Coffee out in the world

The milk drinks, decoded

They’re all espresso plus something; only the proportions move. Americano is the odd one out: espresso and hot water, no milk at all. Tap a drink — the bars are drawn to scale.

Build one yourself

Macchiato: a shot “marked” with a spoon of foam. Cortado: equal espresso and warm milk. Cappuccino: roughly a third each espresso, milk and airy foam.

Where the coffee still leads

Flat white: a double shot under thin, glossy microfoam. Latte: the same shot adrift in far more milk — the mildest of the lot.

You want to taste the beans in a milk drink. Order…

Answer: A flat white: a double shot under a thin layer of microfoam, so the coffee still leads. A latte is the same shot in far more milk.

Caffeine, without tall tales

A single espresso carries about 65mg of caffeine; a 240ml mug of brewed coffee carries 95–165mg. Espresso talks louder because it’s concentrated, but the mug quietly delivers more.

The daily ceiling

Usual guidance for a healthy adult tops out around 400mg a day — about four mugs. And caffeine’s half-life is roughly five hours, which is why the 4pm cup is still half in you at 9pm.

Decaf isn’t a punishment

Decaf is coffee with about 97% of the caffeine out — not all of it, so a cup carries a few milligrams. Old decaf deserved its reputation, as some old uncles do; sugarcane (EA), Swiss Water and CO2 don’t. It stales exactly as fast.

How fast decaf fades

Decaf keeps its freshness longer than regular coffee.

Answer: No — it stales just as fast. It stales at exactly the same rate. Buy it fresh, grind it fresh, brew it the same, and nobody need know it is the evening cup.

Least to most

Order these by caffeine, least first.

1. A mug of decaf
2. A single espresso
3. A 240 ml mug of brewed coffee

Decaf keeps a few milligrams, a single espresso about 65mg, and a 240 ml mug 95–165mg. The mug wins, though the espresso tastes stronger.

When the bag tells you nothing

Two bags on the shelf. Which do you take?

• Take
  • whole bean
  • names one country
  • an ordinary medium, roasted this month
• Leave
  • pre-ground
  • “premium blend”
  • oily beans in the window

An ordinary medium bought fresh and whole beats a fancy bag a year on the shelf. Oily beans through the window are a dark roast that has been sitting.