Talk Like a Barista
Barista: An espresso machine operator, one who is fully informed and practiced (hopefuly) in the art of coffee preparation; means "bartender" in Italian.
Breve: A Cafe Breve is essentially a cappuccino made with half-and-half instead of whole milk. This should have a very rich creamy flavor.
Caffe Americano: An Americano is a single shot of espresso with 6 to 8 ounces of hot water added. Italian baristas adopted the name for this drink as an insult to Americans who preferred their espresso diluted. Actually it's a flavorful alternative to a traditional brewed coffee.
Cafe au Lait: A Cafe au Lait is similar to a Caffe Latte except it is generally made with brewed coffee instead of espresso in a ratio of 1:1 milk to coffee with sugar added to taste.
Caffe Coretto: An espresso "corrected" with the addition of liquor, typically brandy or a liqueur.
Caffe Latte: Espresso with steamed milk and a thin layer of foam on top.
Caffe Mocha: Espresso mixed with chocolate and steamed milk and topped with foam or whipped cream.
Cappuccino: Espresso topped (or "hooded lke the Capuchin monks) with foam.
Con Panna: With whipped cream.
Crema: The reddish-brown, creamy layer of foam that sits on top of a well-drawn espresso.
Depth Charge: A cup of coffee with a shot of espresso.
Doppio: A double shot of espresso.
Draw: To prepare an espresso shot.
Drip: Short for drip-brewed coffee.
Dry Cappuccino: A cappuccino with foam only, no steamed milk.
Espresso Pitcher: A small, three to five-ounce pitcher that the barista brews espresso into.
Espresso Macchiato Espresso "marked" or "stained" by milk foam.
Flavored Espresso Drink: An espresso drink with a flavored syrup added.
Flat: No foam.
Grande: A sixteen ounce serving of coffee or espresso drink.
Granita: A dessert beverage of shaved, sweetened ice - flavored with coffee or fruit juice.
Group: An espresso machine's brewing chamber, comprising the group head and the portafilter.
Group Head: The circular unit that forms the upper half of an espresso machine's brewing chamber and into which the barista places the portafilter.
Group Switch: The button on the espresso machine that turns the group on and off.
Knockbox: A container with a padded bar across the top, which the barista uses to "knock" the used coffee grounds out of the portafilter.
Lungo: A long shot of espresso, about 1 to 2 ounces per seven grams of coffee.
Misto: see Cafe au Lait
Mochaccino: An American invention that features espresso mixed with chocolate and topped with more foam and less steamed milk than a Caffe Mocha.
One Percent: An espresso drink made with milk that has one percent milk fat.
Packing: The process of filling the portafilter with coffee.
Portafilter: A handled device with a brew basket at its end that pits into an espresso machines group head.
Pull: Used as a verb to describe the act of making espresso, as in "to pull a shot."
Purist: A coffee aficionado who demands quality and shuns the use of flavored syrups and the practice of diluting espresso with copious quantities of milk; will only drink an espresso, a machhiato, or a cappuccino. Usually the least happy customer in today's marketing-driven specialty retail store.
Red Eye: see Depth Charge
Ristretto: A shot of espresso that is cut off at fifteen to twenty seconds (when the crema turns light brown) yielding less than one ounce per 7 grams of coffee; an aficionado's ambrosia.
Short: An eight ounce serving of coffee or espresso drink.
Short Shot or Short Pull see Ristretto
Skinny: An espresso drink made with nonfat milk.
Steam Wand: The thin metal tube on an espresso machine connected to the boiler that heats milk and produces foam.
Straight Shot: An espresso served without milk, steamed milk or foam; the drink of true purists.
Tamping: The action of packing the coffee into the portafilter with enough force to ensure the proper extraction.
Wet Cappuccino: A cappuccino with foam and steamed milk; usually the espresso, foam and milk are in a 1:1:1 ratio.
With Legs: A drink to go.
The Straight Shot - The straight shot is the foundation of every espresso beverage, and it is the most commonly consumed coffee beverage in Italy. The straight shot is the only true way to judge the quality and consistency of a blend of espresso coffee. A good coffee, when extracted as a straight shot, will produce a smooth yet complex taste, providing a satisfying experience. The volume, extraction time, and golden crema (a dense golden brown layer of frothed coffee oils that float on top of a properly extracted espresso) are the keys to good espresso.
