ALL the Types of Coffee Drinks Explained [Ultimate Guide]

Everyone knows that there are various kinds of coffee in existence, that’s common sense. However, most of you probably have absolutely no idea just how many types of coffee are out there. There are literally all kinds of fancy coffee drinks and more than enough different sorts of coffee beans to get you confused.

And since my goal is to unconfuse you and save you precious time, we did all the hard work for you.

Forget about feeling ashamed in front of your coffee-addict friends about now knowing anything about the numerous kinds of coffee.

This article will help you to get up close and personal with every single kind of coffee that exists.

I really went for a lot of detail to make this the go-to source for all you coffee lovers who’d like to soak every tiny bit of info regarding the various coffee types on the planet.

From novices to certified baristas, everyone’s welcome – so grab a cup of joe, relax and read on!

The Complete List of All the Different Types of Coffee Drinks in Existence!

Note that we’re talking about types of coffee drinks here, not coffee bean variations.

I realize that most folks both on and off the internet, oftentimes misuse the term ‘coffee types’.

As a result, this confuses java lovers even more.

Even though different kinds of coffee generally refer to various coffee drinks, remember that there are many different sorts of coffee beans.

And here they are, starting with the most popular and widespread coffee drinks that we all cherish so much:

• Coffee with Milk & Sugar – Seriously, almost everyone who orders coffee adds the line “…and with some milk and sugar” next to their opening “I’d like one cup of coffee please” phrase. This kind of coffee is essentially black coffee with milk (or cream) and sugar added to make it tastier.

 

• Iced Coffee – This is basically regular hot coffee with some ice cubes, milk and sugar thrown into the mix as it has to be cooled down prior to serving.

 

• Black Coffee – This is pure coffee, straight out of the coffeemaker, without any water, milk, foam, sugar or whatever.

Let’s now take a look at all the other coffee drink variations, broken down by origin:

Italian Coffee Drinks

Here are all the different types of Italian coffee drinks!

Espresso (Short Black)

• Italian coffee and espresso go hand in hand, period. As for the espresso drink, it’s made of 1 shot espresso and that’s it.
• Espresso is also the foundation of every espresso-based drink.

Doppio (Double Espresso)

• Same thing as the traditional espresso with the only difference that instead of 1, here you’re pulling 2 shots of espresso into a cup.

Cappuccino

• Based on espresso but not as strong, cappuccino consists of 1 shot espresso, a bit of milk and milk foam on top, making it more casual coffee drinker-friendly.

Antoccino

• You can say that antoccino is the not-as-strong version of cappuccino.
• Why? Because antoccino is prepared with 1 shot of espresso and equal parts of steamed milk, while cappuccino uses only a tad of milk.

Macchiato

• This is real Italian art in a cup and it’s made of 1 shot espresso and a dash of foamy milk to top it up and give it the distinctive “spotted” (or “marked”) look.

Caffe Latte

• The Caffe Latte is yet another espresso-based drink that can be prepared with 1 shot of espresso, steamed milk and micro-milk foam on top.
• Note that although similar to a cappuccino, latte uses more coffee meaning that it’s not as potent.

Mocha

• Think of Mocha as a sort of cappuccino-latte-hot chocolate hybrid.
• That’s because it’s made of espresso, chocolate powder, steamed milk and a tiny bit of foamy milk.

Espresso Con Panna

• Your typical espresso drink (1 or 2 shots) with whipped cream on top.

Piccolo Latte

• It’s quite similar to macchiato, although it also has a layer of steamed milk in-between the espresso and foam.
• In other words, Piccolo Latte is prepared with 1 shot of espresso, some steamed milk and a dash of foamy milk on top.

Guillermo

• Guillermo is an espresso-based coffee drink that uses lime. Or to put it simply, you prepare it by pouring a shot of espresso over a couple of lime slices.

Espresso Romano

• This one’s quite similar to Guillermo in that it includes a slice of citrus fruit.
• However, you don’t put any lemon or lime slices in espresso romano.
• Instead, it’s made with 1 espresso shot and a lemon slice on the side.

