Walk into any specialty café and the menu reads like a foreign language. Latte, cortado, flat white, americano, breve, doppio, macchiato. Even people who drink coffee every day are sometimes guessing.
Here's the thing. Almost all of it is variations on a small number of ingredients in different ratios. Once you understand the framework, the menu makes sense, and ordering becomes a question of mood rather than memorisation.
This guide covers 13 of the most common coffee drinks, split into two categories: espresso-based drinks built on a 1-ounce shot of pressurised coffee, and brewed coffee styles covering everything from drip to cold brew. For each one, you'll get a one-line definition, the ratio, and the moment when it's the right call.
How Coffee Drinks Actually Differ
Almost every drink in the espresso category uses the same three ingredients: a shot of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. The difference between a macchiato, a cortado, a cappuccino, a flat white, and a latte is the ratio of those three things. Shift the ratio and you shift the drink.
Espresso is what makes espresso drinks "espresso." Pressurised hot water (around 9 bars minimum) forced through finely ground coffee for 25-30 seconds, producing roughly 1 ounce of concentrated coffee with a layer of golden crema on top.
Brewed coffee is the broader family that came first. Hot water passed through grounds without pressure, either by gravity (drip and pour over), full immersion (French press), steam pressure (moka pot), or cold steeping over hours (cold brew). The body, acidity, and flavour profile all change with the method.
The two-question shortcut for ordering anything: How strong do you want it? How much milk do you want? Lock those in and the menu narrows to two or three options.
Espresso-Based Coffee Drinks
These drinks all start with espresso. We've ordered them from strongest (pure espresso) to most milk-heavy (latte and mocha). If you like the taste of coffee itself, work the top of the list. If you like coffee that tastes more like a warm milky drink, work the bottom. You'll need a proper espresso machine to make any of these at home.
Espresso
A concentrated 1-ounce shot of coffee pulled under high pressure, served in a small cup with a layer of golden crema on top.
Ratio: 1 shot (about 1 oz / 30ml), pulled from 7-9g of finely ground coffee in 25-30 seconds.
When to drink it: When you want the flavour of the coffee with nothing in the way. Mid-afternoon pick-me-up, or after dinner with dessert.
To nail this at home, our guide to pulling a proper espresso shot walks through grind, dose, and tamp.
Americano
Espresso topped up with hot water, giving you the flavour of espresso with the volume of a regular coffee.
Ratio: 1-2 shots of espresso + 3-4 oz hot water (roughly 1:3).
When to drink it: When you want a long, black coffee you can sip slowly. The morning workhorse for espresso drinkers. Less acidic than drip coffee and noticeably stronger. A double-shot americano is also the standard order if you want espresso intensity in a takeaway cup.
Macchiato
An espresso "stained" with a small dollop of steamed milk or foam, sitting between a straight espresso and a cortado in intensity. The Italian word *macchiato* literally means stained.
Ratio: 1 shot of espresso + 1-2 teaspoons of steamed milk or foam.
When to drink it: When you want espresso to lead with a hint of softness. Don't confuse this with the caramel macchiato, which is closer to a sweet latte than a true macchiato.
Cortado
Equal parts espresso and warm milk, served small. Spanish in origin, popular in specialty cafés.
Ratio: 1 shot of espresso + 1 oz warm milk (1:1).
When to drink it: When a flat white or latte is too much milk but a macchiato isn't enough. The cortado is having a moment for a reason - it's the drink for people who want to taste the coffee but appreciate something to round out the edges.
Cappuccino
The classic Italian morning drink. Equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and thick foam, often dusted with cocoa.
Ratio: 1 shot of espresso + 2 oz steamed milk + 2 oz foamed milk (1:1:1).
When to drink it: Breakfast and breakfast only, if you ask an Italian. The thick foam layer makes the cup feel substantial without the milk overwhelming the espresso. A good first step into milk-based drinks.
For the full breakdown, see our deeper guide on how lattes and cappuccinos actually differ.
Flat White
The Antipodean answer to the cappuccino. Same proportions of coffee to milk, but with microfoam (silky, integrated) instead of thick froth on top.
Ratio: 1-2 shots of espresso + 4 oz steamed milk with thin microfoam.
When to drink it: When you want the strength of a cappuccino but a smoother, creamier texture. Best fresh, before the milk cools. Australia and New Zealand both claim to have invented it. Either way, it's now the default specialty café order on both sides of the Atlantic.
Latte
The biggest, milkiest member of the espresso family. One shot of espresso topped with a lot of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam.
Ratio: 1-2 shots of espresso + 6-10 oz steamed milk + thin foam layer (1:6 or higher).
When to drink it: When you want coffee that drinks more like a warm milky drink. The introductory milk-based coffee for most people, and the canvas for almost every flavoured café special on the menu. Vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, pumpkin spice - they all start with a latte.
Mocha
A latte with chocolate, sitting somewhere between a coffee and a hot chocolate.
Ratio: 1 shot of espresso + 1-2 oz chocolate syrup or powder + 4-6 oz steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream.
When to drink it: When you want dessert in a cup. Particularly good in cold weather, when comfort beats caffeine, or as a weekend treat. Works as both an after-dinner drink and a winter morning indulgence.
