Enjoying Espresso and Exploring Coffee Menus Around the World

Espresso drinks differ in coffee dose, beverage yield, added ingredients and finished drink size.

1. Coffee dose: Find out how many g of dry ground coffee are used.
2. Espresso yield: Find out how many g or mL are collected at the end of extraction.
3. Added ingredients: Check whether the drink includes water, warmed plant-based milk, foam, chocolate, ice, plant-based ice cream or alcohol.
4. Finished drink size: Check the total cup volume in mL.

Brew Ratio

Brew ratio compares the weight of dry coffee with the weight of espresso collected in the cup.

• 18g of coffee producing 27g of espresso gives a ratio of 1:1.5.
• 18g of coffee producing 36g of espresso gives a ratio of 1:2.
• 18g of coffee producing 54g of espresso gives a ratio of 1:3.

In a 2017 survey of 275 baristas, a commonly used recipe was 18–20g of coffee producing 36.5g of espresso, approximately a 1:2 ratio. U.S. baristas made up 76% of respondents.

Single and Double Shots

Single and double originated as a distinction between one serving and two. Today, their meanings are not uniform. Some cafés serve the entire output of one double-basket extraction as their standard espresso; others serve the output from one side of a double spout as a single.

Where the entire double-basket output is served in one cup, the standard espresso is already a double shot. Knowing the dose and beverage yield alongside the terms single and double makes serving sizes easier to compare.

Check the Coffee and Recipe

When trying unfamiliar beans, ask whether the serving is a single or double, how much espresso reaches the cup and which coffee is used.

Refresh Your Palate with Water

A little water first can reduce lingering flavors from food or other drinks, making the espresso's aroma and flavor easier to assess. Use water as needed when comparing tastes.

Smell the Aroma and Let It Cool

When the cup arrives, first smell the aroma rising from its surface. Do not rush if it is too hot. As the temperature falls, the balance of sweetness, acidity, bitterness and aroma can change. Taste it hot, slightly cooled and cooler still to follow the changes within one cup.

Stir Gently to Even Out the Concentration

Freshly extracted espresso may not have an even concentration from top to bottom. Reach the bottom with a spoon and stir gently two or three times to reduce differences between the first and last sips. To experience the crema's texture separately, take a sip before stirring, then compare after mixing.

Crema volume and persistence depend on coffee species, roast level, freshness, grind and extraction conditions. Evaluate not just the foam on the surface but also the balance and texture you experience when drinking.

Take Small Sips to Explore Texture and Finish

Focus on aroma and mouthfeel in the first sip, then consider the balance of sweetness, acidity and bitterness. Taking your time over several sips reveals how the flavor changes as the temperature falls and what lingers afterward.

Add Sugar or Plant-Based Milk to Taste

Tasting the espresso unadorned first makes its own balance easier to appreciate. You can then add sugar or plant-based milk and compare which flavors soften and which aromas become more noticeable.

Black coffee's strength and volume can be changed by adjusting extraction yield or adding water afterward. Ordering terms also vary by region.

Modern cafés often describe ristretto as roughly 1:1–1:1.5 and regular espresso as 1:1.5–1:2.5, although the ratios used vary by café.

Americano and Long Black Compared

Both can be made from espresso and water. An americano usually adds water to espresso, while a long black pours espresso onto hot water. Differences in water quantity, shot count, pouring order and mixing change both concentration and surface crema.

The strength of a long black or americano depends on shot count and water quantity. A double shot with 120g of water has a different concentration from a single shot with 200g of water.

Many drinks, including lattes and cappuccinos, traditionally use dairy milk or cream. Vegan cafés replace them with plant-based milks such as oat, soy or almond, and plant-based cream. Even with the same espresso shot, its prominence changes substantially between a 90mL and a 350mL drink, or between a thin layer of foam and a generous one.

Microfoam has a fine, smooth texture with minimal large bubbles. Different plant-based milks produce different foam and sweetness, so consider the milk used as well as the drink's name.

Flat White and Latte Compared

A flat white is usually served in a smaller cup than a latte, with a higher proportion of coffee and a thin, smooth layer of foam. Actual cup sizes range from 150–240mL, and the standard shot may be single or double. Comparing shot count, cup size and foam depth within the same café makes the distinction clearer.

Coffee, Plant-Based Milk and Foam in a Cappuccino

The familiar description of one-third espresso, one-third warmed plant-based milk and one-third foam makes the components easy to understand, but actual recipes are more varied. Cup size, milk texture and foam depth change the coffee's strength and mouthfeel.

Espresso Macchiato and Latte Macchiato Compared

An espresso macchiato adds a little warmed plant-based milk or foam to espresso. A latte macchiato adds espresso to a larger quantity of plant-based milk. The names are similar, but the principal ingredient and relative amounts are almost reversed.

