How to get a good cup of coffee in life?

I have seen too many friends who love coffee but can’t tell the difference between cappuccino and latte; friends give them a bag of coffee beans but they don’t know whether to use a coffee machine or a hand brewing pot... Today we will share with you how to drink a cup of coffee you want in a cafe, at home or in the office.

1. What coffee should I order at an Italian coffee shop?

What is an Italian coffee shop? For example, Starbucks, Man Coffee, etc. No matter which country they are from, as long as they produce Italian coffee, we classify them as Italian coffee shops.

What types of Italian coffee shops are there?

Espresso

Espresso is an Italian word, which refers to a strong coffee extracted quickly in a short time by a coffee machine. It is almost the basis of all fancy coffees and a must-have in coffee shops all over the world. Espresso is a small cup, usually only about 30 ml, tastes very bitter, with a thick layer of grease floating on the surface, and is served with a cup of water, with the option of adding sugar. Customers who order Espresso in a coffee shop are either true coffee lovers who want to taste the most authentic taste of coffee, or simply because they are extremely sleepy and need to be refreshed. People who want to spend an afternoon leisurely in a coffee shop are not suitable to order this. Some coffee shops can choose "Single" or "Double" for Espresso. Double does not mean two cups, but means that it is extracted with double the coffee powder, which will be more bitter.

Americano

The "coffee of the day" in many cafes is actually American coffee, which is usually the cheapest type on the cafe menu. To put it simply, American coffee is half a cup of Esprssso mixed with half a cup of boiled water. Some cafes also use drip coffee pots to brew it. American coffee has a light taste, light color, slightly sour and bitter. Usually, cafes will provide milk and sugar. If the waiter gives you creamer, you may ask for fresh milk instead.

1 part espresso + 2 parts water

Latte

Latte is a classic mixture of espresso and milk. A small amount of espresso is poured into the bottom of the cup, and then a large amount of milk is added. There is a dense layer of foam on the top. Skilled baristas can draw various patterns on the milk foam. France has a kind of "coffee au lait", which is almost a national drink. It is very similar to latte, but milk and coffee are poured into the cup at the same time. Latte is very popular in Chinese coffee shops, with a medium price and high cost performance. A good latte has a strong coffee and milk flavor, while a not-so-good latte may be like drinking a cup of hot milk with coffee flavor.

1 part espresso + 1.5 parts hot milk + 0.5 parts milk foam

Cappuccino

There is a line in the lyrics "Love is like Cappuccino, with thick foam", which makes everyone know the characteristic of this coffee - lots of foam. Cappuccino and latte have the same ingredients, espresso + milk + milk foam, the only difference is that cappuccino has more milk foam than milk, while latte has more milk than milk foam. Cappuccino of the same price is usually smaller than latte, but the coffee flavor is stronger. The collision of dense milk foam and bitter coffee is also loved by a large number of customers, especially girls.

1 part espresso + 0.5 part hot milk + 1.5 part milk foam

Caffe Mocha

The recipe of Mocha is relatively complicated. It is based on Espresso and milk, and there is also chocolate sauce. The top is not milk foam, but whipped cream. Chocolate sauce is often squeezed on it, or cocoa powder and cinnamon powder are sprinkled on it, which has a unique flavor. Because of its "rich content", it is usually sold at a higher price and in a larger cup. Both chocolate and cream are sweet, so Mocha coffee is a model of bitter and sweet combination.

The above are some common coffee types in Italian coffee shops. By comparing the pictures, you can easily choose the one you like!

2. What coffee should I order at a boutique coffee shop?

What is a boutique coffee shop? Generally speaking, any coffee shop that pays attention to the coffee variety, origin, and processing methods, and uses methods such as hand-brewed pots or siphon pots to show the original flavor of coffee as much as possible can be called a boutique coffee shop, such as Blue Bottle Coffee in the United States and COUTUME in Japan. So far, there is no leading boutique coffee shop in China. For the time being, we will call all shops dedicated to promoting boutique coffee boutique coffee shops!

When you arrive at such a store, first check clearly what origins of coffee beans the store offers, such as Yirgacheffe, Kenya, Brazil, Gesha, etc.; then check what coffee utensils can be used, such as hand-brewed pots, syphon pots, mocha pots, etc.; finally check the price, whether it is the price of a pot or a cup. To choose a specific origin of coffee beans, you need to understand the characteristics of coffee beans from different origins, but for novices, this seems to be a more difficult task, and everyone needs to advance step by step; when choosing, you can ask the barista what the most distinctive coffee beans in the store are, and they can recommend

The most commonly used coffee pots in such shops are hand-poured coffee pots and syphon coffee pots. Some shops allow customers to choose, while others do not. Others such as mocha pots, ice drip pots or Royal Belgian coffee pots are generally not used unless ordered by customers, or some coffee shops that specialize in these coffee pots will use them more.

Generally, when making coffee, you can ask the barista to explain the flavor characteristics of the coffee, which will help you better taste the coffee.

3. How to make coffee at home?

If you want to make Italian coffee such as cappuccino and latte, or want to practice latte art, many people choose to buy a home coffee machine. Choosing a durable and easy-to-clean machine is the key, but home coffee machines often have a high failure rate, and they have to be cleaned every day to make just one cup of coffee, which is very troublesome. As a result, many home coffee machines become decorations after only a few uses. So I generally do not recommend that you buy a home coffee machine, especially for coffee lovers who are new to coffee.

So how should a coffee novice make coffee at home? It’s very simple. Buy a set of hand-poured coffee pot, or French press, a grinder, and a pack of premium coffee from the place of origin, and you’re all set!

How to make coffee with a hand brewing pot

The hand-drip coffee is also called the drip coffee. You can use the hand-drip coffee pot to brew a cup of high-quality coffee. The key lies in whether you can control the amount of water and the speed.

How to make coffee with a French press

French press is often called a tea brewing device. So is it really only used for brewing tea? The answer is absolutely no! In fact, if you want to choose the most practical coffee utensil for beginners, the French press is not the only one, but it must be among the top three. Its easy control of time and convenience of observation are unmatched by other brewing devices.

4. What kind of coffee do you drink in the office?

I believe that most coffee novices drink instant coffee in the office. After reading this article today, please never touch instant coffee again, otherwise the trans fatty acids will kill you!

How can you easily drink a cup of good coffee in the office? The answer is: drip coffee!

The brewing method of drip coffee is very easy to master. Basically, you have a bag of drip coffee, a cup, and hot water. Follow the method of making coffee with a hand-brewed pot, and you can quickly have a cup of good coffee! Of course, drip coffee can be drunk not only in the office, but also at home, on the road, etc.! The purchase suggestions for drip coffee are: the quality must be guaranteed if it is produced by a regular coffee company; choose coffee from the origin, not blended coffee, which is very helpful for beginners to understand specialty coffee!