What Are The Different Types Of Coffee?

Espresso, Latte, Cappuccino… and the list goes on! There are different types of coffee that are espresso based and this guide will explain to you the differences between them and how they are made. So no more getting confused at your local coffee shop.

All Espresso based drinks share three common ingredients which are steamed milk, espresso, and foam. The differences are the proportions of espresso, foam and steamed milk within the beverage.

In addition, some coffees have extra toppings added on them such as chocolate on the cappuccino. But mainly every espresso-based drink contains the same three ingredients.

Below you’ll find a quick guide showing the differences between the most common types of coffee.

Espresso (Short Black)
The espresso is the base and the most important part to every espresso based drink.
One shot of espresso is usually 30 ml which contains just 2.5 calories and 63.5 milligrams of caffeine, while the same serving size of decaffeinated espresso has 0.5 milligram of caffeine.

Double Espresso (Doppio)

We read Doppio a lot on the menus which is the double espresso (two espresso shots in one cup).2 shots of espresso are usually 60 ml which contains just 5 calories and 127 milligrams of caffeine, while the same serving size of
decaffeinated Doppio has 1 milligram of caffeine.

Short Macchiato

A short macchiato is similar to an espresso but with the addition of steamed milk and foam to cut down the harsh taste of the espresso. You might find that short macchiatos are made differently in different countries. But the traditional way of making a short macchiato is by adding 1 Shot of espresso in a short glass or espresso cup with 1-2 tsp of steamed milk and by placing foam on top of the espresso

The calories are a bit higher than the single espresso because of the addition of milk which makes it around 10 calories in one shot of short macchiato.

In order to have the perfect short macchiato you have to know the rule of thirds which is having three different colored layers in the macchiato. At the bottom the dark layer which represents the espresso, a middle layer that is a mix of the espresso and the milk, and a top layer of mainly steamed milk.

Long Macchiato

A long macchiato is like short macchiato but with a double shot of espresso. The same rule of thirds applies also on long macchiato and it is done by adding 2 shots of espresso in a cup and 1-2 tsp of steamed milk and foam placed on top of the espresso

The calories in long macchiato are around 15 calories.

Ristretto

Ristretto is an espresso shot which is extracted with the same amount of coffee but half the amount of water, the end result is a darker and more concentrated espresso extraction, the calories are the same as the espresso

Long Black (Americano)

Americano the perfect morning pick me up, it contains a shot of espresso topped up with hot water.

A Tall Grande Americano contains only 11 calories

Café Latte

Café latte is an espresso based drink which tastes much sweeter compared to an espresso because it contains steamed milk .it is usually done by extracting 1 shot of espresso into a glass and the addition of steamed milk to it plus 1 cm foam on top of it.

The calories can vary from 65 to 135 calories depending on the milk if it is non fat or full fat.

Cappuccino

Cappuccino is similar to latte. However, the difference between a latte and a cappuccino is that a cappuccino has more foam and chocolate placed on top of the drink.

Your milk choice affects the number of calories in a cappuccino. A 350 ml cappuccino with low-fat milk has 90 calories. Using whole milk increases the calories to 110 and substituting soy milk decreases it to about 80 calories. Adding sugar, cocoa powder or syrup will also increase the number of calories.

Mocha

Mocha is a mixture between cappuccino and hot chocolate. It is prepared by mixing chocolate powder with an espresso shot and then adding

steamed milk and foam into it.

Mocha coffees are usually high in calories; even with nonfat milk it contains around 187 calories.

Affogato

Affogato is a simple dessert coffee that is used as a treat during summer and after dinner. It is made by placing

one big scoop of vanilla ice cream within a single or double shot of espresso.

Attention coffee lovers! Affogato can be around 240 calories.

After this small guide about espresso based drinks, I hope you will make smart coffee choices at the coffee shop!

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon