Espresso Cafe Drinks for Beginners: What to Order First
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If you are new to espresso, start with a latte: it is mostly steamed milk, so the coffee tastes smooth and mild. From there, climb one step at a time toward stronger drinks, such as a cappuccino, then a flat white or cortado, then a macchiato, and finally a straight espresso. This beginner’s ladder makes your first visits to any espresso cafe less intimidating, because every step changes just one thing: a little less milk, a little more coffee.
This is not an A–Z list of every drink on the board (our coffee drinks glossary does that). It is a route: what to order first, what it tastes like, and what to try next.
How Espresso Cafe Drinks Work
Almost every drink at an espresso bar is built from the same two or three parts:
- Espresso: a small, concentrated shot of coffee brewed under pressure. Our guide to what a shot of espresso is explains the details.
- Steamed milk: heated milk that softens bitterness and adds natural sweetness.
- Foam: the airy layer on top, from a thin silky film to a thick cap.
- Extras: water, chocolate, syrups or ice.
The more milk in the cup, the milder the coffee tastes. The less milk, the more you taste the espresso itself, including its roast, sweetness and bitterness. That simple rule is the whole ladder.
The Beginner’s Espresso Ladder
Typical proportions vary from café to café, so treat this table as a guide rather than a rulebook.
| Step | Drink | Typical size | Coffee taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flavored latte or mocha | 12–16 oz (350–475 ml) | Very mild, sweet |
| 2 | Plain latte | 12–16 oz (350–475 ml) | Mild, creamy |
| 3 | Cappuccino | 6–8 oz (180–240 ml) | Medium, airy |
| 4 | Flat white | 5–6 oz (150–180 ml) | Medium-strong, velvety |
| 5 | Cortado | 4–4.5 oz (120–135 ml) | Strong, balanced |
| 6 | Espresso macchiato | 2–3 oz (60–90 ml) | Strong, softened by foam |
| 7 | Americano | 8–12 oz (240–350 ml) | Full coffee flavor, no milk |
| 8 | Espresso | 1–2 oz (30–60 ml) | Intense, concentrated |
Step 1: A flavored latte or mocha
If you usually drink sweet coffee or rarely drink coffee at all, start here. A vanilla or caramel latte, or a mocha made with chocolate, wraps the espresso in sweetness and milk. You will taste “coffee” as a warm background note. Ask for half the usual syrup if you want to taste a bit more of it.
Step 2: A plain latte
Drop the syrup. A latte is espresso with lots of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. Milk has its own natural sweetness, so many people are surprised how pleasant an unsweetened latte is. This is your baseline for comparing everything else.
Step 3: A cappuccino
Smaller than a latte, with a thicker layer of foam. Because there is less liquid milk, the espresso comes through more clearly. The foamy texture also makes it feel lighter. Our comparison of the latte, cappuccino and flat white shows how close these three really are.
Step 4: A flat white
Smaller again, with thin, glossy microfoam instead of a foam cap and often a double shot. The result is creamy but distinctly coffee-forward. If you enjoy this, you are no longer a beginner.
Step 5: A cortado
Roughly equal parts espresso and warm milk. It is short, smooth and balanced, a great test of whether you like the taste of the espresso itself. See our guide on what a cortado is for more.
Step 6: An espresso macchiato
An espresso “marked” with a spoonful of milk foam. It is almost all coffee, with just enough foam to round off the edges. Note that this is very different from a large, sweet caramel macchiato.
Step 7: An Americano
Espresso topped up with hot water. There is no milk to soften it, but the water lengthens it into something closer to a cup of drip coffee. It is an ideal way to taste the coffee’s character without the intensity of a straight shot.
Step 8: A straight espresso
The top of the ladder. Sip it within a minute or two, while the crema is still on top. Take a sip of water first, stir the shot, and notice sweetness, body and finish, not just strength.
How to Customize Without Getting Lost
Once you have a favorite step, a few simple requests let you fine-tune it:
- Milk: whole milk is sweetest and creamiest; oat milk is a popular plant-based option that steams well. More ideas in our guide to the best milk for coffee.
- Shots: ask for an extra shot for more coffee flavor, or a single shot in a large drink for a milder cup.
- Sweetness: ask for one pump of syrup instead of the default.
- Temperature: “extra hot” or “kids’ temperature” are common requests. Very hot milk can taste less sweet.
- Iced: almost every drink on the ladder comes iced. Iced lattes are an easy summer entry point.
- Decaf: any drink can usually be made with decaf espresso if you want the taste without the caffeine.
How Much Caffeine Is in Espresso Drinks?
A single shot of espresso usually contains roughly 60–75 mg of caffeine, depending on the coffee and the dose. Most milk drinks contain one or two shots, so a latte and a straight double espresso can have about the same caffeine. The milk changes the taste, not the caffeine. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects for most healthy adults. If you are pregnant, have a medical condition or take medication, ask your doctor what is right for you.
Practice the Ladder at Home
You can climb the ladder in your kitchen with a home machine, a moka pot or even an AeroPress. Make one shot, split it into two cups, and add different amounts of milk to compare a cortado-style drink and a latte-style drink side by side. It is the fastest way to discover where you sit on the ladder.
Espresso Drinks for Beginners FAQ
What is the least bitter espresso drink?
A latte or a mocha. The large amount of milk and, in a mocha, the chocolate soften bitterness the most. A flavored latte with half the usual syrup is a good middle ground.
Is a cappuccino stronger than a latte?
It tastes stronger because it has less milk, but it often contains the same number of espresso shots. So the coffee flavor is more noticeable, while the caffeine is usually similar.
What should I order at an espresso cafe if I like black coffee?
Try an Americano. It has no milk and tastes close to a strong drip coffee, but with the rich character of espresso. If you love it, move on to a straight espresso.
How do I order without sounding like a beginner?
Say the size, the drink and any changes, for example “a 12 oz oat latte with one pump of vanilla.” Baristas appreciate clear orders, and asking a question is always fine. Our guide on how to order coffee in English has more phrases.
Start Your Ladder With Great Beans
Every step on the ladder tastes better with fresh coffee. For home espresso, our dark-roast 6 Bean Blend is full-bodied enough to shine through milk, while the Blonde blend is a sweet, lighter option for those early steps. Prefer flavor while you learn? Explore our flavored coffees. Every Feel Espresso order is roasted 1 to 5 days before delivery.