappuccino, since steam tube is inserted in the milk producing steamed milk in the top and shaked in the rest of the recipient.

Café breve:

Half of espresso and the other half is steamed mixture of milk and cream

Café Espresso Panna:

It is similar to breve, but adding whipped milk, instead of regular one.

Vienesse:

Black coffee with chocolate and equal parts of milk and steamed milk. It is finally added grated chocolate.

Italian Machiatto

Espresso is added steamed milk instead of regular milk, in order to be different to the Spanish cut coffee.

Capuccino

Cappuccino is a sofisticated coffee-based drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed milk foam. It is added just a hint of cinnamon.

3rd type Coffee with alcohol

Carajillo:

A Carajillo is a Spanish drink combining black coffee with different types of alcoholic beverages, such as brandy, whisky, anisette, or rum. Its three different layers look nice if prepared in a crystal glass. At some places, liquours are burnt with sugar, some coffee beans and lemon peel, except if cream is added, in that case, lemon is not used.

Irish

Irish coffee is an over-18 coffee combined with whiskey and cream, ocassionally with a hint of cinnamon on the top. Proportions are appoximately, 1 part of whiskey to 3 parts of coffee.  

Caribbean

Coffee is added rum, vanilla and brown sugar, also for adult people.

Amaretto

It is prepared on tall glasses and it is served cold. It is added equal parts of amaretto almond liqueur, coffee and whipped cream. It is often added a cherry or cocoa poder to enjoy Amaretto’s great aroma and flavour.

Café con gotas

It is a Galician variety. People say that if you want a café con gotas, you will be served a coffee with grape marc to taste.

4th type Other

Arab

It is coffee with milk, made of boiled water with cardamom, an aromatic seed that Arab people like to use in coffee, ocassionally added cinnamon.

Hawaian

It is a coffee with coconut milk.

Caramel Machiatto

Combination of espresso, liquid caramel, milk and steamed milk.

Café bombón

A café bombón uses espresso served with sweetened condensed milk in a ratio of 1:1. Perfect to those who like very sweeten coffee. 

As you can see, all continents are connected by the love for coffee, then each one customize it to taste, even we can say that different cultures enrich the wondrous world of coffee.  

We could talk about more than thousand ways of preparing coffee, but let’s try the mentioned ones at rainy evenings or at our favourite cafés. We are sorry for not having mentioned your favourite coffee, but you can solve it by posting a comment below and describing it, we would really appreciate that. 

Even you may post a comment if you see differences between the mentioned preparations and yours, you know that "There's more than one way to skin a cat".

How do you like coffee? Do you have any secret preparation you would like to share with us?

Coffee lover, thank you for having read this post, if you have liked it share it in your favourite social media, I would really appreciate that. 

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