The Name and Ingredients of Café Noisette

Café noisette is a French espresso drink with a small amount of warm dairy milk. A vegan version uses plant-based milk. “Noisette” means hazelnut in French. Some cafés also use this name for a drink with flavored syrup, so check the ingredients if you have a nut allergy.

Even within one country, recipes vary between cities, generations and traditional or modern cafés. The plant-based milks and creams in the tables describe vegan adaptations of traditional drinks.

Italy

Italy has both espresso made to traditional certification standards and the varied recipes of modern cafés. Ristretto is short and concentrated; lungo passes more water through the grounds than a standard espresso. Macchiato traditionally adds a little dairy milk, while corretto adds a little liqueur. A vegan macchiato can follow the same composition with a small amount of plant-based milk or foam.

Drinking customs also vary by city and occasion: a quick morning coffee taken standing, cappuccino with focaccia, or espresso accompanied by water are among the many examples.

When ordering, ask whether the standard espresso is a single, which ratio is used for ristretto and which spirit goes into the corretto.

Australia and New Zealand

Short black is widely understood as espresso, while long black is espresso poured onto hot water. Piccolo combines espresso and warmed milk in a small glass; flat white adds fine, thin foam. Vegan versions use plant-based milk. Australian descriptions sometimes specify a single shot for a flat white, while New Zealand descriptions sometimes specify a double.

The flat white is closely associated with the coffee cultures of Australia and New Zealand. Both countries have claimed its origin, and today it is widely enjoyed as espresso with a thin layer of fine-textured foam.

Australian cappuccinos sometimes have a dusting of cocoa. Checking the cocoa or chocolate powder for animal-derived ingredients helps ensure the drink is vegan.

Portugal

In Portugal, espresso is often called bica. Bica is associated mainly with Lisbon and the south, and cimbalino with Porto, although actual ordering terms overlap by region and café.

Garoto combines coffee and warm milk in a small cup, meia-de-leite in a larger cup and galão in a tall glass. Vegan versions substitute plant-based milk. Abatanado refers to the same coffee dose served in a larger cup.

The story that bica originated as an acronym for a Portuguese phrase meaning “drink it with sugar” is not an established etymology.

France

In French-speaking regions, allongé refers to a longer black coffee, and noisette to coffee with a small amount of warm milk. Traditional café crème can contain cream or dairy milk, so check whether a plant-based version is available. Some cafés equate allongé with americano and noisette with macchiato on their menus.

Café viennois refers to coffee with whipped cream. For a vegan order, check that the whipped cream is plant-based. You can also ask whether an allongé is a longer extraction or diluted with water, and which plant-based milk or cream is used in noisette and crème.

Spain and the Canary Islands

Café solo, cortado and café con leche appear in many Spanish-speaking regions. In La Palma, solo is described as espresso, cortado natural as coffee with a little dairy milk, and leche y leche as coffee with both dairy milk and condensed milk. For vegan versions, check that cortado uses plant-based milk and leche y leche uses both plant-based milk and plant-based condensed milk.

Tenerife's barraquito traditionally layers condensed milk, liqueur, coffee, dairy milk and foam, lemon and cinnamon. A vegan version needs both plant-based condensed milk and plant-based milk. The names zaperoco, barraquito especial and barraquito can refer to different compositions, so also check for liqueur and alcohol.

Greece

Freddo espresso mixes espresso with ice and is served in a tall glass. Freddo cappuccino adds cold foam, made with plant-based milk for a vegan version. It is different from simply pouring a hot cappuccino over ice.

Greek frappé is made by shaking instant coffee and cold water into foam, then adding ice. Ask whether sugar or plant-based milk is included. Its coffee base differs from freddo espresso. Traditional Greek coffee, boiled in a small pot, is another distinct preparation.

Cuba and Miami

Miami's Cuban coffee culture includes strong coffee with sugar and drinks shared among several people in small cups.

• Cafecito or café cubano serves strong coffee and sugar in a small cup.
• Colada usually serves approximately 4–6 shots with small cups for sharing.
• Cortadito adds a little warmed milk to sweetened coffee. A vegan version uses plant-based milk.
• Café con leche combines strong coffee and warmed milk. For a vegan order, check whether plant-based milk can be substituted.

These coffees can be made with an espresso machine or a stovetop moka pot. Miami's small service windows, called ventanitas, are places both to order coffee and to meet people.

Vienna and Austria

Viennese coffeehouse culture was added to Austria's national inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Sitting at marble tables to read newspapers, lingering and meeting people remain part of the coffeehouse tradition.

Kleiner Schwarzer or Kleiner Mokka denotes a single espresso; Großer Schwarzer or Großer Mokka a double. Verlängerter adds hot water to espresso. Kapuziner and Franziskaner traditionally use cream or dairy milk, so vegan orders require checking for plant-based substitutions. Fiaker may include double espresso, sugar and a spirit such as slivovitz or rum.

