We bet you know at least some of the basics about coffee. You probably know about black coffee or heard of a latte or espresso. But did you know that there are many different coffee types beyond the basics you see at a restaurant or coffee shop. And some of them are incredibly delicious! Different types of coffee and ways to make coffee developed regionally around the world, and these unique brewing methods give the coffee an awesome flavor profile than what you’d be used to. In fact, some of these drinks that might be unfamiliar to you sound so tasty you might want to run out and try them immediately.
Various flavors can be added to coffee or an espresso to also give an amazing flavor to your coffee. Over time we’re going to keep building upon this list. So let’s just dive right into it and talk about the different coffee types that are out there.
Top 10 Most Popular Coffees In The World
- Espresso
- Cappuccino
- Cortado
- Turkish Coffee
- Ristretto
- Cafè Latte/Cafè Au Lait
- Frappé
- Irish Coffee
- Flat White
- Caffè Americano
All The Ways You Can Brew Coffee
Cold Brew Coffee
Not to be confused with iced coffee because cold brew coffee makes a different type of coffee than iced coffee does. Cold brew coffee uses coarsely ground beans that are steeped in cold water for at least twelve hours. The longer the coffee sits, the stronger the flavor. After steeping, the grounds are filtered out and you’re left with a coffee concentrate that can be mixed with milk or water and served over ice. Since cold brew coffee uses time instead of heat to extract the beans oils, sugars and caffeine, the end result is generally less acidic and bitter than iced coffee.
Drip Coffee / Filtered Coffee
A drip coffee machine is a method of brewing where ground coffee is placed into a paper filter and hot water is poured onto it allowing it to drip into the carafe below. This is the machine that most of us have in our office or home. But a drip coffee machine isn’t very capable of making all the different types of coffee we can experience. It’s mostly because to get the caffeine, strength, and taste we want would already be in a full cup of coffee.
Espresso Coffee
The simple explanation of espresso is that it’s a concentrated coffee where hot water is forced through finely ground beans at 7-10 atmospheres of pressure. As a general FYI, you’ll see a lot of espresso machines that brew up to 15 atmospheres of pressure. An espresso machine is a very versatile machine that can brew so many different types of coffee drinks.
Espresso shots make up a significant portion of the different coffee types that are on this list. That’s because the brewing process allows unique tastes and flavors to be produced in a small amount of coffee. That allows us to add other ingredients to the coffee to add the flavors to.
The legalese definition from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) defines espresso as “a 25-35ml beverage prepared from 7-9 grams of coffee through which clean water of 195°- 205°F (92°-95°C) has been forced at 9-10 atmospheres of pressure, and where the grind of the coffee is such that the brewing ‘flow’ time is approximately 20-30 seconds.”
French Press Coffee
The French Press machine has of a glass or stainless steel container with handle, a mesh stainless steel cylindrical piece near the top, and a steel cover with a simple movable plunger. Using coarsely ground coffee beans placed at the bottom of the container the beans are first steeped with hot water. The plunger is then pressed down slowly which completes the extraction of caffeine and flavor from the coffee bean to make delicious French press coffee. Like a drip coffee machine, a French press is also not able to give us all the different types of coffee we might be looking for.
Moka Pot Coffee
A Moka pot is a stovetop coffee maker, and is sometimes considered a stove top espresso machine. A moka pot actually extracts a higher ratio of caffeine than an espresso machine and also has increased flavors extracted from the bean. The flavor of a moka pot coffee depends on a lot of factors. Some of the factors are bean variety, roast level, fineness of the grind, the water profile, and the level of heat used.
Percolated Coffee
A coffee percolator brews coffee by continually cycling boiling or nearly boiling coffee through coarsely ground beans using gravity until the required strength is reached. The percolator could be heated similar to the standard pot or pan in your kitchen, and stove top is a common heat source for a percolator. Percolators are also common among campers since it can withstand an open flame to heat and brew the coffee.
Different Coffee Types From Black Coffee
Black Coffee
Most of you will know what this type of coffee is, but if you don’t have a full understanding of what black coffee is we have you covered. It’s coffee that you drink without any additives to it. However, there are many ways you can make coffee. You can make black coffee with a french press, a drip coffee maker, or a percolator. Each way to make this coffee uses a different coffee to water ratio which will give a various flavor profiles.
