The espresso is the foundation and the most important part to every espresso based drink. So much so that we wrote a guide on how to make the perfect espresso shot.

A short macchiato is similar to an espresso but with a dollop of steamed milk and foam to mellow the harsh taste of an espresso. You will find that baristas in different countries make short macchiatos differently.

A ristretto is an espresso shot that is extracted with the same amount of coffee but half the amount of water. The end result is a more concentrated and darker espresso extraction.

A long black (aka “americano”) is hot water with an espresso shot extracted on top of the hot water.

A café latte, or “latte” for short, is an espresso based drink with steamed milk and micro-foam added to the coffee. This coffee is much sweeter compared to an espresso due to the steamed milk.

A cappuccino is similar to a latte. However the key difference between a latte and cappuccino is that a cappuccino has more foam and chocolate placed on top of the drink. Further a cappuccino is made in a cup rather than a tumbler glass.

A flat white is a coffee you’ll primarily find in Australia and New Zealand. It is made the same as a cappuccino expect it does not have any foam or chocolate on top.

A piccolo latte is a café latte made in an espresso cup. This means it has a very strong but mellowed down espresso taste thanks to the steamed milk and micro foam within it.