Order Coffee With Confidence Using These 10 Simple Definitions

What the heck is a flat white, anyway? A barista explains.

Tell me if you’ve ever been in this situation: You pull up to the crowded Starbucks drive-thru (or whichever coffee franchise you frequent the most), you take one look at the menu, and you feel yourself freeze up, overwhelmed by so many choices. You think about ordering the same thing you always get — the safe option — but you also want to know what else is out there. Are you missing out on discovering something better? And what is a flat white, anyway?

“So, what’s the deal?” I hear you ask. “Why does it have to be so complicated? I just want someone to explain what these words mean in plain English!”

Well, I was a barista for nearly four years, so I understand the coffee lingo. But my husband, on the other hand, hesitates almost every time we go out somewhere for coffee. It’s like he’s trying to decipher a foreign language.

And I don’t blame him! It’s a lot to take in.

So, consider me your friendly neighborhood barista, here to dispense some coffee knowledge!

I’m like a superhero who LOVES coffee, and I love helping people make good choices.

We’ll start by going over the most basic coffee terms, then move on to the most common drinks you’ll come across, and we’ll end with some underrated drinks that I think more people should know about. My hope is that, after reading this list, you’ll be equipped with the know-how to order coffee at the counter with confidence. Likewise, you can also help your friends order and impress them with your sage caffeine wisdom.

Let’s get to it!

1. Espresso

You probably already know what this is, but I had to start off with an easy one to build your confidence. It’s also the foundation of most of the drinks we’ll be talking about, so it’s actually pretty important for you to understand.

Espresso is the base of most coffee drinks that you can buy at a cafe. Think of it as the thicker, more concentrated version of the regular coffee you might brew at home. You can also just order espresso on its own if you need a quick pick-me-up without the added calories or sugar, and it’s much cheaper too!

It’s made by forcing hot steam through finely-ground coffee beans, resulting in a viscous form of coffee with more caffeine and a richer flavor. If you’ve ever seen people drinking espresso straight up, the reason they drink them from tiny cups is because it’s so incredibly strong that you only need a small amount.

2. Latte vs. Cappuccino vs. Mocha

I decided to lump these three together because they often get confused with one another. Plus they’re the most popular and versatile drinks on every coffee menu no matter where you go. However, mixing them up could result in some confusion for your barista.

I know this because I would often get requests for things like a “latte cappuccino.” Huh? Those are two different things! That’s like asking for a “pizza hamburger,” which I’m pretty sure doesn’t exist, even if it does sound delicious. 🍕🍔

Let’s start with the most popular and versatile of them all. A latte has the loosest definition, but it generally means adding steamed milk over espresso. It’s the one that most people are already familiar with, and it can be served either hot or iced. When it’s served hot, you can expect there to be a thin layer of milk foam on the top. When it’s served cold, your barista simply pours espresso and cold milk over ice. Lattes are also a good vehicle for flavored syrups because they’re mostly milk, which doesn’t overpower the taste of whatever you put in it. Pumpkin spice, anyone?

A cappuccino is a little more complicated, but it’s similar to a latte. Think of it like latte’s more sophisticated Italian sister. Generally, the goal is to have ⅓ espresso at the bottom, ⅓ steamed milk in the middle, and ⅓ milk foam on top. Your barista might also ask if you prefer a “wet” or “dry” cappuccino. “Wet” refers to having more steamed milk than foam, making it closer to a latte, and “dry” means very little steamed milk and more foam.

A mocha, sometimes called a mocaccino, is a cappuccino with chocolate added. That one’s pretty straightforward once you understand what a cappuccino is. A white mocha almost always refers to a mocha that’s made with white chocolate.

I’ve had people ask me for a “caffeinated hot chocolate” before, so if that sounds like you, then you should order a mocha. Also, keep in mind that most coffee drinks can be ordered over ice as well. An iced mocha is a fantastic drink option if you have a sweet tooth. Ask to add a little hazelnut syrup for a drink that tastes like Nutella, and thank me later.

3. Macchiato

There’s a lot of controversy among baristas about the formal definition of a macchiato, but we know that the word macchiato translates to “marked” or “stained,” which refers to the way the steamed milk is mixed with espresso. Basically, a macchiato is kind of like an upside-down cappuccino. A small amount of steamed milk is poured into the bottom of a cup, and then lots of espresso is poured over top of it, thus “staining” the milk.

