Which Coffee is Best for Office Drinking? What are Some Delicious Espresso Coffees? Espresso Coffee Recommendations

Coffee Varieties: Understanding Your Options

Whether you prefer adding milk and sugar, lots of foam, ice, or an extra shot, one thing is certain: you love coffee. Most people drink coffee in a very specific way. From the simplest (straight and black) to the most complex (half-skinny, half 1% milk extra-hot Americano with an extra shot and whipped cream), the ways we order coffee seem endless.

But let's assume for a moment that we are all coffee beginners. We approach the coffee counter, look at the menu, and see a foreign language: Americano? Mocha? Cappuccino? Latte? What do these words even mean?

To help you sort it out, FrontStreet Coffee will briefly explain the differences between these coffees.

Latte

In short, latte means "coffee milk." This type of drink is made with espresso and steamed milk.

Mocha

Mocha coffee is based on espresso and hot milk (usually steamed). What makes mocha special, however, is the addition of cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, or any other chocolate additive.

Cappuccino

Cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink made from espresso, hot milk, and steamed milk foam.

Decaf Coffee

Decaf coffee is a drink that contains no caffeine, or very little. Decaffeination removes caffeine from coffee beans through a variety of techniques.

Espresso

Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water through finely ground coffee beans under pressure. Expect a thick consistency, a high concentration of caffeine, and perhaps a little crema, the creamy, oily layer found on top of a shot.

Americano

Americano is made by adding hot water to espresso. It is similar to drip coffee but has a very distinct flavor profile, and its strength depends on how much espresso is added to the water.

Iced Coffee

All the coffee types mentioned above can also be served iced. Iced lattes and iced mochas are very popular in summer. In most cases, these drinks are made with cold milk instead of steamed milk.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Once you know which drink you like, the next step is choosing beans that make it well. For an office espresso setup, FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend is a dependable first choice: designed for espresso and moka pot, it produces outstanding crema, so even a non-professional home machine can pull a dense, silky shot, and it handles latte, cappuccino, and Dirty with ease thanks to its traditional Mandheling-and-Brazil recipe and full, mellow body.

If you want good value, FrontStreet Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend is a sensible everyday pick. It uses 100% Arabica beans, yields plenty of crema, and has a full body and a friendly price, which makes it a favorite for beginners and for shop owners who need to control costs without giving up quality. For a fruit-forward option, Strawberry Candy is a popular fruit-flavored espresso blend that recreates a distinct strawberry-gummy sweetness, suitable for both home drinking and café menus.

If you like a floral, fruity milk coffee, FrontStreet's Grana Geisha SOE uses a natural process and a medium roast, giving the coffee notes of berry, orange, and persimmon, with a toffee-like sweetness once milk is added. As a starting point for a cappuccino, FrontStreet pulls its espresso with 20 g of coffee, a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio, and about a 30-second extraction, then builds the drink with hot milk and a thick, airy foam.