The two variations of the straight shot are the long shot or lungo, extracted to a volume of one and one-half ounces, and the short shot or ristretto (which means restricted), extracted to a volume of three-quarters of an ounce. The short restricted pour magnifies the essence of the coffee, and the ristretto is the manner in which a shot of espresso is usually served in Europe. Also, because less water has passed through the coffee grounds, the chance of any bitter elements being extracted is minimized.
The straight shot you order should be extracted directly into a warmed demitasse cup and served immediately. The demitasse cup should be pre-heated on top of the espresso machine or filled with hot water to keep the straight shot warm and prolong the crema. A straight shot in a "to-go" cup will cool quickly and should be drunk immediately.
The Espresso Macchiato - The Espresso Macchiato starts with a shot of espresso and is also served in a demitasse. The only difference between a straight shot and an Espresso Macchiato is a small amount of foamed milk spooned over the shot (typically one heaping teaspoon). Macchiato in Italian means "marked," which describes this beverage-espresso marked with foam.
The Espresso Con Panna - This is a variation of the macchiato substituting whipped cream in place of the foamed milk. Translated, con panna means "with cream."
The Caffe Americano - The Caff� Americano is a single or double shot of espresso combined with hot water out of the espresso machine to produce a drink similar to American brewed coffee. This method produces a smoother and fresher cup of coffee than conventional brewing. Because this cup of coffee is served immediately after brewing, it may be much hotter than brewed coffee that has been poured into a thermal pot, or placed on a warming burner. Be sure to ask for a double paper cup to prevent your hands for being burned by the hot coffee prepared using this method.
The Cappuccino - Most cappuccinos in Italy are consumed primarily in the morning. In the United States, it is a popular drink at all times of the day. Rumor has it that the name cappuccino was derived from the chocolate brown color of the Capuchin monks' robes.
The Cappuccino is without a doubt the most difficult drink to prepare properly. Cold milk is essential, as is expertise in the foaming process. What is often served in the United States is an espresso with dry, tasteless foam spooned on top. These misprepared beverages will often look as if they have a column of meringue floating on top. Properly prepared, authentic cappuccino is produced with a velvety, wet foam, mixed with the coffee upon the pour to create a harmony of the two flavors. Because of the larger volume of foam, it will be a lighter weight drink than the latt�, which we will discuss next. Contrary to many products being marketed presently, there is no such thing as an iced cappuccino. Foam is the essential element of this beverage, and it is impossible to produce iced foam. In reality these drinks are iced latt�s.
The Caffe Latte - This is the drink that Seattle made famous. It is similar to the cappuccino with much less foam and more steamed milk. A latt� can be made by holding back the foam with a spoon while pouring the frothed milk from the steaming pitcher. The drink is topped at the conclusion of the pour with a small amount of foam (approximately 30%). This drink can be served over ice. It is not necessary to steam the milk first for the preparation of an iced latt�. The espresso can be combined with the milk, poured directly from its carton. Latt� in Italian means milk. Caff� latt�, of course, refers to the addition of coffee to the milk.
The Caffe Mocha - A variation of the caff� latt� is the caff� mocha. This is basically the same drink as the latt� with either powdered or chocolate syrup added at the beginning of the drink preparation. It is important that chocolate is first added to the hot shot of espresso, and stirred well enough to thoroughly blend the two flavors together. The procedure should be the same with iced mochas, with the ice added after the coffee and chocolate have been blended. The steamed or cold milk can then be added to the espresso-chocolate mixture to complete the drink. Mochas are usually topped with whipped cream.
Flavor Based Drinks - The foundation of these beverages is, once again, the caff� latt�. Almost any gourmet-flavored syrup can be added. Some of the more popular flavors are: vanilla, Irish creme, almond, hazelnut, and caramel. Some fruit flavors such as orange and raspberry also work well. Syrup can also be added to chocolate and the espresso to make a flavored mocha. When adding flavors to the beverage, they should be combined with the hot espresso and stirred. The milk can then be added to the flavored espresso and stirred again. All of these drinks taste great over ice.