A primer for ordering a primo cup of joe

When a new customer walks into a coffee shop with a puzzled look while browsing the menu, baristas, as coffee shop bartenders are known, are prepared to give a brief lesson.

“We try to head them off before they order if we haven't seen them before,” says Nicole Millard, operations manager and espresso trainer at Java House, 211 1/2 E. Washington St.

New customers unfamiliar with coffee shop lingo, might assume a cappuccino or latte is similar to those sugary coffee drinks that come out of a machine at a convenience store. Those are a concoction of a powdered mix, water and flavored syrup.

But a “real” cappuccino or latte doesn't have any sugar flavoring or, for that matter, much water besides steam.

In their purest form, cappucinnos and lattes are shots of espresso with steamed milk and foam. No chocolate, no caramel, no whipped cream.

Espresso is shot of concentrated coffee created by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee. Unlike coffee dripped-brewed through a filter, which takes several minutes, espresso brewing takes about 25 to 30 seconds.

“It is a shot of pure coffee,” says Julie Lammers, co-owner of Coffeesmiths, 7037 C Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. “It is the finest and freshest coffee you can offer.”

Many baristas, such as those as Java House, grind the beans and hand tamp the coffee grounds of each espresso they make.

The consistency of tamped grounds is important, Millard says.

“Tamping compresses the grounds of espresso evenly so no pockets of air get through,” she says.

Properly brewed, an espresso will have a layer of light reddish brown cream - crema - on its surface.

Crema, the frothy part of espresso, contains the bulk of the coffee's natural sugars and oils. While mixing in the steamed milk for a cappuccino or latte, it is important to not break up the crema, Millard says.

So, if they both contain espresso and steamed milk, what is the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?

Size, for one thing, Millard says.

Typically, a cappucinno is smaller than a latte and has a smaller milk to espresso ratio. At Java House, a cappuccino is 6 ounces and a latte is 16 ounces.

Cappuccinos are usually served straight up - without any flavoring. Lattes can be ordered straight up or with flavoring.

“If somebody wants something with a flavor, they want a latte,” Millard says.

While espresso is coffee in its purest form, specialty coffee drinks can add up in calories depending on type of milk or syrup in them, Lammers says.

Calories can be cut here and there. For example, a “skinny” uses skim milk. Sugar-free syrups can also be used.

Each customer has their own tastes, whether it be a straight espresso shot or super sweet latte.

And lattes and cappuccinos are just the tip of the coffee bar. There's also mochas - espresso and chocolate with steamed milk - and Americanos - hot water and espresso - to name a few more.

“It's really about what you prefer,” Lammers says.

Coffeehouse terms

• Espresso - Coffee beans extracted under pressure with steam

• Americano - Espresso and hot water

• Latte - Espresso with steamed milk

• Cappuccino - Espresso with a mixture of steamed and foamed milk

• Caramel Macchiato - Vanilla, steamed milk and espresso, drizzled with caramel

• Frappuccino - Sweetened coffee blended with ice

• Mocha - Espresso and chocolate syrup or chunks with steamed milk and whipped cream

• Chai - Steamed milk with tea and spices

• Wet - 1/2 foam, 1/2 steamed milk

• Dry - Just the foam

• Skinny - Uses skim milk

Sources: Coffeesmiths, Cedar Rapids; and www.Coffee.org