Black Coffee With Cream Or Milk
Brewed like black coffee, but with milk or cream added after brewing to reduce bitterness or add flavor.
Black Coffee With Sugar
Brewed like black coffee, but with sugar added to sweeten the flavor of the coffee
Black Coffee With Cream And Sugar
Brewed like black coffee. Sugar is added to sweeten the flavor, and cream or milk is added to the coffee to mask the bitterness.
Black Eye / Shot In The Dark / Eye Opener
Black Eye Coffee is a cup of brewed drip coffee with a double shot of espresso added. The espresso shot is added to increase flavor intensity along with a higher amount of caffeine.
Botz
Translated from Israel the word means “mud”. Finely ground Turkish style coffee is put into a cup and boiling water poured over it. Let it stand for a few minutes to cool and settle. When you’re finished with the coffee only the grounds will remain in the cup.
Cafè De Olla
This is a traditional Mexican coffee. It’s essential to use a traditional earthen clay pot when making café de olla since the clay pot gives a special flavor to the coffee. In Mexico, café de olla is made with ground coffee, cinnamon, and piloncillo (known as panela in other countries).
Canned Coffee
Canned coffee originated in Japan. There are many types of canned coffee sold, primarily in Japan, and the competition is fierce. The coffee is sold in grocery stores and vending machines. Hot cans are sold in the autumn and winter, and cold cans of coffee are sold in the spring and summer.
Decaffeinated Coffee (Decaf)
Decaf coffee comes from the same coffee bean as all other coffees, but goes through a process to extract the caffeine out of the bean. The coffee beans are washed in a solvent that’s usually made up of water, organic solvents or carbon dioxide. This solvent slowly removes the caffeine from the beans to make the bean caffeine free.
Egg Coffee / Cà phê trứng
Egg coffee, also known as cà phê trứng, has it’s origins from Vietnam. The coffee is traditionally prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and robusta coffee. The coffee is made by whisking egg yolks with sugar and a spoonful of coffee. Froth it until it becomes like cake batter. Than put it by the spoonful over a cup of coffee and leave it unmixed. That way you can decide whether to cautiously drink the coffee through the egg topping or mix everything together.
Instant Coffee / Soluble Coffee / Coffee Crystals / Coffee powder
Instant coffee comes from brewed coffee beans that allows hot coffee to be quickly prepared. This is done by adding hot water or milk to the powder or crystals and then stirring.
Irish Coffee
Black coffee mixed with Irish whiskey and sugar and then stirred together. It’s than topped off with cream and the coffee is meant to drink through the cream on top
Liqueur Coffee
Black coffee with a shot of liqueur added. The most common coffee liqueur coffees are sweet and syrupy. The two true mass-produced selections for a coffee liqueur are Kahlua and Tia Maria. Bailey’s also has a coffee flavored Irish cream.
Red Eye
Red Eye Coffee is a cup of brewed drip coffee with a single shot of espresso added. The espresso shot is added to increase flavor intensity along with a higher amount of caffeine.
Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is brewed using very finely ground coffee beans and is unfiltered. The beans are left in the coffee when served. It’s made by bringing the powdered coffee grinds and water to a boil. Usually, sugar is also included during the brew process to sweeten the coffee. Turkish coffee is brewed in a special pot called a cezve in Turkey or an ibrik elsewhere. The coffee is traditionally served in a special type of small porcelain cup called a kahve finjanı.
Different Coffee Types Served Cold
Black Tie
A black tie is a traditional coffee in Thailand. It contains one cup (or 4 tea bags) of black, orange blossom water along with other sweet and spicy ingredients. The drink gets topped off with a double shot of espresso and put in the refrigerator after it cools.
Cà Phê Sữa đá
Cà Phê Sữa đá is a traditional Vietnamese coffee that is served cold. It’s brewed using a medium to coarse ground dark roast Vietnamese-grown coffee bean. After the grind, it’s brewed using a small metal Vietnamese drip filter. Separately, a cup full of ice and 2-3 tablespoons (or more if you want) of sweetened condensed milk are waiting for the brewed coffee. After the coffee is brewed, the coffee is quickly poured into the glass full of ice and milk making the finished Vietnamese iced coffee.
