“How Do You Like Your Coffee” (What Does it Mean?)

The question, “How do you like your coffee”, means what kind of coffee drink do you prefer, and how do you like it made and served. It is commonly asked by waiters or baristas who are about to take our order or make us a coffee, or by friends who are about to go and purchase us one.

This article explores the meaning of the phrase, “How do you like your coffee?” (or “How do you have your coffee?”) and looks at situations in which we use the question and what our responses to it mean.

Are there many different ways to serve coffee?

There are actually quite a lot of ways to serve coffee, and this is because there are so many ways to use or showcase the unique flavours and aromas of coffee.

Coffee is a versatile product in terms of what can be made with it, and it is a complex product in terms of what it tastes like.

For this reason, coffee lovers tend to progress through coffee experiences until they find their brew, which will typically be made with a certain type of coffee bean and served in a certain style which will be made using a precise method.

What are the different coffee beans?

There are four main types of coffee bean and each has its own flavour and aroma characteristics.

• Arabica – has a sweeter and more delicate flavour, and is the most utilized bean
• Robusta – has a stronger flavour profile and is higher in caffeine
• Liberica – has fruity and woody notes
• Excelsa –  is tart (almost sour) with some fruity notes

Although most coffee drinkers don’t typically ask after the beans used to make their coffee, they may notice if their usual brew is suddenly made with a different bean.

If you love the artisan coffees made by coffee house chains such as Starbucks, you’ll nearly always be drinking Arabica coffee because its mild and pleasing flavours make it the best base for hand crafted coffee drinks.

Coffee connoisseurs, baristas, and coffee roasters certainly will know their beans and probably inform you of the name and source location of their beans.

What are the different ways or methods used to brew coffee?

There are four main methods to brew coffee, and these are boiling, pressure, gravity, and steeping. These terms all refer to the ways in which water combines with coffee grounds.

An espresso is made by forcing almost boiling water through a “puck” of ground coffee. Espressos are strong and black and form the base of most other coffee drinks.

The phrase “double shot” refers to two shots of espresso, each serve approximately 30ml of coffee.

The “boiling coffee” method refers to pouring hot water over coffee grounds that have been spooned into a cup. This method is used for instant coffees and Turkish coffee.

The gravity method refers to dripping heated water into a basket, where it mixes with coffee grounds and then drains through a coffee filter.

The steeping method involves soaking coffee grounds in water for up to five minutes and then the grounds are “plunged” out of the brew.

What are some of the different styles of coffee?

Styles of coffee range from simple hot instant coffees to artisan style complex coffee blends, and coffees can be served hot, cold, or iced and in a variety of sizes.

Some of the most popular coffee include:

• Espresso – a shot of plain black coffee
• Long black – two shots of coffee and more hot water
• Latte – a shot of coffee served with steamed milk
• Iced latte – a shot of coffee, small amount of milk, and ice
• Macchiato – espresso shot with a small amount of milk
• Cappuccino –  a shot of espresso, milk, and foam
• Americano – a shot of espresso and a larger amount of hot water
• Café mocha – a blend of coffee, chocolate, milk, and foam

And some of the specialty (hand crafted) coffees include those on popular coffee house menus, such as Starbucks:

• Almond Milk Honey Flat White
• Starbucks® Nitro Cold Brew
• Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato
• Caramel Brulée Latte
• Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

The drinks on this second list demonstrate just how creative coffee making can be and why it is that coffee drinkers now need to specify exactly how they like their coffee!

Why is coffee so popular?

Coffee can be central to social gatherings, project meetings, work breaks, and refreshment. It represents gathering and sharing, energy and revitalization, ideas and inspiration, and is very much interlinked with food and wine culture.

We tend to schedule coffee drinking firmly into our days and wouldn’t dream of beginning a day (properly) without one.

In fact, coffee is so important that without it, we sometimes can’t seem to function at all. The reason for this is that coffee contains caffeine, a natural stimulant of the brain and nervous system.

Caffeine is absorbed quickly and efficiently, and it’s effects are felt immediately. We typically experience sensations of energy and alertness, increased focus, inspiration, and revitalization.

So, how do we like our coffee?

The expressions we use to answer this question depend on where we are and who we’re talking to. The most formal answer (the actual name of the coffee we want) is given to baristas and waiting staff, but the more relaxed and cryptic responses are given to friends:

• Strong – a double shot of coffee
• Make it a double – whatever we usually have with double the caffeine
• Just anything – it doesn’t matter: anything will do
• The longest black you can – means the most caffeine and fast
• Something hot – anything will do
• Just plain – do not add any frills or decorations please!!!
• Black with sugar – strong and sweet and no milk
• Rocket fuel – strong
• White – only milk added, nothing else
• Iced and don’t ruin it – this refers to an iced latte – don’t add ice-cream, sugar, or cream

As you can see, our preferred style of coffee very much ends up a feature of our personality.