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Introduction to Italian Coffee Varieties: The Differences Between Espresso, Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, Macchiato, and Flat White

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, During the dog days of summer, with nothing but heat around us, FrontStreet Coffee doesn't want to discuss coffee origins today, nor analyze extraction theories, nor even bother with comparative experiments. Instead, let's introduce in detail the established family that has been prominent in the coffee world for years—Italian coffee. Let's explore just how extensive the entire family of Italian coffee really is~ Italian Espresso "Three...

As we enter the dog days of summer, FrontStreet Coffee today doesn't want to talk about coffee origins, analyze extraction theories, or even bother with comparative experiments. Instead, let's take a detailed look at the long-established family in the coffee world—Italian coffee—and see just how vast this Italian coffee family truly is.

The Three Brothers of Espresso

As the foundation of Italian-style beverages in cafés, Espresso is undoubtedly a soulful presence. However, if you delve deeper into the Italian system, you'll discover it's not an "only child"—it has two other brothers: Ristretto and Lungo.

From left to right: Lungo, Espresso, Ristretto

The most common Espresso extraction typically uses a coffee-to-liquid ratio of approximately 1:1.5-2.5. For example, 20 grams of coffee grounds extracted for 25-30 seconds yields 40 grams of coffee liquid. Building on standard extraction, Ristretto only takes the front and middle portions of the coffee extraction—20 grams of coffee grounds at a 1:1-1.5 ratio yields only about 28 grams of coffee liquid in approximately 20 seconds. Lungo, on the other hand, extends the extraction time to increase the yield, typically expanding the ratio to 1:4-5, meaning 20 grams of coffee grounds yields about 100 grams of coffee liquid in nearly a minute.

Compared to regular Espresso, Ristretto offers more concentrated flavors but with a shorter aftertaste, often used as the base for Flat Whites. The "extra-long" extracted Lungo, diluted by large amounts of hot water, tastes thin and bitter, and can be considered over-extracted coffee.

In addition to the three espresso brothers, Italy also has a rich-tasting concentrated coffee: Doppio. If you order a double espresso, you'll get two normally extracted shots; however, if you order a Doppio, the barista will use double the amount of coffee grounds to create a single shot for you. With more coffee grounds and less liquid weight, the flavor naturally becomes more intense.

Black Coffee Varieties

When it comes to black coffee, Americano is undoubtedly a household name. Composed only of Espresso and water, this beverage known as "American's coffee" has dominated the top of Italian-style menus for years with its approachable character and advantage of being enjoyed both hot and cold.

In Australia, there's also a locally distinctive coffee called "Long Black," which likewise consists only of espresso and water. The biggest difference between Americano and Long Black lies in the amount of water added. When making Long Black, the ratio of Espresso to water is typically 1:3, while Americano incorporates more water, approximately 1:5-1:8. Therefore, compared to Americano, Long Black has a richer flavor profile and can only be served hot.

Milk Coffee Varieties

To introduce the members of the milk coffee family, we must start with the globally popular Latte. In Italian, "Latte" means milk, so if you want a milk coffee in Italy, you need to say "Caffè latte." Outside Italy, however, Latte is generally understood as Latte coffee, with an espresso-to-milk ratio of approximately 1:5-1:8.

Actually, before Latte became popular, what people referred to as milk coffee was Cappuccino. Made with a 1:1:1 ratio of coffee, milk, and milk foam, the upper layer of foam is thick enough to extend beyond the cup's rim, allowing people to enjoy rich foam while tasting intense coffee. Besides this, there's another espresso with foam—Macchiato. A spoonful of delicate hot milk foam is added to espresso, and due to the small amount of milk added, the taste is relatively strong, falling somewhere between espresso and cappuccino.

Top: Cappuccino, Bottom: Macchiato

Similar to Long Black, when Latte came to Australia and adapted to local tastes, it evolved into Flat White with thinner foam and reduced milk. To minimize waste when testing coffee beans, Australian baristas also invented a small-sized latte—Piccolo Latte. The cup for serving Piccolo is only 3 ounces, with a single shot of espresso mixed with a small amount of steamed milk. Compared to Latte, both Flat White and Piccolo offer more intense flavors and better highlight the bean characteristics, and can only be served hot.

Left: Flat White, Right: Piccolo

As for our "internet-famous" Dirty, it's not considered a traditional Italian coffee but rather a later improvement on iced latte. Freshly extracted espresso is poured directly over iced milk to create a layered effect, which not only looks visually appealing but also delivers a rich, aromatic flavor—no wonder it became popular across the internet.

Italian Specialty Coffee Varieties

To help more people drink the bitter and hard-to-swallow Italian espresso, people locally added various auxiliary ingredients to coffee, hoping to neutralize its intensity. This is how various Italian specialty coffees were born.

Based on Latte, adding chocolate-based flavoring creates traditional Italian Mocha Coffee. Another Italian beverage with chocolate flavor is Caffè Marocchino. To make it, first add one shot to a 60ml cup, then sprinkle a layer of cocoa powder, followed by milk foam or cream, and finally another layer of cocoa powder. The small cup size and two layers of cocoa powder give the coffee a richer character.

There are also many Italian specialties prepared directly with espresso as the base. Affogato is made by pouring espresso over ice cream—it's both an Italian coffee category and can be classified as a dessert. When whipped cream is added to the surface of espresso, it becomes Con Panna. A small cup of Espresso with a small amount of high-alcohol spirit is called Caffè Corretto.

From left to right: Affogato, Con Panna, Caffè Corretto

Coffee liquid is added to a shaker with ice cubes and a small amount of syrup, shaken well, and then strained over ice into a martini glass—thus completing a Caffè Shakerato. While preserving the aroma of espresso, a hint of sweetness and the dense foam on top make the coffee feel both in taste and appearance like drinking dark beer.