That’s the traditional way of making a macchiato, anyhow. If you go somewhere like Starbucks, they make their macchiatos by pouring steamed milk into a cup, followed by a heavy layer of foam on top, and then add their espresso last, which sinks to the bottom. This creates a layered effect, which is different from the traditional way.

People generally say they prefer macchiatos because they tend to have more espresso shots in them than lattes or cappuccinos, but that also depends on where you’re getting them from. Don’t be afraid to ask your barista how many shots go into a drink.

Side note: Before becoming a barista, I had no idea how popular caramel macchiatos were. Does America run on Dunkin’? Nope! America runs on caramel macchiatos. 🏃‍♂️💨

4. Americano

Americano is the Italian word for “American coffee.” The legend is that American soldiers stationed in Italy during WWII wanted to drink coffee, but all they could get their hands on was espresso from the Italians. Since the espresso was too strong in flavor, the Americans kept asking for it to be watered down. Thus, the Italians nicknamed the drink “Americano,” probably as a way of making fun of them for being pansies about it.

This isn’t to be confused with a long black, by the way, which is popular in Australia and New Zealand. While an Americano is made by pouring hot water over espresso, a long black is made the other way around by pouring espresso over hot water. Yes, they actually do it the opposite way in the land down under!

When you order an Americano, your barista will probably ask you how many shots of espresso you’d like. (Most normal people order between one to four shots, by the way. I’ve had some customers order an absurd number of shots, not understanding that they have a death wish. Cause of death: caffeine overdose. Six shots of espresso straight to the heart.) They might also ask if you’d like them to leave some room for you to add cream and sugar yourself.

5. Red Eye, Black Eye, and Dead Eye

These are easier to explain once you know what an Americano is, which is mostly water with a little espresso added to it. A red eye, named for how tired you would have to look to order such a drink, is brewed coffee with a single shot of espresso added to it.

A black eye, by extension, is brewed coffee with two shots of espresso added. A dead eye is brewed coffee with three shots of espresso added. You get the idea.

However, it’s worth noting that these usually aren’t on the menu when you go to a coffee shop. It’s just something that people expect baristas to know by heart, but half the time, your barista might not know what this is either.

I wanted to add it to this list because a lot of people have heard variations of these terms before, but they don’t know what they actually mean. I’ve had customers who thought a red eye was espresso added to a Red Bull, or that a black eye was just a cup filled to the brim with espresso. First of all, gross. Second of all, no.

6. Cold Brew vs. Iced Latte vs. Iced Coffee

Speaking of confusion, let’s talk about cold coffee. Nine times out of ten, whenever a customer I was helping had accidentally ordered the wrong thing, it was because they had confused one or more of these three terms.

So, let’s avoid that happening to you, shall we?

We already went over lattes, but let’s review. An iced latte is when you pour shots of espresso and cold milk over ice, usually with flavored syrups added. So, it’s mostly milk and big on added flavor.

An iced coffee, on the other hand, is where most people get confused because it can be an umbrella term used to refer to both iced lattes and cold brew. The actual definition of an iced coffee, however, is plain coffee that was brewed hot, chilled, and then poured over ice.

Now, as a barista, there’s something I need to tell you about iced coffee: It usually doesn’t taste good!! And it’s the lazy way to make cold coffee.

There, I said it.

The reason it doesn’t taste good is that when you allow hot brewed coffee to chill in the refrigerator, the drastic temperature change can cause it to have a bitter flavor.

This is also why people usually prefer cold brew over plain old iced coffee.

Cold brew is when the coffee is brewed in the refrigerator, so the coffee never gets hot at any point. The result is a cold coffee with a much smoother, balanced taste, a.k.a. cold coffee that you would actually enjoy drinking.

Sorry. I use a lot of italics when I’m really passionate about something!!

7. Flat White

Like the macchiato, the true definition of a flat white is sometimes debated among baristas. Interestingly, of the two cafes that I’ve worked at, each of them had a different way of making them.

According to the Nesacafé website, a flat white is defined as a drink that’s ⅓ espresso and ⅔ steamed milk with a flat layer of “microfoam” on the top, hence the name “flat white.” To me, this sounds pretty similar to a cappuccino but without a thick layer of milk foam on the top. It’s a pretty simple, straightforward drink.

