Enjoy Your Cup of Coffee Even More: Check out Your Ultimate Guide of the Different Types of Coffee Drinks, Plus Important Do's and Don'ts for Preparing That Perfect Cup of Coffee (2021)

Standing in the queue at your favourite coffee shop, does the wide range of coffee drinks makes you confused and curious? The coffee beans' journey from being harvested freshly at the plantations to finally making it to your coffee cup involves a good variety of steps, each of which is unique and can change the outcome you sip from your cup. There is a great diversity in the types and roasts of coffee beans in terms of their aroma and flavours, and an even longer list of different coffee drinks made from these freshly roasted beans.

So, if you want to turn your inner coffee lover into a coffee connoisseur and wish to know your coffee inside and out before you place your next order at a coffee shop, you're at the right place! We have compiled a list of ten different types of coffee drinks usually available at every coffee place and loved by people worldwide, along with their compositions to help you differentiate a cappuccino from a mocha and an espresso from a black coffee. Here is the ultimate guide to the ten most popular types of coffee drinks to give you an idea of what might work for you and give you the best taste and freshness you are looking for.

First on the list is one of Italy's most popular coffee drinks called the espresso that often makes the foundation for many other coffee drinks. It is an intensely flavoured drink suitable for you if you need a strong caffeine fix for instant energy during the day. To get your perfect shot of espresso, you should use the espresso machine that passes a hot steam of water through freshly grounded coffee beans at considerably high pressure and temperature. You can adjust the amount of water and coffee to get your preferred shot, from single to double and even a triple shot, depending on how energised you want to get. The final result is a delicious, strongly brewed coffee drink with a foamy layer on top called crème.

Popularly known as caffe latte, this milk-based coffee drink is undoubtedly one of the most favourite drinks at any coffee place. If you don't like the bitter touch of coffee and like your coffee beverage creamy, this is the ultimate drink for you. Latte essentially uses espresso as the base, and milk is added to it in the desired quantity. With hot steamed milk added to espresso, you can get a foamy crème on top, which can be further topped with vanilla or other flavouring syrups of your choice.

Cappuccino is one name you will always see in the menu of any coffee shop you visit, making it one of the most popular coffee drinks around the world. This widely loved milk-based drink is best for you if you find caffe latte a bit too creamy and milky for your taste and are looking for the right combination of coffee and milk in your drink. To make your perfect cup of cappuccino, equal quantities of hot milk and espresso must be taken, and finally, foamed milk is added in the same proportion to get a thick foamy crème on top. With the ratios of espresso and milk kept fixed and equal, you get the best of both the worlds. Finally, to get an enhanced savour, you can also top your cappuccino with chocolate or other flavouring syrups or even sprinkle cocoa powder or cinnamon.

Next on the list is a special coffee drink whose origins can be traced back to the World War 2. During the war, American soldiers had to depend on the little coffee they were given, so they diluted their coffee drinks with water to make the ration last longer. Americano thus uses a shot or two of espresso, depending on how strong you like your coffee and plenty of hot water with no milk. The more you dilute your drink, the less intense and bitter the espresso feels. You can choose to make your Americano of varying strength as per your choice. Therefore, Americano is the perfect coffee drink for you if you are not a fan of milk-based coffees but want your cup of strong energising coffee to kickstart your day.

Mocha is the heavenly milk-based coffee drink loved by people around the world. This drink especially stands out because an additional layer of chocolate syrup added to the espresso adds a delicious twist to the coffee. To make your perfect mocha cup, take a shot or two of espresso as per your preference, and add chocolate syrup over the espresso before you pour in steamed milk into the cup. You can choose other flavouring syrups, too, if chocolate isn't your go-to flavour with your coffee. With the foamy layer on top, you can sprinkle cocoa powder or cinnamon or just a dollop of whipped cream to get the toothsome experience any coffee lover can vouch for.

Macchiato is another special coffee drink popular amongst caféphiles for its unique composition. For preparing macchiato, espresso is poured over hot milk, which is the opposite of how they are usually mixed in other milk-based coffee drinks. The result is a delightful drink served in a glass cup to make the layers of espresso and milk visible. As the espresso sits on the top of hot white milk, separate layers can be seen forming in the cup, and it appears as if the espresso is leaving a 'mark' on the plain milk. This 'mark' the espresso leaves gives the drink its name, as macchiato means 'mark.' Finally, foamed milk can be added over the espresso to provide a creamy touch to your drink, along with sprinkled cinnamon or cocoa as per your choice.