Espressino

• Although it has a similar name, this is NOT original espresso.
• In fact, espressino consists of equal parts espresso coffee, steamed milk and a bit of cocoa powder to top things off.

Affogato

• It’s safe to say that affogato is more of a dessert than it is a real coffee drink.
• Nonetheless, you can make affogato by adding 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream to a small cup and then pouring 1 espresso shot over it.

Vienna

• Don’t mind the name, this is a typical Italian coffee drink.
• And Vienna coffee is made of 2 espresso shots and whipped cream.

Ristretto

• This is just a regular espresso shot with the only difference that it’s made with only half the water that you’d normally use for making espresso.

Lungo

• Lungo is the exact opposite of caffe Ristretto, because here you’re using more water to pull the shot of espresso.

Corretto

• This kind of Italian coffee is based on espresso and meant to help improve digestion.
• Apart from pulling a shot of espresso, you also add only a few small drops of rum, Baileys, grappa or Sambuca.

Caffe Zorro

• Here we have an espresso variation that relies on more water and x2 more espresso than a regular cup of espresso.
• In short, caffe zorro is made of 2 espresso shots and equal parts of water.

Caffe Ginseng

• As the name suggests, this coffee drink is all about the Ginseng herb.
• In order to prepare it, you need a single espresso shot with some Ginseng extract added.

Orzo

• Okay, even though this is essentially a caffeine-free drink, I thought that It’d make sense to include it for those of you who want a decaf coffee.
• It’s made of barley and barley only since Orzo coffee is supposed to mimic regular short black coffee i.e. espresso.

Marrochino

• This one’s quite similar to Mocha, but still distinct enough.
• In a nutshell, marrochino consists of espresso, cocoa powder, a dash of milk foam and a tad more cocoa on top.

American Style Coffee Drinks

And these are all the US-style coffee drinks:

Americano (Long Black)

• Basically, this is the American version of the Italian espresso since it’s made by pulling 1 espresso shot over a bit of hot water.
• This results in an espresso drink of similar potency, but with a more watered-down taste.

Mocha Latte

• This is the American-style mocha that’s not as strong as regular mocha. That’s because mocha latte is milkier, thus more diluted than Italian mocha.
• You prepare mocha latte with 1 part of espresso, some chocolate powder and 3 parts of steamed milk and frothy milk.

Cafe Au Lait

• What we have here is another tall American-style coffee drink.
• Cafe au lait is made of 1 shot of regular American-roast coffee and scalded milk, although the coffee-to-milk proportions are bigger in comparison to caffe latte.

Coffee Granita

• This coffee is meant to help you battle the hot days. It consists of an espresso shot and whipped cream.
• However, the espresso needs to be frozen to achieve a slush-like texture.

Caffe Breve

• Based on good old espresso, this Americanized variation is made of espresso, half steamed milk and half cream.
• Thus, it’s creamier and not as strong as a cup of espresso.

Iced Cappuccino

• Here we have another ice-coffee variation, this time it’s the iced cappuccino.
• It’s prepared with espresso, crushed ice, cold milk and a dollop of foamy milk on top.

Frappuccino

• And this is yet another iced coffee beverage courtesy of Starbucks.
• It’s made of ice, milk, syrup, coffee, whipped cream, caramel syrup and caramel drizzle (for the caramel flavor frappuccino).

Double or Triple Cappuccino

• As the name suggests, this is regular cappuccino and you’re either using double or triple the amount of ground coffee to prepare it.
• Clearly, this is not for casual coffee drinkers and definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Double or Triple Latte

• If you like caffe latte but want more oomph, then you can get a double or triple latte coffee drink.
• The only difference compared to traditional latte is that you’re using twice or trice the amount of ground coffee here.

