YOUR GUIDE TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF COFFEE
Imagine, you’re in our coffee bar and get overwhelmed by all the coffee choices. From flat white to V60 and from a cold drip to espresso macchiato. We are happy to tell you about the different coffees we make at EAST. That way, you’ll will recognize your mood in a second! Our barista Demi will tell you all about it.
What coffee types do we have?
Are you going for a black cup or milky? It is one of the first choices you make when standing in our coffee bar in Restaurant EAST. But that’s not all, because do you fancy a strong cup of coffee or more of a fruity, smooth cup? “We use a number of brewing methods,” says Demi. “We use the espresso machine from Café Racer here on the bar the most. With this machine, we brew espressos under high pressure and at considerable speed. We also brew various filter coffees and a cold drip with the system behind me.”
Black coffee without milk
Espresso
“All coffees made with our Café Racer are espresso-based. An espresso is ready for you within 30 seconds. It is a small coffee of about 23 ml. You can therefore imagine that the flavour is very strong. It is the perfect size coffee to taste the difference in coffee beans.”
Do you find a single espresso a bit small, but do fancy that strong coffee flavour? Then go for the doppio: a double espresso of around 45 ml.
Americano
“This coffee also consists of one espresso as a base. The name of this coffee originated during World War II when American soldiers lengthened their Italian espresso with hot water. The small espresso was a little too strong for them. Today, we still like to make the americano, but with an upgrade: two espresso with hot water up to about 120 ml.”
Filter coffee from the coffee bar
“Not all beans are suitable for making espresso. For some beans, a roaster chooses a lighter roast to let their filter coffee flourish. A roaster may also choose an ‘omni roast’. This means the roaster creates a roast profile that allows you to use the bean for both filter and espresso. The nice thing about this is that you can let your guests taste what is possible with one type of bean and how much influence a brewing method has.
We make 4 types of filter coffee at Casa. Each brewing method has a different flavour profile and it is our challenge to find the most suitable brewing method for each bean.”
Chemex
“A very interesting brewing method if you ask me. With an extra thick and triple-layered paper filter, this brewing method really brings out the underlying fresh and sweeter notes from your bean. The paper filters the oils and fats out of the coffee and ensures a very clear end result. Both in flavour and in looks.”
V60
“The classic. Many people have seen grandma serving coffee this way. Old-fashioned? No, this is still a great way to brew your coffee. Pooring hot water in a 60-degree angle and a rotating movement, you extract the best flavours from your coffee. This filter paper is slightly thinner than that of the Chemex and gives your coffee more body.”
Aeropress
“This is perhaps the most unusual brewing method for preparing filter coffee. You can experiment with the Aeropress so endlessly that they even organize Dutch championships. How it works! You have two plastic tubes that you can slide into each other. Than it’s time to let the coffee infuse, it will create a vacuum and you can push the coffee through.
Personally, I like to dose a bit higher with this method and offer it to guests as the ‘espresso’ under filter coffee. In between, there are lots of options to play with the grind, dosage and extraction time.”
Different coffees with milk
Is a black coffee just too strong for you? Then a coffee with hot milk is probably a better option. Below, we list all the variants with milk so that you know exactly which kind of coffee you want to order from our coffee bar.
Cappuccino
“One of the most popular coffees with milk is the cappuccino. A drink that may vary from place to place, but the principle is simple: ⅓ espresso, ⅓ hot milk and ⅓ frothed milk. When we froth the milk for a cappuccino, we pour it in from a small height so that the milk mixes well with the espresso. Then we lower the jug, making your favourite latte art with the slightly thicker milk. A deliciously creamy, smooth coffee.”
Latte
“‘Latte’ is the Italian word for milk. The ingredient that predominates in this coffee and is therefore also called a latte. In Dutch, you will know it as a ‘koffie verkeerd’ – where the ratio of coffee and milk would be ‘verkeerd’ (wrong) or out of balance. A latte is somewhat similar to the cappuccino, but contains more milk and less foam. We use one shot of espresso and add 200 ml of hot milk. We froth it less than with a cappuccino, making it a creamy cup of coffee with a smooth taste.”
Flat white
“Fancy a nice creamy cup, but also with a more pronounced coffee flavour? Then choose the flat white. For once, the origin of this coffee is not in Italy, but rather around Australia or New Zealand – opinions differ. A flat white is made with a double espresso and topped with hot milk and a thinner layer of milk foam than the cappuccino. Again, let our latte art creations surprise you.”
Cortado
“A Spanish coffee in the list is the cortado, where the name is derived from ‘cortar’ meaning ‘cut’. Indeed, the shot of espresso is said to be ‘cut’ by a touch of milk. A cortado is made with one shot of espresso and topped with hot milk with a little bit of foam. It is only a small coffee of about 90 ml and therefore has the strong coffee flavour, but also the creaminess of the milk.”
Latte macchiato
“You probably know it: a tall glass filled with hot milk and rich foam on top, broken by a dash of dark coffee. We make this coffee by frothing a large amount of milk and pouring it into the glass. Waiting a moment before adding the espresso creates two layers in the milk: liquid and foam. Since coffee has a less heavy consistency than milk, the espresso stays ‘floating’ on top of the milk and you get this nice contrast.”
Espresso macchiato
“Not to be confused with the latte macchiato explained above. The word ‘macchiato’ means ‘spotted’ in Italian. This is exactly what the espresso macchiato is: a small cup with a single espresso to which we add about 2 teaspoons of frothed milk. So you get a cup of coffee with a speck of milk in the middle. Nice and strong but still a bit creamy!”
Ice coffees at our bar
When it’s hot and you don’t want to drink a hot espresso or cappuccino, iced coffee is the way to go. Make your favourite coffee, pour it over a big glass with ice cubes and you have an ice coffee! Besides this simple way, there are other ice coffee variants.
Iced coffee or iced cappuccino
“As explained above, you can transform almost any coffee into a chilly ice coffee. Fill a glass with ice and pour your americano, cappuccino or latte over it. Want a stronger coffee flavour? Then make a doppio and use a little less ice to make it less watery. You can also brew an espresso or americano, pour over the ice and then add cold milk straight from the carton. Drink it with a straw though – looks festive and it’s safer for your teeth.”
Cold brew
“This name already tells a lot about how this coffee is made. We make it with cold water instead of hot water. This takes a bit more time, but the taste is worth it! At EAST, we serve the cold drip coffee with a specific ‘installation’ on the bar. At the top, we fill it with ice cubes that slowly melt over the ground coffee in the middle. Drop by drop, the water pulls all the flavour out of the ground coffee. What you’re left with is a super intense, licorice-like coffee which you haven’t tasted before.”
Which coffee will you go for?
Now that you know which coffees there are, you will know exactly which coffee to order when you arrive at our coffee bar in EAST. Still in doubt? Our Demi and our other baristas will be happy to help you! Psst! Want to save two dimes on your coffee? Then bring your own coffee-to-go cup or get yourself a sustainable Billie Cup!
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