However, it’s been impossible to ignore the recent explosive growth in the wider RTD segment, with no signs of it slowing down. In fact, according to Fortune Business Insights, the value of the global RTD coffee market will increase beyond US $42 billion by 2027.

Considering the diversification of the segment, it’s important to reflect on its history. Many industry experts point to Japanese brand Ueshima Coffee Company (UCC) as the inventor of canned coffee as we know it today.

Since then, canned coffee has remained immensely popular in Japan and other Southeast Asian countries – and the market has grown substantially in other parts of the world, too. 

To find out more about the history of canned coffee, as well as potential for the market to grow even further, I spoke with Giovanni Betteo, Director of Sales at Minor Figures. Read on to find out what he had to say.

You may also like our article on why RTD milk-based coffees are becoming more popular.

When & where was canned coffee invented?

The processing of canning food and beverages has been in use since the early 19th century. In 1810, British merchant Peter Durand patented the use of tin-coated iron cans to preserve food for longer.

Over 100 years later, large-scale canning became much more widespread. In 1935, US manufacturers produced the first-ever commercially-available canned beer, with canned soda production following shortly after.

Some 20 years later, manufacturers started to use more aluminium in their cans, which was considerably cheaper than other metals. This eventually led to the invention of the first-ever all-aluminium beer can in 1959, which included an “easy open” tab – revolutionising the canned beverage market.

Following the invention of canned beer and sodas, in 1969, UCC – a Japanese company which manufactures tea and coffee products – created the first commercially-successful canned coffee. Prior to this, several other brands had launched canned coffees in Japan – most notably Mira Coffee in 1965, but production ended shortly after.

It’s believed that Tadao Ueshima, the founder of UCC, decided to start making canned coffee when he was forced to catch an earlier train one day, thereby making him waste his cup of coffee. Consequently, Ueshima believed there was a more convenient way to drink coffee while on the go – leading to the invention of the first-ever canned milk-based coffee: UCC Milk Coffee.

In fact, Guinness World Records awarded the company the “longest-selling ready-to-drink canned coffee brand” in 2018 – with more than 15 billion cans sold so far.

Why is it so popular in Japan?

Japan has a rich history of coffee consumption, with the first coffee shops – or kissatens – opening towards the end of the 19th century. Kissatens only served black coffee or tea in line with their focus on simplicity.

However, through to the late 1900s, Japanese coffee consumers also began to value convenience more – leading to the immense popularity of canned coffee. Following the successful launch of UCC Milk Coffee in the late 1960s, other brands also followed suit. 

One of the most notable examples was Pokka Coffee, which in 1973 sold its products in vending machines that could serve canned coffee either hot or cold. Some two years later, Coca-Cola Japan launched the Georgia Coffee brand, which is still popular in Japan today.

In the late 1980s, a number of other Japanese companies also entered the canned coffee market. These included beer companies Asahi and Kirin Beverage, as well as Suntory’s BOSS brand – which hired US actor Tommy Lee Jones to be a brand ambassador.

The importance of vending machines

As well as being sold in Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets, vending machines also stocked canned coffee. For the majority of the Japanese working population – which was growing rapidly in more urban areas during the late 20th century – canned products quickly became their preferred way of consuming coffee. 

Effectively, buying canned coffee from a vending machine meant that consumers didn’t have to wait in line, and could drink their coffee while commuting to and from their offices or workplaces. According to data from the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association, there was approximately one vending machine per 23 people in the country in 2017 – a number which has most likely grown in the six years since. 

Moreover, canned coffee is often very affordable, which further increased their popularity among blue-collar workers. Even today, the price of most canned coffee products ranges from ¥120 to ¥150 (US $0.92 to US $1.15).

Data from a 2012 survey from the All Japan Coffee Association found that 100 canned coffees per capita are consumed in the country every year – with the most popular choice being sweetened milk-based drinks. However, black coffee, flash brew, and cold brew options are also popular in Japan, as well as low-sugar beverages.

When did canned coffee become popular elsewhere?

Demand for convenience in the coffee industry has been steadily growing for decades now, so it was only a matter of time before canned coffee became available in other markets.

Given their close geographical proximity to Japan, canned coffee quickly became popular in other Southeast Asian countries, such as South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

In the US, meanwhile, the first commercially-successful RTD coffee drink was launched in the late 1990s. Starbucks and PepsiCo partnered to develop the RTD bottled Frappuccino, which aimed to replicate the coffee chain’s blended frozen version of the drink.

The RTD beverage proved to be immensely popular, and helped to drive innovation in the global RTD coffee market. In 2007, illycaffé partnered with Coca-Cola to release the illy Issimo RTD range in the UK. 