Other Kinds Of Coffee Drinks

Now, we’re about to show you all other coffee drink types across the globe:

Irish Coffee

• The Irish are known for their distilled liquor beverages and logically, Irish coffee combines caffeine with alcohol.
• It consists of coffee, whiskey, sugar and whipped cream.

Turkish Coffee

• This is a typical middle eastern coffee drink that originated in Turkey (obviously).
• And this type of coffee is prepared with only super finely grounded coffee beans.

Eiskaffee

• The Germans also have their own particular type of coffee and it’s the Eiskaffe.
• This ice-coffee drink is made of 2 espresso shots, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Cafe Cubano (Cuban Espresso)

• Cafe Cubano is a Cuban-style espresso drink that’s quite sweet due to the demerara sugar content.
• It consists of espresso, sweet cream and sugar (demerara).

Cafe Bombon

• This is a typical Spanish coffee drink hailing from Valencia.
• It’s made of equal parts of espresso and sweetened condensed milk.

Cafe Galao

• With portuguese roots, galao is a a typical coffee drink from Portugal.
• Galao is prepared using espresso and milk foam.

Cafe sua da (Ca phe sua da)

• The cafe sua da is traditional Vietnamese coffee and it means iced milk coffee.
• You can prepare this caffeinated drink with black coffee, ice and sweetened condensed milk.

Egg Coffee

• Another coffee drink originating from Vietnam, this egg coffee is quite unique.
• It’s made of coffee (robusta), egg yolks, condensed milk and sugar.

Kopi Susu

• This is Indonesian coffee at its best.
• You prepare it by freezing the coffee (after it’s brewed), putting it into a cup and then pouring some sweetened condensed milk on top.

Cortado

• With latin roots, the cortado coffee is an espresso variation, albeit with less acidity due to the added milk.
• It’s made of espresso and steamed milk in a 1:1 ratio.

Caffe Crema

• This is a regular espresso coffee albeit longer.
• You can stumble upon it in certain parts of northern Italy, Switzerland and Austria.

Caffee Gommosa

• There’s no doubt that this is one of the weirdest coffee drinks in existence.

Liqueur Coffee

• Liqueur coffee is kind of similar to Irish coffee as they both blend coffee together with alcohol.
• Liqueur coffee is prepared using a shot of a liqueur and coffee, while cream and sugar are also used most of the time.
• Actually, Irish coffee is a variation of liqueur coffee.

Flat White

• The flat white is a sort of a ‘small latte’ in that it uses almost identical ingredients.
• Flat white coffee consists of 1 shot of espresso and a tiny bit of microfoam.

Yes, different coffee brands generally focus on having different coffee products.

These can be ground coffee, instant coffee packets or even coffee pods and capsules.

But coffee brands these days tend to offer coffee in multiple forms.

And here are a few examples:

• Starbucks – Starbucks ground coffee , Starbucks instant coffee packets , Starbucks K-Cup pods 
• Folgers – Folgers K-Cup pods , Folgers instant coffee packets , Folgers ground coffee 
• Maxwell House – Maxwell instant coffee single-serve packets , Maxwell ground coffee , Maxwell K-Cup Pods 
• Nescafe – Nescafe ground coffee , Nescafe instant coffee packets ,No products found.

Which Type Of Coffee Is The Best Though?

The answer to this question is entirely subjective since you might love mocha, while another person might be a fan of cappuccino.

Regardless, let’s take a look at arguably the 3 most popular coffee drinks and why they might be the best option for you:

Espresso Is Ideal If You Want A Purer Coffee Taste

That’s because espresso is pure coffee without milk, foam, cream or nothing extra.

As a result, the taste is not diluted or watered down.

And this would be ideal for people who simply want to enjoy a nice cup of straight coffee.

Macchiato Would Be Your Best Bet If You Like Milk Foam

Macchiato coffee is basically an espresso shot with a bit of milk foam on top.

It’s obviously not as strong as espresso, but it’s not too far off either.

Besides, the added visual drama due to the “spotted” look of the coffee is quite cool.

