How to Order Like a Coffee Connoisseur

Coffee is constantly evolving. There are now so many iterations of coffee, it’s impossible to keep up with all of them. This is largely driven by the appeal of sugary, coffee derivative drinks popularized by fast café chains.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with people getting what they like, it’s a stretch to call many of these froufrou drinks coffee. Many of them are filled with so much syrup, cream, and other things, the coffee aspect becomes an afterthought. It’s time for people to reclaim coffee!

Here are some tips for how to order like a coffee connoisseur at your local shop.

What Kind of Roast Do You Want?
You’re at the counter ordering your coffee. All you want is a simple cup of Joe—maybe some room for cream. Then the barista asks: “Do you want dark, medium, or light roast?” You had no idea there was anything besides a black roast. This throws you for a loop, and you just order dark roast because that sounds the most sophisticated. While this isn’t the end of the world, you really want to know the difference between these types of roasts.

• Dark Roast: These roasts are going to typically have the least amount of caffeine and a bold, bitter taste. The darkness of the roast is associated with the roasting time.

• Medium Roast: This tends to be the most popular option with most coffee drinkers because it tows the balance between dark and light roast. Depending on the bean, medium roasts can often have a nutty or bright (acidic) flavor profile.

• Light Roast: This is the type that receives the lowest roast time. This allows it to keep the highest caffeine content, but often carries a less distinct flavor and a more watery mouthfeel.

What Are Fair Trade and Organic?
If you’re trying to learn more about coffee, it’s likely that you’ve heard the terms “fair trade” and “organic” used to describe certain types. But what do these things mean, exactly?

The beans are considered organic coffee if the production methods meet certain parameters. These are typically related to what kinds of pesticides can be used on the beans. Some of these products can be harmful to humans, which is why the organic tag is used to differentiate between bean qualities.

Fair trade was a term coined to indicate that a coffee product was produced and bought under equitable conditions. This means that farmers are compensated, and the beans are grown with sustainability in mind. There has been some pushback against the fair trade label in recent years, as the verification process has become more lax. If this matters to you, its valuable to do your own research to better understand the backstory behind your coffee.

What If You Don’t Want Black Coffee?
This is the thing that scares many people about going to a coffee shop: They just don’t know the options. They look at the menu and their eyes glaze over with confusion. You don’t have to be one of these people. Here are a few of the most common coffee drinks that aren’t just straight coffee:

• Espresso: This is a strong, powerful coffee drink made with steam that typically comes in a small serving. The flavors of espresso are intense, bitter and wonderful—so be prepared.

• Americano: This is simply an espresso shot mixed with hot water, so it tastes similar to a standard cup of black coffee, but smoother and less acidic.

• Latte: This is espresso with milk added. Lattes are a good starting point for people who are trying to wean themselves off syrupy coffee drinks, but still want a little something-something to cut the bitter notes.

• Cappuccino: This is a sort of a latte with an added layer of foaminess. It’s an airy drink; like drinking a cloud with a little espresso zing. You can tell the difference between a latte and a cappuccino by simply lifting the cup. Heavy means latte, light means cappuccino.

It’s time for people to bring coffee back to its roots, away from the oversaturated world of sucrose additions. Hopefully you can now feel confident in ordering your coffee like a bean aficionado.