Coffee FAQ

An espresso is a shot of rich and intense black coffee made using a brewing method in which a pump-driven coffee machine forces hot water through fine grounds at high pressure (9-bar). It comes from the Latin word 'expressus', meaning ‘expressed’ or ‘pressed out’.

The Australian coffee culture has thrived since the 1950’s when the Italian creation was brought over and perfected to the barista quality, masterpiece of art it is known as today. The Australian espresso is set apart from the Italian version through the use of milk and creativity, with majority of cafes in Australia serving espresso-based drinks.

An espresso intenso is a double shot of espresso, because sometimes one shot is not enough.

An espresso lungo can be a single, double or triple shot espresso, with twice the amount of water to get a stretched coffee result. Lungo was derived from Italian meaning ‘long’.

A caffe crema is a double-shot espresso that is literally topped with cream, with the name in Italian translation mean ‘cream coffee’. This coffee drink has strong popularity along the borders of Italy with Switzerland and Austria. The caffe crema generally has 60ml of espresso and 30ml of heavy cream.

An espresso macchiato uses a shot of 30ml espresso and a dallop of foamed milk on top. The term macchiato means ‘stained’. Although it might resemble a small cappuccino, it’s stronger and more aromatic.

A cappuccino is a shot of espresso with steamed milk and a big head of foamed milk – spooned on to maintain the warmth. The ratio of espresso to steamed and frothed milk is typically 1/3 espresso: 1/3 steamed milk: 1/3 frothed milk.

In Italy, drinking cappuccino after 10am is a serious no-no. The iconic coffee is believed to work wonders for one’s digestion. But only when drunk at breakfast time.

Similar to an espresso macchiato, the latte macchiato is derived from Italian, meaning ‘stained’ or ‘marked’ milk. Unlike a latte, the espresso is added to the milk – rather than the milk to the espresso. This ‘stains’ the milk. Making a latte macchiato, a smaller dose of espresso is used and generally more milk foam than a regular latte. The measurements within a latte macchiato include: 60ml espresso, 150ml steamed milk and 150ml foamed milk.

A flat white consists of 30ml of espresso and 60ml steamed milk, with the main different between it and a cappuccino that it doesn’t have foamed milk. This coffee drink originated during the 1970s in New Zealand, for people who were interested in a less frothy cappuccino.

The caffe americano or often simple referred to as ‘americano’, is a style of coffee that adds hot water to vary the strength of the double-shot espresso. The caffe americano is sometimes enjoyed with just a single 30ml shot of espresso but its original form includes 60ml espresso and 90ml of hot water.

A latte consists of 60ml espresso, 300ml steamer milk and 20ml foamed milk. The coffee generally referred to as ‘latte’ in English, is sometimes known as ‘cafe au lait’ in Europe. The term, ‘latte’ literally meaning’ milk coffee’, is just that: an espresso with lots of milk which you can easily create on a latte machine.

The difference between filter coffee and espresso is that they have different methods of preparation and therefore require different types of beans. Filter coffee is usually made from arabica beans in a drip coffee maker, while espresso is made in an espresso machine using a mix of both: approximately 60-70% Arabica beans and 30-40% Robusta beans. When it comes to roasting, filter coffee is given a light or medium roast to enhance the flavours and create subtle aromas. While an espresso is given a dark and intense roast to bring out the toasted chocolate nuances and decrease acidity.