Cappuccino Is What You Need If You Want To Have Both Milk And Foam

In this case, you have both milk and foamy milk on top of the espresso shot.

This means that the coffee has a smooth taste making it more casual coffee drinker-friendly.

And no, there’s a difference between latte and cappuccino. Keep that in mind.

Which Coffee Is The Sweetest?

Light roast Arabica coffee tends to be sweeter generally, especially if it’s from regions like Guatemala and Panama.

However, nothing can beat a spoon or two of sugar or any sweetener for that matter.

Maybe that’s why the Ultra Caramel Frappuccino is probably one of the sweetest coffee drinks ever, seriously.

But if you’re wondering which coffee drinks are the sweetest in general, then consider trying the Latin/Spanish ones.

Anyway, here’s a list of coffee drinks that are prepared with either sugar, sweet cream or sweet milk (condensed):

• Cafe Bombon
• Cafe Cubano
• Kopi Susu
• Cafe sua da

What Is Coffee With Frothed Milk Called?

Macchiato, because it essentially is coffee (espresso) with a dollop of frothy milk on top.

Also, if you’re wondering what ‘macchiato’ means, it stands for “spotted” or “marked” in Italian.

There are also several other espresso-based variations that are quite similar, such as:

• Latte macchiato – steamed milk, a shot of espresso and milk foam on top
• Caffe Latte – espresso, steamed milk some foamy milk on top
• Cappuccino – espresso, steamed milk and milk foam (a bit more compared to caffe latte)

The 3 Main Different Types Of Coffee Beans Explained

Although there are 120+ different coffee bean varieties across the globe, only 3 of them are worth mentioning.

They are Arabica, Robusta and Liberica.

Let’s now take a look at each individually:

Arabica

Arabica is undoubtedly the most popular and widespread type of coffee beans on Earth.

It makes up around 70% of all coffee beans sold across the globe currently and the coffee at your home most likely comes from Arabica beans.

And since there are countless of sub-species of Arabica, even combinations with other bean types exist.

Nonetheless, Arabica beans are thought to be of higher quality (i.e. gourmet coffee) than other species.

In terms of taste, Arabica is softer and sweeter with high acidity.

Robusta

Robusta beans are known for their high caffeine content – x2 higher caffeine amount than Arabica.

Still, they’re considered inferior to Arabica.

In fact, these beans are grown in lower elevations compared to Arabica, which might explain why they’re of lower quality.

Also check my article about the best Robusta coffee brands if you’re into this particular type of coffe beans.

Subsequently, Robusta beans have a distinctive, harsher flavor profile.

The harsher taste has a particular grain-like overtone, which is definitely not for everyone.

However, Arabica-Robusta blends tend to be quite good, combining the best of both worlds.

Liberica

Liberica coffee beans are quite rare and you’ve probably never even heard of them.

That’s because Liberica has a denser flavor profile that’s more specific than Arabica and even Robusta.

Maybe that’s why it’s called the “manly coffee” in the Philippines.

It’s primarily grown in several regions currently – South-East Asia, Africa and South America.

On top of that, this type of coffee beans has distinct smoky and nutty notes with some dark chocolate hints.

What About The Various Types Of Coffee Flavors?

With so many variations and combinations of coffee flavors, we’ll probably need a couple of years to list all of them.

Instead, let’s just focus on what the 3 main coffee bean species taste like:

• Arabica – Has a somewhat sweet flavor with hints of caramel, nuts, berries, and nuts.
• Robusta – Has a stronger and slightly earthy taste to it with a bitter, grainy flavor and a peanut-like aftertaste.
• Liberica – Has a more unique taste and flavor profile revolving around berry and chocolate sweetness with floral and spicy notes.

Conclusion

So, there are loads of different types of coffee out there that you can choose from.

From various coffee drinks to a variety of coffee beans, there’s something for every java lover.

But what’s your favorite kind of coffee?

We’d love to know – leave your answer in the comments below!

Last update on 2023-09-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API