A beginner's guide to coffee - find your ideal coffee match.

A beginner's guide to coffee - find your ideal coffee match.

Rubaina
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Coffee is a rich, luxurious beverage that most of us can't get enough of. Whether you like yours sweet, creamy, smooth, or slightly strong, there's a coffee out there for everyone. Find out more in our beginner's guide to coffee drinks to see which type of coffee suits you best.

With approximately 2 billion cups of coffee being consumed in a day, it is the most popular beverage globally. Since coffee is an extremely versatile drink, it's been recreated and crafted in many different ways for people to savour. 

The making of a great cup of coffee lies in the quality of beans that are used. The quality of the coffee beans that are used to make your instant coffee, influence the taste of the coffee and enhance it. The best cup of coffee can be made with instant coffee using premium arabica beans. It's rich, smooth and incredibly flavourful.

If you're a novice when it comes to the different types of coffee drinks and you're not sure what you'd like, here's a complete guide to coffee to help you find what's right for you.

Although all coffee drinks are made with espresso, your coffee can be altered to create new flavours and textures. You can make adjustments to your drink by making it extra hot or cold. You can alternate the milk between full fat, skimmed or even use vegan alternatives like almond or oat milk. A rich, creamy and foamy coffee can be achieved with the help of a manual handheld milk frother

Coffee, like a lot of things is an acquired taste. You can choose your ideal cup of coffee based on your intake of milk, sugar and other add-ons. Cappuccino, latte, flat white, espresso, americano - the options are innumerable. Here are some of the most popular types of coffee ordered by coffee enthusiasts worldwide - 

Long Black - A long black is as simple as it gets. It's made by steeping ground coffee in hot water, but when it comes to along black, the quality of the coffee should be of the highest grade. A long black coffee is strong and smooth, and has notes of cocoa and toasted nuts. A long black is perfect for you if you like your coffee strong, bold and without milk/sugar.

Americano - An americano is quite similar to a long black. However, an americano is made with an espresso shot being diluted in hot water. While making an americano, you might want to make sure that you pour your espresso first and then add hot water. 

Espresso - An espresso shot can be consumed solo or may be used as the base for your coffee drinks. If you're looking to get a quick caffeine kick, then an espresso shot is the way to go. It's just coffee with no water, milk or sugar.

Cappuccino - A cappuccino is made using one part milk, one part espresso and one part milk foam. It is often topped off with a sprinkle of cocoa or cinnamon on top. It's perfect for those who like their coffee balanced. 

Latte - A latte is one of the most popular choices for a coffee drinker. It's slightly different from a cappuccino in the sense that, it contains more milk than a cappuccino. A latte comprises of one part espresso, three parts milk and topped with milk foam. It's perfect for people who like to take their time with their coffee, and aren't fond of very strong coffee.

Flat White - An Australian favourite, a flat white is very similar to a cappuccino but without the heavy layer of milk foam. It comprises of a double shot of espresso, steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam. So if you like your coffee without the fuss of too much froth like the Aussies, then a flat white is the right coffee for you.

Cafe Mocha - If you're a fan of chocolate, then Cafe Mocha is the drink for you. Made with one part steamed milk, one part espresso, one part milk foam and one part chocolate. It's the perfect combination of bitter espresso and sweet chocolate. 

Affogato - An affogato is an Italian coffee-based dessert. It's made with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which is topped off with a shot of hot espresso. It's the perfect excuse to enjoy ice cream and espresso at any time of the day. 

Irish coffee - An extremely popular choice for coffee and whiskey lovers alike is an Irish coffee. It comprises of Irish whiskey, hot coffee, and sugar, which is stirred and then topped off whipped cream. It's sweet, rich and incredibly delicious which makes it a fan-favourite.

There's no right season for iced coffee. Some coffee lovers drink iced coffee all year round, come rain or shine. For those who are fans of iced coffee, here are some of the types of iced coffee you can try - 

Vietnamese Iced Coffee - A Vietnamese iced coffee comprises of strong, fresh coffee and sweetened condensed milk over ice. It's sweet and refreshing coffee drink for any time of the day.

Iced Coffee - Not as exciting as a Vietnamese iced coffee, but a regular iced coffee is preferable to those who don't enjoy overly sweet coffee. It's basically black coffee with ice, served with a dash of milk, creamer or sweetener (optional).

Iced espresso - An iced espresso is exactly what the name suggests. It's a shot of espresso served on ice with a dash of milk, cream or sweetener. You can also ice espresso-based drinks like an americano, mocha, latte or flat white. 

Cold Brew - A more tedious version of an iced coffee, a cold brew is made by steeping coffee beans between 6-36 hours, depending on how strong you want your cold brew to be. Once your coffee is done steeping, just add cold milk or cream. 

Nitro Brew - The key difference between a cold brew and nitro brew is the texture. A nitro brew is infused with nitrogen which gives it a richer and smoother texture. Nitro brew is made using a higher ratio of coffee to water, than regular coffee which kicks up its caffeine content. 

Frappe - A frappe is a blended iced coffee drink, topped off with whipped cream and syrup. It's basically a Greek iced coffee drink made using instant coffee, water, milk and sugar. However, there can be coffee-free versions of frappes so you might want to steer clear of those - unless that's something you like. 

Mazagran - Originating in Algeria, but much more popular in Portugal, a mazagran is essentially a sweetened iced coffee drink. It comprises of espresso, lemon, sugar and rum. If you don't mind a little alcohol in your coffee, then a mazagran is the perfect iced coffee for you. 

While this isn't the complete guide to coffee, it's a good place to start for beginners who aren't sure of which coffee to try. 

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