Coffee Milk
Coffee milk is a coffee made by mixing coffee syrup or coffee extract and milk together in a manner similar to chocolate milk.[
Eiskaffee
Eiskaffee is a German for iced cream coffee. It’s somewhat similar to a root beer float, with a little less sweetness and calories to the coffee.
Frappé
A Frappé is a Greek based coffee that’s made from instant coffee, water and sugar. In a cocktail shaker or mixer you add one or two teaspoons of instant coffee granules, sugar to taste and a little water. Using a shaker helps you get the characteristic frothy layer at the top of the coffee. A Frappé shouldn’t be confused with a Frappuccino.
Frappuccino
A frappuccino is a trademarked name for a Starbucks coffee for their line of blended ice coffees. It is made from a coffee or crème base and blended with ice. There are a number of other ingredients included for flavor and also binding agents. Lastly, the frappuccino is usually topped with whipped cream and sauces.
Freddo Cappuccino
A Freddo cappuccino is the same as the Freddo Espresso (described below) but with foamed and creamed milk added in a 1:2 ratio (espresso shot:ice).
Freddo Espresso
Another Greek coffee, the Freddo Espresso is two shots of espresso mixed with sugar in a frapièra (a drink mixer) which mixes the coffee and sugar. From the mixing a foam is produced from the espresso oils and the temperature lowers. The coffee is then poured into a serving glass over ice.
Ice Shot / Cafè Con Hielo
An Ice Shot is an Australian based coffee. It’s a single shot of espresso poured into glass that has been filled with ice. The hot coffee melts the ice which dilutes some of the coffee’s bitterness. The coffee’s then freezing to a granita-like texture. A single scoop of ice-cream on top is a popular addition to the coffee. No milk, sugar, or any extra flavoring is added.
Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is pretty much exactly as it sounds. Brew filtered coffee or cold brew coffee as you normally would. Once it cools down you can serve it over ice. You might want to note that ice will dilute the coffee over time as ice melts. If this is a concern you might want to double your beans before you serve the coffee over ice.
Kopi Susu
Kopi Susu is an iced coffee that’s popular throughout Indonesia. More specifically, the British introduced this drink to Malaysia in the early 19th century. A Kopi Susu is one part condensed milk poured into a cup. Very strong ground and brewed coffee is added after. The coffee steeps into the condensed milk, thickening up the whole drink. When you’re ready to drink it get’s a final stir.
Mazagran
The Mazagran originated in Algeria, and is made with coffee and ice and served in a tall glass. Sometimes sugar, rum, lemon or water is added.
Nitro Coffee
If you add cream and sugar to your coffee than a nitro coffee may be for you. This coffee is especially popular in the health and fitness industries. When nitrogen, a colorless and oderless gas, is added to coffee you get a sweetness to the coffee but without the sugar. The texture looks more foamy and might look more like your beer with a head than a coffee.
Palazzo
The Palazzo is popular in southern California and typically made with a Moka pot. It’s an iced coffee with two shots of espresso. The espresso is immediately chilled and mixed with sweetened cream.
Shakerato
A Shakerato is a very easy drink to make. It’s made by shaking espresso and ice cubes.
Different Coffee Types From Espresso
Affogato
An Affogato is an Italian coffee based desert drink. More specifically, Affogato refers to topping off a drink with espresso along with either a chocolate or caramel sauce. It’s normally served with scoops of ice cream with a shot or two of espresso poured over the top. If desired, a liqueur can also be mixed in if you want to add some alcohol content to the drink.
Antoccino
With an origin from Italy, an Antoccino is a one to one ratio of espresso and steamed milk. Note that the milk should be steamed but not frothed. This is among the easiest drinks to make when it comes to the different coffee types that exist.
Breve
A Breve is a lot like a cappuccino. But the difference is that it’s made by steaming half and half instead of milk. Using half and half will also give you a very rich and creamy foam with a lot less sugar in your drink.
Cafè Bombon
Spanish in origin, a Cafe Bombon is an espresso drink served with sweetened condensed milk in a 1:1 ratio. For visual effect, a glass is used, and the condensed milk is added slowly to sink underneath the coffee and create two separate bands of contrasting color. However, this isn’t necessary for home use since the drink is typically stirred and the espresso and condensed milk are mixed together.
