What Coffee Should Beginners Choose? Recommended Coffee Drinks for First-Time Coffee Drinkers

Whether you're brand new to coffee or simply not a coffee lover yet, FrontStreet Coffee suggests the following lineup of coffee drinks. Most of them do contain coffee, but they are gentle enough to ease you in. For people who don't yet understand coffee or have never drunk it, the best choices - besides specialty pour-over - are the latte, mocha, macchiato, cappuccino, flat white, cold brew, nitro coffee, and frappé. The list spans both hot and cold options, so you can enjoy coffee however you like.

Coffee for Non-Coffee Drinkers - A Beginner's Guide

Latte

A latte is a great way to start your coffee journey. "Latte" means "milk" in Italian, and milk is exactly what you get. To make one, you need a shot of espresso, steamed milk, and the right amount of milk foam.

If you find the latte too strong, you can flavor your cup with additives like vanilla, caramel, and other sweeteners. Adding milk to espresso softens the bitterness and lends a sweet tone.

Mocha

Also known as a mochaccino, this is a chocolate drink built on a shot of espresso, chocolate syrup, and steamed milk.

If you find a latte a touch strong, a mocha may be perfect for your taste buds.

The main reason mocha makes this list is that you taste very little coffee in it. And the fact that you can buy one at almost any coffee shop makes it a convenient choice.

Macchiato

A macchiato is an espresso with milk foam on top.

Compared with a latte, it may taste a little stronger because there is less milk.

That said, if you plan to shift gears toward black coffee or straight espresso, a macchiato is a good stepping stone.

If it still feels too strong, add a little caramel or another flavoring to suit your taste.

Cappuccino

A cappuccino is a shot of espresso topped with foamed milk.

You get a sweetness that tames the espresso's bitterness. Most coffee shops sprinkle a little cocoa powder on top, which is a nice touch.

If a regular cappuccino doesn't quite do it for you, try a flavored version or simply add sweeteners like vanilla or chocolate.

Flat White

A flat white is a shot (or two) of espresso with a layer of steamed milk.

Coffee professionals call that layer "microfoam," but you won't find the thick foam of a latte here.

If a latte is served in a 250ml glass, expect a flat white to fill nearly half of it (150 to 160ml).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Among the beginner-friendly drinks above, cold brew is the easiest to make at home and one of the most forgiving. Cold brew magnifies floral and fruity notes while softening roasted and woody tones, so light-to-medium roasts shine. FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy - a blend of Panama Geisha and Costa Rican honey-processed coffee - brews into a bright, lively cold brew with rose, orange, grape, and blueberry-dried-fruit sweetness; let it rest and it even takes on a wine-like character.

If you want a floral iced coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-dried Huakui from Ethiopia is a favorite: sun-drying lets the beans soak up sweetness from the fruit and pulp, so the cold brew shows magnolia, creamy strawberry, dried mango, guava, and black tea notes.

For a juicy, fruit-forward cup, reach for FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Cherry Tomato. Its tomato, snow pear, black plum, and smoked-plum acidity is low in bitterness and full of fruit, and it stays refreshing over ice. Grown in Kenya's Thika region at 1,550-1,750 meters from the classic SL28 and SL34 varieties and processed with Kenya's traditional 72-hour double washed method, it keeps a complex berry aroma that cold brewing draws out beautifully.