What Size Cup Does a Coffee Shop Use for Dirty Coffee? Why Should Dirty Coffee Be Finished in Three Sips?

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Have you ever noticed that Dirty coffee served in coffee shops always comes in a small cup? Sometimes just when you're enjoying it, you realize it's already finished, leaving you wanting more. This raises the question: since both are combinations of espresso and milk, why can't Dirty be made in larger portions like a latte, allowing you to drink your fill in one go?

Both are iced milk coffee, why distinguish between latte and Dirty?

In English context, "Dirty" means "dirty, unclean," so many people think that Dirty, translated as "dirty coffee," focuses only on the visual effect of layering.

However, experience tells us that with proper technique, iced lattes can also achieve beautiful "Dirty" visual effects. Therefore, what truly sets Dirty apart from iced latte is not the "black and white" appearance, but the wonderful combination of rich aroma and icy sweetness created by coffee and milk.

Let me share a recent real example: FrontStreet Coffee had a customer who used to order an iced latte almost every day to start his mental work. Until one day, because there was extra coffee made for article photography, FrontStreet Coffee "fed" him a Dirty. Unexpectedly, from that moment on, he fell in love at first sip with this ice-free concentrated version of latte and never mentioned his "old love" again.

When we talk about the commonalities of various espresso milk coffees, besides having the same components, most people's first reaction is probably to demand perfect integration of espresso and milk. For example, before drinking an iced latte, we usually stir it a few times to ensure every sip is a balanced coffee flavor with an icy sensation.

But Dirty is precisely the opposite - it not only requires coffee and milk to remain independent but also prohibits the presence of ice cubes, as they would dilute the coffee with melted water. Only in this way can drinkers more purely experience the complex aromas brought by espresso and milk.

For enthusiasts, a delicious Dirty's charm remains dynamic, both in appearance and texture. With every sip we take, the espresso and milk form different ratios as the cup tilts, the sinking espresso line creates different "staining" effects, and there are varied layers of texture.

Why is Dirty usually served in small cups?

Regarding how to drink Dirty, FrontStreet Coffee mentioned in the article "Why should you take a big first sip of Dirty?" that a freshly made Dirty emphasizes the independence of coffee and milk. At this time, the espresso on top still retains complete crema, while the milk below remains partially frozen. When you take a big sip, you can experience the dual stimulation of "bitter and sweet," "cold and hot" brought by both. This is followed by the balance after espresso and milk blend, and finally the milk-dominated sweetness - three sips that leave you exhilarated.

To make these essence parts of Dirty work to their fullest potential, completely transforming it from iced latte, we not only need to use techniques to keep the espresso completely on the surface but also control the espresso extraction and the ratio between it and milk.

In most coffee shops, the coffee portion of Dirty usually uses more concentrated Ristretto espresso, while the milk amount is determined by the cup used, with the final volume typically between 150-200ml, which can be finished in about three to five sips.

For example, when FrontStreet Coffee makes Dirty, they use a 200ml transparent glass cup and extract 30ml of double Ristretto from 20g of Warm Sun blend coffee beans, combined with 150ml of regular fresh milk. The ratio is approximately 1:5. This way, as long as you don't stir, you can still see dark espresso floating on white milk until the last sip, plus the solid experience of incompletely blended sweet milk and rich coffee on your taste buds.

Would a "large" Dirty still taste good?

We already know that coffee shops make Dirty in "mini cups" to ensure its appearance and taste experience, but to satisfy curiosity, many people still wonder about the taste of "large Dirty." No problem, FrontStreet Coffee will try making one today and taste it for everyone - Dir~ no~ Dir~

Prepare a 300ml transparent cup, pour 200ml of the usual amount of fresh milk for a latte, then use 20g of Warm Sun espresso blend to extract the front and middle sections of espresso in 28 seconds, about 30ml of coffee liquid. Here FrontStreet Coffee uses a split portafilter, keeping the liquid surface as close as possible to the spout, so the espresso can perfectly float on the milk surface, creating beautiful layers.

Through tasting, this "large Dirty" first sip gives a noticeable top-hot, bottom-cold sensation, with fragrant crema wrapping sweet milk, followed by slowly emerging vanilla cookie flavors; the second sip still delivers the stimulating combination of hot coffee and cold milk, with the taste becoming gentler, combining both the bitterness and acidity of espresso with the sweetness of milk.

But starting from the third sip, the coffee liquid has reached room temperature, with the colder milk taking dominance. Subsequently, the milk flavor directly overpowers the coffee flavor, and the texture gradually moves away from the original "ice and fire" sensation, making you feel like you're not drinking a Dirty, but slightly bitter coffee-flavored milk.

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