Cafè Borgia
Cafè Borgia is a mocha with an orange rind or sometimes orange flavor added in. It’s topped off with whip cream and than a little bit of cinnamon on top.
Cafè Con Leche
In Spanish, this is simply “coffee with milk”. Espresso and steamed milk is added in a 1:1 ratio. Sugar or sweetener may be added according to taste. This drink is most similar to a Caffè Latte or the Café au Lait
Cafè Cubano / Cuban Espresso
Originated in Cuba, this espresso shot is sweetened with natural brown sugar which has been whipped with the first and strongest drops of espresso. Dark roast Italian or Spanish beans are typically used for this drink.
Cafè Latte / Cafè Au Lait
Generally, one espresso shot is mixed with 6 to 8 ounces of steamed milk, then topped with foam. Without the foam it would be considered a Flat White. In the United States, it’s common that a cafè latte is made with a double shot of expresso.
Cafè Noisette
This is a shot of espresso with a dash of hot milk. The milk can either be poured in by the barista or given to the drinking in a small pot to pour in the amount desired.
Cafè Rapido Y Sucio / Quick & Dirty Coffee
Three shots of espresso topped off with chocolate or mocha syrup. Any variation of this coffee with more than three espresso shots would be called a Fast & Filthy Coffee.
Cafè Touba
A Cafè Touba is one of the different coffee types you’ll really need to seek out ingredients for. This coffee is named for the city of Touba, Senegal. The coffee is flavored with grains of Selim or Guinea pepper which is a dried fruit from the rain forests in the Savannah zones of Africa. In Senegal, this fruit is locally known as djar or cloves. The djar is mixed and roasted with coffee beans and then ground into a powder. To serve, the coffee is filtered like a drip coffee for the drinker to consume.
Cafè Zorro
This is similar to an Americano (right below). It’s a double espresso shot added to hot water with a 1:1 ratio.
Caffè Americano
An Americano is very similar to the Zorro mentioned just above. Hot water is added to the espresso to dilute the strength, but keeps a different flavor profile from brewed coffee.
Caffè Crema
Italian for “Cream Coffee”, the caffè Crema is the traditional term used for an espresso. the term caffè crema is still used in parts of the world, but the term has generally fallen out of favor for the term espresso.
Caffè Gommosa
This coffee drink originated in coffeehouses in the pacific northwest of the United States. It’s a shot of espresso poured over a marshmallow. The term caffè gommosa means “rubbery coffee”.
Caffè Medici
Pull a double shot of espresso over chocolate syrup and a fresh orange peel. When you’re done add some whip cream to the top and you have yourself a Caffè Medici.
Cappuccino
A cappuccino is probably a drink you’ve heard of before. And yes, a cappuccino is not the same as a latte because they use the same ingredients but in different ratios. A cappuccino is typically smaller than a latte and served in 5-6 fl. oz. cups. It’s 1 to 2 shots of espresso with steamed milk in the same ratio to the espresso shot. The steamed milk creates a microfoam (tiny bubbles in the milk) giving the milk a velvet type texture. This is what also allows baristas and artists to create latte art.
The ratio is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foamed milk.
Cortado
An espresso shot with about the same amount of warm milk. The milk should be warmed but not steamed which is what adds texture to the milk.
Doppio
A doppio is a double espresso shot using double the coffee in portafilter of the espresso machine. In Italian, the word doppio means double.
Espressino
Add some cocoa powder to the bottom of a glass and pull an espresso shot. Add in about 85 ml of whole cold milk and top it off with some more cocoa powder.
Espresso
Espresso and an espresso machine is something you might be very familiar with. With pressure, 1.5 oz of water is forced through finely ground beans and you have a drink with a higher caffeine content, a terrific taste, and a nice crema on top. Because of the pressure the flavors and chemicals in an espresso are concentrated. Espresso shots are the foundation for many coffee drinks we’ve all come to enjoy.
Espresso Con Panna / Café Vienne / Café Viennois
Meaning “Espresso with Cream” in Italian is a single or double shot of espresso topped off with whip cream. In the United States the common term for this coffee is a café Vienne. In France and the UK the common name for this coffee would be café Viennois.