In years since, Coca-Cola has also partnered with several other coffee chains, notably Costa Coffee and Dunkin’, to launch a number of branded RTD coffee products.

The emergence of specialty canned coffee

Alongside this, we have also seen a growing number of specialty coffee brands market and sell their own RTD coffee products – including canned options.

For instance, specialty roasters such as Blue Bottle, Stumptown, and La Colombe have all launched their own branded RTD coffee products over the last decade or so. 

Canned cold brew and nitro coffees are some of the most popular choices among younger consumers, however, there has also been considerable innovation in the wider RTD segment in recent years, as Giovanni tells me.

“When I first tried canned coffee, I remember it being very sweet, and many products also included milk powder and a lot of artificial flavourings,” he says.

In 2016, for example, La Colombe released its nitro-infused Draft Latte. The product comprised more than 1% of the total US RTD coffee market just 18 months after its launch, making it the fastest-growing RTD coffee beverage in the country at the time.

Flavoured and plant-based RTD coffees have also become more popular over the past few years – largely driven by millennial and Gen Z consumer demand for more sustainable and healthy RTD options.

Plant milk brands such as Minor Figures, Califia Farms, and Oatly have developed RTD coffee products, which have proven to be successful in a number of markets.

Will canned coffee continue to be popular?

It’s clear that the growth of the global RTD coffee market shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

Giovanni believes that canned coffee will remain popular because of rising demand for more convenience – in both Japan and further afield.

“RTD coffees are always going to sell because of the growing need for more convenient beverages,” he says. “Moreover, the rising number of specialty coffee companies launching their own RTD coffees has helped drive the market.

“Now more than ever, we’re seeing a broad range of options available,” he adds. “Walk into any grocery or convenience store and you’re bound to find a dozen different RTD coffee options.”

Quality is key

In recent years, quality – as well as convenience – has been a clear focus for many specialty brands which market and sell RTD products. 

“Previously, canned coffee was more of a novelty,” Giovanni says. “Now, many companies are focusing more on where they source their coffee from, as well as the flavours in the coffee.

“From single origin natural processed Ethiopian flash brew to RTD oat milk lattes made with washed Colombian coffees, there are more and more options available,” he adds. “The origin and quality of the coffee has become more important, as well as how the coffee was extracted in order to highlight the full range of its flavours.”

Giovanni also notes that this has led to a wider consumer awareness of sustainable practices in the coffee industry.

“Using higher-quality, traceable coffees in RTD products helps to inform more consumers about how coffee is sourced, as well as why farmers need to receive higher prices,” he says. 

“The growth of the canned coffee market means these types of conversations can take place outside of coffee shops – in people’s homes or even on the go,” he concludes.

Thanks to a handful of Japanese companies, canned and RTD coffee has become a global phenomenon. 

From its humble beginnings in the late 1960s, there is now a seemingly endless number of kinds of canned coffee available around the world – including different sizes, flavours, types of milk, and brewing methods.

Ultimately, it’s evident that the global RTD coffee market will continue to grow, but at present, it’s difficult to know what this means for canned coffee in particular. 

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on RTD cold brew’s rising popularity.

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It’s believed that the origins of mazagran coffee date back to 1840. It was during this time that France invaded and colonised Algeria – a north African country which borders Morocco and Tunisia. 

Along with a more rudimentary form of cold brew which was consumed by Japanese sailors in the 17th century, mazagran has been described as “the original iced coffee” by some historians.

Today, the cold coffee drink is popular during the warmer months in some countries, and contains a number of ingredients. 

To find out more about the history of mazagran coffee, as well as regional variations of the drink, I spoke to Tiago Marques, a manager at Café A Brasileira in Lisbon, Portugal. Read on for more of his insight.

You may also like our article on what qahwa coffee is & how you can prepare it.

What is mazagran coffee?

Although there are several ways to prepare mazagran coffee, the original recipe only included cold coffee and water. Since then, the drink has evolved to include other ingredients. These include lemon juice, cane sugar, mint, and different alcoholic spirits. However, in order to know more about mazagran coffee, we first need to look back at its history.

Where did it come from?

Many historians agree that the beverage was first invented in 1840 in Algeria, when the country was under French colonial rule (which ended in 1962). The term “mazagran” is believed to have originated from a fortress named Mazagran in the coastal town of Mostaganem in northwest Algeria. In 1837, French colonisers occupied the fortress for several years. 

To cope with hotter temperatures, it was said that French colonial soldiers would drink cold coffee with added water. Some troops, meanwhile, used sweetened coffee syrup or would add different types of spirits to the beverage – including cognac and rum – to stay awake during the night.