Brewed Coffee Styles
Brewed coffee covers any method where water passes through grounds without pressure. Or in cold brew's case, without heat. The results are completely different to espresso - lighter body, longer pour, more emphasis on the bean's natural flavour notes than on raw intensity. Here are the five styles worth knowing, and what each one is best for.
You'll find most of the kit you need in our coffee makers collection.
Drip Coffee
Hot water dripped through coffee grounds in a paper or metal filter, collecting into a carafe below. The standard American morning brew.
Ratio: 1 tablespoon of medium-ground coffee per 6 oz of water (about 1:16 by weight).
When to drink it: When you need volume, simplicity, or coffee that holds well in a thermal carafe. Drip is the workhorse for office mornings, family breakfasts, and anyone who wants a big mug of clean, no-fuss coffee. The cleanest brewing method for revealing the natural character of lighter roasts.
Pour Over
A manual version of drip coffee where you pour hot water in a slow, controlled spiral over the grounds. More involvement, more reward.
Ratio: 1:15 to 1:17 coffee to water by weight (about 20g coffee to 300g water).
When to drink it: When you have five minutes and want the cleanest, brightest cup possible. Pour over highlights single-origin beans beautifully. The bloom-and-pour rhythm becomes a small meditative ritual.
Our V60 pour over dripper set gives you everything you need to start - dripper and carafe included.
French Press
Coarse grounds steeped in hot water for four minutes, then separated by a metal mesh plunger. Full immersion, full body.
Ratio: 1:15 coffee to water by weight (about 30g coffee to 450g water for a standard 17 oz press).
When to drink it: When you want a heavier, richer cup that captures all the oils paper filters strip out. The French press shines with darker roasts, when you're brewing for two or more, and on slow weekend mornings.
We've written a full French press brewing guide if you want the step-by-step method with exact numbers.
Moka Pot
The Italian stovetop classic. Water in the bottom chamber boils, steam pressure forces it up through coffee grounds, and intense coffee collects in the top.
Ratio: Fill the bottom chamber to the safety valve, fill the basket to the top with finely ground coffee, no tamping.
When to drink it: When you want something stronger than drip but don't have an espresso machine to hand. Moka coffee runs at lower pressure than true espresso, but it's bold and aromatic. A classic moka pot is also the cheapest entry point to coffee that pulls in the direction of espresso.
Cold Brew
Coarsely ground coffee steeped in cold water for 12-24 hours, producing a smooth, low-acid concentrate served over ice.
Ratio: 1:8 coffee to water by weight for a concentrate (1:15 for ready-to-drink).
When to drink it: Summer mornings, hot afternoons, or any time hot coffee feels like the wrong call. Cold brew is naturally sweeter and noticeably less acidic than iced coffee made from hot-brewed coffee. Make a batch on Sunday with a cold brew coffee maker kit and you've got cold coffee ready for the week.
Which One Should You Order First?
Quick matchmaker based on what you actually like.
If you like strong, dark, no-milk coffee: espresso, americano, or moka pot.
If you want a milky introduction: latte or mocha. The mocha if you want it sweet.
If you want balance between coffee and milk: cappuccino, flat white, or cortado. Cortado for the smallest, cappuccino for the most foam.
If you want espresso flavour with just a hint of softness: macchiato or cortado.
If you want something cold: cold brew over iced coffee, every time. Smoother, sweeter, less bitter.
If you want to taste the subtle flavour notes of a specific bean: pour over or drip. Both strip away the body to highlight what's in the cup.
If you want richness and a heavy body: French press. Nothing else delivers the same oils-in-the-cup texture.
The best drink is the one you make for yourself, the way you like it. Most of the menu becomes accessible the moment you have a decent home setup. Our 10-Piece Set with its integrated milk reservoir handles every espresso-based drink on this list at the press of one button.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?
Both use one shot of espresso. A cappuccino has equal parts steamed milk and thick foam (roughly 2 oz of each). A latte has much more steamed milk (6-10 oz) and a thin layer of foam. Cappuccinos taste stronger and feel foamier; lattes taste milkier and feel smoother.
Is a flat white the same as a latte?
No. A flat white uses microfoam (silky, integrated milk) instead of the thicker foam on a cappuccino, and it has less milk than a latte. Stronger than a latte, smoother than a cappuccino.
What's the strongest coffee drink?
By caffeine content, a black eye (drip coffee with two shots of espresso added). By concentration, a ristretto, which uses half the water of a standard espresso pull and gives you the most intense shot in coffee.
Can I make café drinks at home?
Yes. You need an espresso machine for any espresso-based drink, plus a way to steam milk for the milk-based ones. The brewed drinks need the relevant kit - pour over dripper, French press, moka pot, or cold brew maker.
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The menu makes sense once you know the framework. Most café drinks are variations on espresso, milk, and ratio. The brewed methods give you a completely different lane to explore - lighter, brighter, often cleaner.
Pick three drinks from this list you've never tried and order them next time. If you fall in love with one, learn to make it at home. From there it's mood, weather, and time of day. Sometimes you want a latte. Sometimes you want a cortado. Sometimes you want a French press on a Sunday morning with no plans for the next two hours.
The right drink is whichever one you're in the mood for.