Espresso Romano
An Espresso Romano sounds like an awesome Italian coffee, right? Well, not this time. All this drink has in it is an espresso shot with a slice of lemon on the side. The drinker will take the lemon and run it around the rim to give the espresso shot a little more sweetness.
Flat White
A flat white is similar to a latte, but smaller in size. The ratio is 1/3 espresso and 2/3 frothed milk. The flat white is in a cup that’s about 160 ml in size versus a latte which uses a 240 ml cup. Other than that they’re pretty similar. Steamed milk gives this coffee a microfoam and a velvety texture. But there’s no thick foam on top like a latte or a cappuccino has. There’s also a higher portion of coffee to milk than a latte has. This gives the espresso a dominant flavor in the drink.
The ratio is 1/3 espresso, 2/3 frothed milk.
Galao
Originating in portugal, a Galao coffee is similar to a caffè latte or café au lait. The coffee to foamed milk ratio is 1:4 and served in a tall glass.
Guillermo
The Guillermo is very similar to the Espresso Romano. But instead of a lemon we’re using a lime. It’s a single or double espresso shot with a slice of lime on the side. The drinker will take the lime and run it around the rim to give the espresso shot a little more sweetness.
Lungo
Italian for “Long”, the lungo is an espresso based drink that takes longer to pull and will also add some additional caffeine to the drink. A lungo has double the amount of water than a normal espresso shot. However, the coffee will be a little less strong but taste a little more bitter.
Latte
We know you heard of this one. But it uses a little more milk than some of the other drinks. Typically prepared in an 8 oz cup a single or double shot of espresso is pulled. For a single shot you would than add 5-6 oz of steamed milk. The top of the cup would then normally have a thin layer of frothed milk.
The ratios are 1/6 espresso, 4/6 steamed milk, 1/6 foamed milk.
Long Black
Commonly found in Australia and New Zealand a Long Black is most similar to an Americano. Pull a double shot of espresso over hot water (about 3.5 to 4 oz). This results in a stronger taste and aromas than an Americano would have where the hot water is poured over the shot of espresso.
Macchiato
A Macchiato is an espresso shot with a dash of steamed milk added in. Normally it would also include a dash of foam, as well. In Italian, macchiato means “stained” or “spotted” so the literal translation of caffè macchiato is “stained coffee”.
Manilo
A Manilo is an espresso shot with less than 100 ml of steamed milk. It’s most similar to a half flat white but slightly less volume than that.
Melya
Melya combines 3 ounces of espresso with cocoa powder and honey to produce a simple to make a sweet and chocolaty cup of coffee. It’s a recipe that’s nice and easy to make.
Mocha / Cafè Mocha / Mochaccino)
A Mocha is one of the sweetest coffee drinks, and a variation of a latte. It’s 1/3 espresso and 2/3 steamed milk with foam. But a portion of chocolate is also added to the drink. The chocolate added is typically a syrup or sometimes an instant chocolate powder.
Mocha Breve
Same as a mocha, but instead of a steamed milk you’ll be using half and half.
Piccolo Latte
Popular in Australia, a Piccolo Latte is a ristretto shot (about 15 – 20 ml) topped with warm milk. It’s typically served in a 100 ml demitasse glass which is perfect for small lattes.
Ristretto
A ristretto is a short shot of espresso using the same amount of ground coffee you would use in a normal espresso shot. Half the water is used by using a finer grind on the coffee beans but pulling the espresso for the same amount of time as a normal espresso shot.
Vienna Coffee
Vienna coffee is made with two shots of strong black espresso in a standard sized coffee cup. The coffee is infused with whipped cream until the cup is full. The whip cream replaces a need for cream and/or sugar. Then the cream is twirled and optionally topped off with chocolate sprinklings. Then you drink this coffee through the creamy top.
Final Thoughts On All The Different Types Of Coffee
Wow, that was all a lot to take in! We went through all of the different coffee types we could find, and we have to admit that most of these were recipes we never even thought about trying before. As we look at all the regions around the world and the different types of coffee there are to try it makes us want to go out and experience something new.