You might prefer a flat white if you like a stronger coffee flavor without all the extra calories of a latte. In my experience, people who consider themselves “coffee purists” or “coffee snobs” tend to order flat whites because they want the flavor of the espresso to shine through.

8. London Fog

This one’s for the tea lovers out there!

I threw this on the list because I don’t think enough people know about this delicious, easy-to-make drink. As a barista, I loved making these, and as a coffee lover who sometimes dabbles in the occasional tea, I love drinking them on a blustery fall morning.

A London Fog is basically a tea latte. Your barista will brew a strong cup of tea, and then add milk, foam, and whatever flavoring you like. In most places I’ve been to, the default tea is either English Breakfast or Earl Grey, and the default syrup is usually vanilla. So, if you don’t make any special requests, that’s likely what you’re going to get.

However, I’ve been to lots of places where you can request any number of amazing tea and syrup combinations. How about a London Fog with rooibos tea and pumpkin spice syrup? Or maybe a jasmine green tea with lavender? Depending on what they have in store, the possibilities are many. If you’re looking for something new, I say give it a try, ol’ chap.

9. Chai and Matcha

Let’s be brutally honest. If you aren’t from India or Japan, you might feel intimidated to try something that originally came from a foreign country, especially if you didn’t grow up with it. And that’s okay! Trying new things can be a risk. But if you enjoy tea, I’d strongly suggest at least trying matcha or chai. These drinks are incredibly popular for a good reason. So, let’s demystify them a bit.

Chai is the Hindi word for “tea,” and it has a fascinating, complicated history involving British colonization that I won’t get into just now, but you can read about it in more detail here. Here’s the Sparknotes version: In India, chai is a very popular drink that encompasses a wide range of ingredients and flavors. In America, we commonly know it as a drink with a black tea base that’s mixed with flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and even sometimes black pepper to give it that warm, spicy kick.

You can either get chai on its own as a hot or iced tea (I recommend adding a little splash of milk to mellow out the intense flavors), or you can often get it as a hot or iced latte with some sweeteners added (I find that vanilla compliments it beautifully). To me, the flavor of most chai reminds me of the fall season because of the warm cinnamon and ginger notes.

A dirty chai is when your barista adds one or more shots of espresso to your chai. I’m personally not a fan of this combination, but when I was a barista, I had several regulars who ordered this daily as their go-to drink.

Matcha, on the other hand, is a type of powdered green tea that originated in Japan. Like chai, it also has a long, complex history that you can read about here. Lots of people love matcha because of its earthy flavor, supposed health benefits (antioxidants!), and the more gentle caffeine boost that it provides.

In my experience, people tend to order matcha only as either a hot or iced latte, and not usually on its own without milk. This is because matcha has a pretty intense green tea flavor, so you’d have to be a pretty hardcore tea aficionado to order it straight up. I personally love an iced matcha latte with a little vanilla syrup on a hot summer day.

10. Frappuccino

Speaking of hot summer days, let’s talk about blended coffee, a.k.a. the frappuccino. It’s worth noting, by the way, that the word “frappuccino” was actually trademarked by Starbucks a long time ago, but it has since become part of the colloquial coffee vernacular in cafes everywhere. It’s widely understood that a frappuccino contains at least a little bit of coffee, but at Starbucks, there are also non-coffee frappuccinos on the menu.

Simply put, a blended coffee or frappuccino is any combination of coffee (whether it’s instant, brewed, or espresso), a milk base, and flavoring. One of the coffee shops I worked at also used a thickening agent that contained things like xanthan gum in order to give the drink a better blended texture. So, if you’re someone who doesn’t like that kind of thing in their drinks, you might want to ask your barista what’s going into your frappuccino first before ordering.

Like lattes, frappuccinos come in a startling array of flavors that heavily depend on which cafe you’re going to. A frappuccino could contain anything from good ol’ classic chocolate to an entire slice of key lime pie. It depends on the menu! They’re definitely less for the coffee purists and more for the people who want a lot of fun flavor with their coffee. A coffee milkshake, if you will. What could be more fun than that?

That’s it for my list of 10 simple definitions for coffee drinks that will help you order with confidence!

I hope you come away from this with a better understanding of common coffee terms. I’m thinking of writing another list of definitions for more complex, lesser-known terms, like Cortado and Affogato. Let me know if you’d be interested in that by leaving a comment or saving this article!

Until next time, stay caffeinated my friends. 😎☕️