Curious to find out what’s the right coffee for you? Well, when you search the internet, you’re going to find a ton of quizzes that will give you a random pick that may or may not be up to your style. We’re not gonna do that. We’ll keep it simple.
How do I know which coffee is right for me? Coffee with milk like latte and cappuccino are good choices for beginners. Black coffee will be fine for those who can handle the strength of coffee without any milk or half and half. Espresso or Ristretto shots are probably best for those who are looking for the strongest coffee in terms of strength.
Where Are You In Your Coffee Journey? new, inter, expert
If you’re just beginning your coffee journey, then having many options is sure to cause some confusion.
The right coffee for you depends on how much coffee your taste buds can handle. If you can’t take coffee’s bitterness, then it would be a good idea to start with a milk coffee like a Latte. From a latte, you can then jump to a cappuccino and other drinks.
Here’s a list of coffee drinks with the most milk.
But, on the other hand, if you’re looking to jump straight into coffee’s dark secrets, then you should probably start with black coffee or even an espresso shot.
Be warned that an espresso shot can be very potent even for some seasoned coffee drinkers.
You can read which coffee should I try first to get a better idea.
If you’re an intermediate in coffee drinking and want to try new things, then there are plenty of options as well.
You can try milk-less coffee drinks made with different brewing methods. French press, cold brew, and even nitro cold coffee are all excellent choices.
For serious caffeine seekers, you can have coffee drinks with a couple of espresso shots or even a single ristretto shot. For exorbitant amounts of caffeine, go for a red eye coffee (or black eye or dead eye coffee).
What’s Your Brewing Method?
If you’re new to coffee, then you can make things a lot simpler by sticking with the cold brew method.
With cold brew, you’re not going to need any equipment. A mason jar, your coffee, and some water will be enough to get the job done. You will have excellent coffee after 8 to 12 hours.
Some beginners will be more than happy with a programmable coffee maker. So you can have drip coffee ready for you when you need one.
Pour-over methods are also pretty easy for beginners to make their first few cups of coffee. Chemex and Hario V60 are the ones coming to mind.
If you’re an intermediate, then you should try the french press or the Aeropress. Most coffee lovers will agree that you can get some amazing coffee from these machines.
When you’re trying coffer shop drinks, you will need an espresso machine at your home. Obviously, it is expensive and you’ll also have to an expert to take such a step.
How Do You Like Your Coffee?
We’ve already touched a little bit on this topic, but it is time for more fine-tuning.
How do you like your coffee?
Answering this question will eliminate most choices you have and it’ll be easy to have a few options left.
If you like your coffee black, then you don’t have to worry about adding milk or non-dairy milk to your coffee. This means latte, cappuccino, macchiato, and other dairy-based coffee drinks are off your list.
But if you like milk in your coffee, then you will have more options to choose from. Apart from the drinks mentioned above, you can always add a dash of milk to your regular black coffee.
A frappe is an excellent drink that meets that criteria. Make some coffee, add some milk and ice cubes, and blend them in your blender. You have an excellent iced coffee with style and substance.
Let’s simplify it.
Coffee With Milk:
- Latte
- Cappuccino
- Latte Macchiato
- Mocha
- Cafe Au Lait
- Iced Coffee
- Flat White
- Cafe Breve
- Cortado
and more.
Coffee Drinks Without Milk:
- Espresso
- Black Coffee
While there are only a couple of options without milk, you can make them through different methods and each method will impart a different flavor to your cup of coffee.
What’s The Right Roast For You?
Selecting the roast of your coffee beans is very important and will directly affect the final taste of your coffee.
There are three levels of roasts namely
- Light
- Medium
- Dark
Light roast coffee beans come with the most acid. They have the most antioxidant properties but will make a coffee that is quite sour and acidic.
Medium roast coffee beans are the best choice for most beginners. It is balanced in terms of coffee strength and acidity. It goes well with any brewing method except espresso making it an overall good choice.
Dark roast coffee beans are great if you are looking for a strong coffee flavor. It is the least acidic and you will get a slightly burnt aftertaste with every sip of your coffee.
You can also try white coffee which comes with a lighter roast than lightly roasted coffee beans. It is super acidic but people seem to have a thing for it.
What’s Your Budget?
Regardless of what you desire, your budget will always have the final say.
It will decide your beans, your brewing method, and many other things.
Let’s talk about the beans first.
There are predominantly two types of coffee beans that you can find on the market, Arabica and Robusta coffee beans.
Arabica coffee beans are expensive and of high quality. You can make an excellent cup of coffee with perfect balance almost every time. There is no harshness in the taste as well.
Robusta coffee beans are cheaper and come with more caffeine content. But the final coffee is a bit harsh in terms of the flavor profile.
If you can afford it, go for Arabica coffee beans.
Also, try getting your coffee beans from a single source. Single source coffee bean types are expensive and will have a superior flavor when compared to mixed source coffee beans.
Your budget will also decide if you can afford gadgets like a french press, Aeropress, Moka pot, Chemex, Drip coffee machines, and other things.
Do You Have Time?
This might look like something that’s not crucial, but it is.
Brewing coffee can take anywhere from 4 minutes to 12 hours.
If you’re in a hurry, then you may not have the time to spend making your coffee. In this case, you can cold brew your coffee the previous night and drink a cup in the morning before you leave for work.
If you do have the time, then you can craft your coffee with a French press or any other pour-over method.
Closing Thoughts
Finding the right coffee for you is not a one-time thing.
Your taste is going to evolve with time and the task of finding the right drink for you will go on forever.
I say this so that you don’t stop trying new things once you get comfortable because you never know what you’ll like. There is a good chance that you haven’t discovered your favorite coffee yet.