A Newbie’s Guide to Different Popular Coffee-Related Drinks

With all the different drinks out there, it’s tough sometimes to know the difference between a soy latte and a caffe latte. Besides, who really cares, as it couldn’t be that different, right? Wrong. The differences are huge between types of coffee beverages. Here’s a cheat sheet for the next time you don’t know what to order, or don’t quite understand how something is made.

First up, here are some of the names of average drinks, but this time, instead of not understanding what they mean, you’re going to learn what the heck the difference between an Americano and a Latte really is.

Espresso Most people think that espresso is a type of coffee, and don’t realize that it’s one of the styles of coffee. If you’re looking for something high-octane, this is it. A one-ounce shot has a lot more caffeine than a regular cup of coffee, thanks to the unique process that involves pressing coffee tightly together and using very hot water.

Americano You know how when you use your drip coffee machine at home, how the product tastes more like coffee-flavored water if you don’t put the right amount of grounds in? Well, the Americano is named, jokingly, after the sort of taste it is that Americans prefer when drinking their coffee. Basically, eight ounces of hot water is added to a shot of espresso, giving you a–you guessed it–watered down version of a stronger espresso drink.

Cappuccino Probably the most popular drink that people order but have no idea what they’re actually getting, the cappuccino is simply one third coffee, one third milk, and one third creamy and thick froth, from milk, too. Rather than being a pompous addition to spice up a simple coffee drink, it’s named after the Capuchin, which is the white and brown hood that monks wear.

There’s more to knowing about styles of coffee than just remembering some of the key names to the drinks. It’s even more important to know some of the processes–i.e. what heats the beans. Here are a couple of the most popular:

The French Press This is also known as bodum, cafetiere, and the press pot. Sound confusing? It’s a bunch of different names, not styles of coffee. Here, a glass container has a plunger attached, where you add near-boiling water, coffee, and then press the coffee, which is ground coarsely, down with the plunger after a few moments sitting in the boiling water. The system works to filter the coffee and leave a superior-tasting product.

The Drip If you’ve got a coffee maker at home that plugs in and doesn’t sit on the stove, this is what you’re most likely working with. Pour some water into a machine, add your coffee to the other part, and the coffee maker actually heats the water and eventually the dripping boiled water over the grounds makes your cup of coffee. Definitely one of the easiest ways, if not the tastiest ways, to have some coffee.

Of course drip coffee, popular in offices and homes across the land, is simply when you plug in a machine that heats the water and drips it slowly over the grounds, which are located in a filter. The taste, usually, is a little more watered down than with an at-home espresso machine.

So now that you’re equipped with the names of a couple of drinks, as well as some at-home processes to getting a solid cup of coffee, there’s no reason to freeze up the next time you’re out at a fancy restaurant and everyone else is ordering coffee-related drinks that you don’t quite understand. Once you get the basic vocabulary down, learning the styles of coffee and how to order them and make them at home is a simple undertaking. Bottoms up!

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Why Is Cooking Alcohol Not Suitable For Beverages?

We have litres of cooking brandy for fruit cakes at work and there up around the 60% level. They clearly state not suitable for consumption as a bevarage. Why???? Can’t you have a little bit with something?

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What Are Coffee Pods?

What exactly are coffee pods, you ask? They’re not little spaceships in which coffee travels through space, though the term may induce such thoughts. Other than that, the term coffee pods doesn’t exactly endow itself with a ready explanation.

Coffee Pod Brewers

Basically, coffee pods are small, single serve packages of coffee that come wrapped in their own filter. They can only be used with certain types of coffee makers, called pod brewers, but they can be far more convenient. Imagine not having to worry about buying filters and grind separately, or pouring grinds or water whenever you want just one cup of coffee. Unfortunately, this convenience is a bit more pricey than your standard cheap coffee maker. Coffee pods brewers, while still fairly budget friendly, are not nearly as cheap as the old standard. Also, there are many different manufacturers of coffee pods brewers, and not all brewers are compatible with all pods, so there is sometimes confusion as to which brewers use which pods.

Who All Makes Coffee Pods

Fortunately, however, coffee pods are sort of an open format. Although they require special pieces of equipment to brew, pretty much any company can make and sell coffee pods, which means there is a very wide variety of coffee pods available to purchase once you have obtained your coffee pod brewer. Coffee pods are available for as little as $5, though some of the more premium pods sell for over $30. As with everything, it’s really up to you how much you want to spend and if you taste a flavor difference between them. If you, personally, don’t notice a difference between the cheapest and the most expensive, then there’s obviously no reason to waste the extra money.

Coffee Pod Brewers: About As Expensive As Regular Brewers

Coffee pod brewers range from $10 to well over $400 for personal one cup brewers, and upwards of $1100 for commercial grade brewers. They can be purchased from most regular department stores, as well as online. As with most things, if you have the patience to wait for it, it’s probably better and cheaper to order it online.

Are Coffee Pods Worth It?

All things considered, coffee pods are a big more expensive than those mundane coffee makers that have been around for decades. However, if you regularly only make one cup of coffee, or your brewer caters to people who want coffee at different times of the day, then coffee pods will probably save you money in the long run, and will always give you the fresher cup of coffee on demand.

Corky likes to write articles about coffee pods and coffee pod machine.

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I am throwing a small surprise party for my boyfriend’s 30th birthday party July 26. It’s going to be at our apartment’s community room. I am worried that if I send out the invites too soon that people may forget about the party, but if I send them out too late that people may already have plans!
Also, is it appropriate to ask people to bring a dish to pass? I plan on having a main dish and some snacks and beverages of course, but he has a big family

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