Melange commonly adds warmed milk and foam to a slightly extended strong coffee; Einspänner tops strong coffee with whipped cream. Quantities of water, coffee and foam vary by café. For vegan versions, check that the milk and whipped cream are plant-based.

Modern Korean Cafés

Korean cafés widely use names such as americano, latte, flat white and Einspänner. Recipes and serving sizes differ between cafés even for drinks with the same name. Checking standard shot count, cup size and the inclusion of syrup or cream makes choosing easier. For vegan drinks, review the ingredients of both the plant-based milk and toppings.

You can describe your preferred coffee quantity, strength, foam texture and sweetness with phrases like these.

• “How many grams of coffee do you use for your standard espresso, and what is the approximate yield?”
• “Is the standard shot a single or a double?”
• “How much hot water is added?”
• “Could you recommend a small drink with little plant-based milk and a distinct espresso flavor?”
• “I'd prefer a thin, smooth texture rather than thick foam.”
• “Does it normally include syrup or chocolate?”
• “Is the plant-based milk you use unsweetened?”
• “Do you handle nuts, soy and dairy with the same equipment? I'd like to check because I have an allergy.”
• “Can it be made decaf?”

Total caffeine per cup depends on coffee species, dose, grind and extraction conditions. Cup size and perceived strength alone do not reliably indicate caffeine content.

Decaf is not completely caffeine-free, and the amount remaining varies with the coffee and brewing method. If you must strictly limit caffeine for health reasons, ask whether testing data for the beans is available and follow medical advice.

Drinks containing only espresso and water have the simplest ingredient lists. For drinks with additional ingredients, such as lattes, mochas and affogatos, check in the following order.

1. Confirm that plant-based milk is used.
2. Check that chocolate, caramel, syrup, whipped cream and gelato are also plant-based.
3. Check for toppings containing honey or animal-derived additives.
4. If you do not want sweetness, ask whether the plant-based milk and syrups are sweetened.
5. If you have a severe allergy to soy, nuts, gluten or other ingredients, ask whether steam pitchers, spoons and blenders are shared.

Ordering may be simpler in a dedicated vegan café, but people with severe allergies should still check ingredients and equipment separately.

Do I have to drink espresso in one go?

No. There is a custom of drinking it quickly to experience its aroma and texture over a short period, but waiting is safer if it is too hot. Following the changes in aroma and flavor as it cools is also a good way to enjoy it.

Should I skim off the crema or stir it in?

It depends on what you want to explore. To reduce concentration differences between the first and last sips, stir gently down to the bottom. To experience the crema's aroma and texture separately, compare before and after stirring. A large amount of crema alone does not make a good shot.

Does ristretto contain less caffeine than lungo?

The name alone does not tell you. Ending extraction earlier with the same dose may change the total caffeine extracted, but changes to beans, dose, grind and time also change the result. Exact content requires testing.

How does a flat white differ from a latte?

A flat white generally comes in a smaller cup than a latte, has a higher proportion of coffee and features thin, even foam. Comparing shot count and cup size within the same café makes the difference clearer.

Is café au lait the same as caffè latte?

Both combine coffee and warmed plant-based milk, but café au lait may use filter or French-press coffee. Caffè latte usually has an espresso base. Even when ordered plant-based, the coffee base and milk quantity can differ.

Are cortado and cortadito the same?

Both can combine strong coffee with a little warmed plant-based milk. Miami-style cortadito often uses sweetened strong coffee, while cortado elsewhere may be unsweetened. Check both the plant-based milk and standard sugar when ordering.

What exactly is an Einspänner?

It generally tops strong coffee with a generous amount of whipped cream, but shot count, water and cream sweetness vary by café. A vegan Einspänner uses plant-based whipped cream, and Korean cafés offer various coffee-to-cream proportions.

Is a colada an espresso for one person?

In Miami, a colada is approximately 4–6 shots of sweetened coffee served with small cups to share with family or friends. Actual volume and sweetness vary by café, so check the total shot count and how many people will share.

Does switching to plant-based milk make a drink vegan?

Drinks containing only espresso and milk, such as a latte, can be made vegan with plant-based milk. For mocha, affogato or Einspänner, also check the chocolate, gelato and whipped cream. If you have allergies, ask about the equipment used as well.

Is decaf completely caffeine-free?

No. A small amount usually remains. The exact number of mg in a particular cup cannot be established without testing that coffee with the actual recipe.

Mahina's espresso uses a blend containing 1% Hawaiian Kona coffee. Enjoy it on its own in a small cup, or poured over plant-based ice cream as a vegan affogato. In an affogato, hot coffee and cold ice cream come together, changing in temperature and texture as they mingle.

For a leisurely exploration of Kona's aroma and flavor, you can also enjoy a 100% Hawaiian Kona single-origin pour-over.