Black coffee is the most basic coffee drink there is, prepared by adding no milk, sugar, or any other additives or syrups, but just coffee and water. This coffee drink is not only easy to make, but also gives a very refreshing savour and is therefore loved by many people around the world. Interestingly, many successful professionals often recommend black coffee as their secret for energy and concentration, owing to the various health benefits that black coffee possesses. Black coffee drink contains antioxidants that ensure the healthy functioning of many different organs in your body, from the liver to the brain, thus improving your physical, mental and cognitive capabilities over time. It is also a known stress-buster as it stimulates the brain to release dopamine in the blood, which makes you feel happier and energetic. Black coffee has also been associated with lowering the risks of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and many other disorders. The benefits of this strong coffee drink are endless, and all you have to do to prepare yourself a cup of black coffee is to boil a cup of water, mix grounded coffee into it, or grind coffee into that hot boiling water.

Although café latte can be ideal for you if you don't prefer your coffee drink too bitter and like it creamy, another excellent alternative for a milky coffee drink is the evergreen flat white. This milk-based coffee drink is prepared by taking the ratio of espresso to milk higher than that in latte. The final coffee drink you get has a dominating flavour of espresso over hot velvety milk and micro-foam crème on top that forms a thickened meniscus over the drink and leaves different rings on every sip. The point to remember is not to make the crème too foamy, as in a latte. Moreover, although the coffee drink name says 'flat white', it should not be confused with 'white coffee', which is a light-coloured, nutty roast type from the Middle East.

If you are not a fan of hot beverages and are looking for a caffeine fix on a hot summer day, then iced coffee is the best coffee drink for you. The key to a perfect cup of chilled iced coffee is the cold brew. In a cold brew, the coffee is brewed cold to get a distinct flavour, instead of merely adding ice to the standard brew. Iced coffees are low on caffeine as compared to regular hot brewed coffee, but are a refreshing pick for summers. While some of you may like your iced coffee best with just cold water, coffee and ice, you can also add cold milk to get a chilled milky drink. There are several different variations available for an iced coffee, from iced mocha to macchiato, each as refreshing and delicious as their normal brew variants. An iced coffee drink that deserves a special mention is the nitro iced coffee made creamy and thick by infusing of nitrogen gas into the drink. Iced coffee drinks can also be topped with a whipped cream dollop, flavouring syrups and cocoa powder for an even creamier and flavoursome finish.

Last in this list of delicious coffee drinks is the most trending DIY coffee drink that made news and made its way to the kitchen when the world went into lockdown. Apart from being creamy and delicious, what stands out in this coffee drink is how satisfying and relaxing the process of making the drink is, which is what made it into a trend on social media. Dalgona is a popular candy from South Korea, and the coffee got the name as it appears like melted toffee. For making dalgona coffee, equal ratios of grounded coffee, hot water and sugar as per taste are whipped together till a creamy coffee mixture is obtained. This creamy coffee paste is then dolloped over a cup of hot milk such that the coffee layer on top resembles a brown coloured candy right before it hardens kept on top of white milk. You can also choose cold milk over hot milk if you want a refreshing savour for a hot summer day. Dalgona coffee can be topped with flavouring syrups, whipped cream or cinnamon, and crumbled biscuits are added on top to make it more interesting.

Coffee is easy to make and a refreshing flavoursome drink, one of the most loved beverages worldwide. With so many different types of coffee drinks available, it can often become confusing which brew, coffee beans, and roasts to choose from. Now when you know the various types of coffee drinks and their compositions, it can give you an idea of what might work for you and give you that perfect taste and freshness you are looking for. Once you have decided which coffee drink you want, it is essential to look at some of the golden points to keep in mind to make yourself a perfect cup of coffee. Apart from the quality of the ground beans, their freshness and quantity, and the amount of other ingredients and additives, there are certain other factors as well which some of you may fail to take care of and end up with a mediocre coffee drink in hand:

By keeping in mind these few, simple and straightforward do's and don't of coffee making, you can get that perfect coffee made in no time for your inner caféphile to enjoy.