CoffeeGuru

Welcome to Coffee Guru! Here is the ultimate guide learning your different coffee preferences!

Remember your first time walking into a coffee shop? That overwhleming feeling as the cashier stares at you waiting to take your order, but you have no idea what the words on the menu mean? Me too. Ordering coffee can be an intimidating thing, so many options!Coffee Guru is here to help make this coffee experince easier, and make sure you get exactly what you asked for!

Coffee Beans

First lets start with the coffee beans, the root of it all. There are two main types of coffee beans used in the U.S. Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica

Arabica is the most popular type of coffee, hands down. Depending on who you ask, many coffee enthusiasts prefer using Arabica beans due to its taste. Typically used for black coffee, Arabica beans have a sweeter, more complex flavor that you can drink straight. Funny thing is, even though it’s the most popular, it doesn’t have as much caffeine as Robusta.

Robusta

While Arabica is the most popular, Robusta is a cheaper and stronger type of coffee bean. Because of its bitter flavor, you’ll typically see Robusta used for espresso drinks and in instant coffee mixes.

The different types of coffee Categories

(And tea because they matter too)

Espresso!

What the hell is espresso you might be asking? Espresso is a concentrated type of coffee made with specially roasted beans and an espresso machine.

Finely ground beans are packed into a portafilter, which is then locked into the base of the espresso machine. Very high pressure (a necessity for espresso) forces water through the packed grounds to pull one- or two-ounce shots of creamy, thick espresso.

The only real difference between espresso and coffee is in the beans and the brewing methods. Espresso, like we mentioned above, is brewed through high water pressure and finely ground espresso beans. Coffee is brewed a bit slower, with much less pressure and with lighter roasted beans. Espresso beans are very dark and are roasted longer than regular coffee beans. The long roast time ensures that oils are released from the coffee beans, which will result in the thick, full texture you recognize in an espresso shot. Beans that are roasted for shorter time periods create light, medium and dark roast coffee beans. Those are the beans used to brew classic coffee, French roasts or pour-overs.

How much caffine is in espresso?

A single shot if espresso contained around 64 milligrams of caffine. When compared to an 8 ounce cup of coffee containing about 92 milligrams, espresso wins.

Types of espresso drinks!

There are many different things you can make with espresso, here are a couple popular examples!

Some people like their espresso straight. You can order up to 4 shots of espresso which is called a Quad. Three is a triple, 2 is a double, and one a single!

Lattes are made up of 1 part espresso, 3 parts steamed milk, and a small layer of foam on the top! You can have a latte iced or hot and mix and match flavors and alterative milks as you wish. Most lattes contain two shots of espresso but it really depends on the size.

Cappucinos are very similar to lattes but with a slightly altered ratio. They include a 1:1:1 ratio of equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam.This is your type of drink of you love that velvety texture of frothed milk. Cappucinos are served hot.

Flat white is the same thing as a latte, but no foam. Lame.

An Americano is basically just espresso and water. Can be made hot or iced and some people like to add cream and sugar (or a prefered flavor)Most americano ratios are equal parts espresso and water, but it all depends on how strong you like your drink!

A cortado is nice and simple, my personal favorite. Eqaul parts espresso and steamed milk, or cold milk if prefered iced. I like a double cortado!

Macchiatos are shots of espresso with foam on top. No steamed milk, only the foam on top of the milk. Starbucks has a "macchiato" drink which is a latte not mixed up so if you are looking for that do not order a traditional macchiato! You will be dissapointed.

Last but not least are eyes. Eyes are for people who cant get enough caffine. A desired amount of shots in brewed coffee. A red eye contains a single shot, black eye is double, and dead eye is triple.

Brewed Coffee

Brewed coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, with millions of people consuming it daily. It is made by pouring hot water over ground coffee beans and allowing the mixture to steep for several minutes, allowing the water to extract the flavour and aroma of the coffee beans. All coffee must be brewed before drinking.

There are various methods to brew coffee, each with its own unique flavour and characteristics. Some popular methods include espresso, drip coffee, French press, and pour-over coffee. Drip coffee is the most common method and is brewed by pouring hot water through coffee grounds and a filter in a coffee maker. This method produces a clean, smooth, and consistent taste.

Types of Roasts

There are three main types of roasted coffee beans, light, meduim, and dark. The type of roast doesnt change the caffine amount too much, but more the flavor.

Lightly roasted coffee beans have a light brown color and don't have oils on their surface because they are not roasted long enough for the oils to reach the surface. They’ll have a fruity aroma and the flavors of their origin will be more distinct

Medium roast coffees are medium brown, with little oil on the beans surface. Medium roast coffee is considered to be sweeter than the light roast, with more body and balanced acidity. This combination gives a smooth flavor. The medium roast style was the first foray into the world of coffee roasting.

Dark roast coffee has a shiny black color with an oily face. Unlike the other roast types, it has a bittersweet taste. Dark roasts usually have a substantial bitterness to their taste. This is also because some flavors of the beans are lost in the roasting process. But it doesn't mean that they are bland.

Types of Brewed coffees drinks

Café au Lait is made using brewed coffee and steamed milk, in a typical ratio of one part coffee to one part steamed milk.

cold brew.Cold brew coffee, also called cold water extraction or cold pressing, is the process of steeping coffee grounds in water at cool temperatures for an extended period. Coarse-ground beans are soaked in water for about 12 to 24 hours.This is much stronger than brewed coffee because it is a concentrate. A nitro cold brew is infused with nitrogen and produces a foamy layer.

Tea!

All types of “true” tea actually originate from the same plant. The botanical name for the tea plant is camellia sinensis.This plant has two main varietals: camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which grows primarily in China and other East Asian countries and has a milder, mellower character, and camellia sinensis var. assamica, which grows primarily in India and is generally heartier and more robust.

Types of teas!

These are not all types of teas just a few popular ones!

Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea made from the partially oxidized leaves. It has a floral aroma and a slightly sweet, fruity taste with a hint of nuttiness.

Green tea comes from unoxidized leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush. It is one of the least processed types of tea, containing the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols.It has hints of clean, grassy, flowery, vegetal, and earthy.

Black tea is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas.

Matcha is Japanese green tea powder made from finely powdered dried tea leaves. It has a slightly bitter, vegetal taste and a vibrant green color that results from the leaves’ high chlorophyll levels.

Chai is made by brewing black tea in milk and water and then sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates chai, although chai is often prepared unspiced.

A tea latte is basically the same thing as a regular latte just tea instead of espresso!