Guides

A frappé is a cold, foamy, or blended coffee drink. That’s the simple answer. The longer answer is that “frappé” is one of the most confused words in coffee — because three completely different drinks share the name, and they have almost nothing in common except being cold and containing coffee. This guide explains all three: the Greek frappé (the iconic 1957 invention with the thick foam), the Starbucks Frappuccino (the 1995 blended ice drink), and the French café frappé (the original, broader category that gave both newer drinks their name). It also explains the etymology, the caffeine and calorie math, the most common variations, and the misconceptions that confuse people the most. ...

A macchiato is a shot of espresso “marked” or “stained” with a small amount of milk. That’s the original Italian definition — and that’s where the simplicity ends. Today, the word “macchiato” describes three very different drinks: a 2-ounce espresso-forward Italian original, a 6-ounce milk-forward layered drink, and a sweet 12-ounce flavored Starbucks creation. They all share the name. They are very different drinks. This guide explains exactly what a macchiato is in 2026, why the same word describes three drinks, what’s in each version, where the name comes from, the caffeine math, and how to order what you actually want. ...

A mocha is an espresso drink with chocolate and steamed milk. That’s the simple answer. The longer answer is that “mocha” is a word doing three different jobs at once in the coffee world — it’s the name of a Yemeni port, a flavor descriptor for certain coffee beans, and the modern name for a chocolate-espresso milk drink that owes its existence to American café culture in the 1980s and 90s. ...

Decaf coffee is regular coffee with most of the caffeine removed before roasting. The beans, the brewing, the flavor — all real coffee. What’s missing is somewhere between 97% and 99.9% of the caffeine, depending on the process and the country’s standards. For people who love coffee but can’t drink unlimited caffeine — pregnant women, anyone with anxiety, evening drinkers, people with caffeine-sensitive sleep, or those on specific medical protocols — decaf is the only way to keep coffee in the rotation. It also unlocks a second or third cup later in the day without wrecking sleep. And modern decaf, made with the right process, tastes almost exactly like the regular version of the same bean. ...

Espresso is concentrated coffee brewed by forcing pressurized hot water through finely ground coffee in about 25 seconds. A single shot fits in a 1-ounce glass. A typical 12-ounce drip cup holds twelve times that much liquid — but a shot of espresso has 7–10% dissolved coffee solids vs roughly 1.5% in drip, which is why it tastes so much more intense. This guide explains what espresso actually is, how the brewing differs from drip coffee or any other method, what makes a “real” espresso shot vs concentrated coffee from a moka pot, the caffeine math vs drip, and how the same beans can produce drastically different drinks. ...

The double espresso — also called a doppio — is the standard espresso shot in most specialty coffee shops today. When you order “an espresso” at a quality café, you’re almost certainly getting a double. Understanding what a double espresso is, how to pull one well, and when to use it versus a single is foundational home espresso knowledge. What Is a Double Espresso? A double espresso is two shots of espresso pulled together using a double portafilter basket. It is: ...

Olive oil coffee sounds like a gimmick. But after Starbucks launched its Oleato line globally in 2023 — and café culture in the Middle East and Italy had been doing it for decades — it became clear this isn’t just a trend. The combination of high-quality extra virgin olive oil and espresso creates something genuinely surprising: a silky, rich drink with a flavor that’s hard to describe until you’ve tried it. ...