“French colonist soldiers added cognac to their coffee to prepare for battle,” Tiago tells me. “They then added water or ice to create a cold beverage.

“When these soldiers returned to Paris, they ordered their coffee drinks ‘mazagran style’ in coffee houses and bars, which made it become a more popular drink in France,” he adds. “It was served with ice and lemon in tall glasses, [and became known as ‘café mazagran’].”

However, while it’s clear that French colonisers invented mazagran coffee as we know it today, it’s important to note that Algeria’s history of coffee consumption dates back much further.

It’s believed that in the 15th century, Yemeni Sufi monk Ali bin Omar al Shadhili introduced coffee to Algeria. At the time, coffee was commonly roasted and consumed by Sufi Muslim people. In Algeria, coffee is commonly referred to as “shadiliyye” – a moniker which is believed to come from Ali bin Omar al Shadhili.

The cultural significance of the mazagran cup

Across many African and Middle Eastern countries (such as Ethiopia, Senegal, Lebanon, and Turkey), there are a number of traditional brewing methods and coffee beverages. As part of these coffee cultures, people also use traditional brewing equipment or drinkware, such as the mazagran cup.

The tall shape of the mazagran cup was inspired by traditional Algerian coffee drinking vessels. Mazagran cups are usually made of porcelain, terracotta, or glass, and are designed to have a “foot”. In some cases, mazagran cups may also have handles, but this isn’t common.

Historically, in France, mazagran coffee was served in “mazagrin” glasses, which closely resemble the traditional mazagran cup. In fact, the historic province of Berry in France – which is well known for its intricately-designed porcelain – is believed to have manufactured mazagran cups sometime in the 19th century. Vintage mazagrans are often purchased for significant amounts of money.

Regional recipe variations

Today, mazagran coffee is on the menus of coffee houses and bars in countries like Portugal, Spain, Austria, and France – with each country often having its own unique twist on the drink.

The mazagran is especially popular in Portugal, with some even describing it as “Portuguese iced coffee”. This is largely because of the long history between Portugal and some north African countries, including Morocco. 

In the 16th century, Portuguese colonisers established the Portuguese City of Mazagan – which is now part of the city of El Jadida – in Morocco. The former city is now also a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its historically significant architecture. 

“For Portuguese people, the mazagran is a Portuguese drink and a national treasure, which we often consume with a pastel de nata or two,” Tiago says. 

Café A Brasileira, which first opened in 1905, is one of the oldest and most famous coffee shops in Lisbon. The café was first used to import Brazilian coffee to Portugal, and has since become a popular place to visit for both locals and tourists.

Tiago says that the Mazagran has been the only cold coffee beverage on Café A Brasileira’s menu for more than 115 years.

In Portugal, it’s common to prepare a mazagran with either a filter coffee concentrate or espresso, along with ice and lemon. You can also add rum or sugar syrup.

What about other countries?

Meanwhile, in parts of Spain (mainly Catalonia and Valencia), many cafés serve mazagran coffee with lemon peel, which locals refer to as “Café del temps” or “café del tiempo”. In Austria, however, the drink only contains ice and rum – and people often consume it in one swallow.

While mazagran coffee has remained popular in these particular countries for some time, it has yet to become a part of coffee shop menus elsewhere. In fact, in 1994, Starbucks and PepsiCo launched a “Mazagran Spice Blend” carbonated drink in California, but it didn’t prove to be popular among US consumers. 

Following this, Starbucks then used the coffee extract from its Mazagran Spice Blend in its ready-to-drink Frappuccino products, which quickly became a commercial success.

So, how do you make it?

Although there are many ways to prepare mazagran coffee, we have included two recipes below:

The classic Portuguese mazagran recipe

This recipe is from Felipe Caixinha, a bartender at Café A Brasileira.

Ingredients

• Two shots of espresso or 240ml of brewed coffee
• Two tablespoons of brown sugar
• Four to five tablespoons of fresh lemon (or lime) juice
• A few lemon (or lime) slices
• A handful of crushed ice
• A few mint leaves

Method

• Fill a cocktail shaker (or glass with a lid) with the crushed ice.
• Add the lemon juice, sugar, and coffee. Shake vigorously. 
• Serve in a tall glass and add mint leaves and lemon slices.

The “specialty” mazagran recipe

This recipe is from Mateus Maneschy, a barista at Thank You Mama in Lisbon, Portugal. 

Mateus notes that if you prefer a non-alcoholic version of the drink, substitute the rum for a larger volume of cold brew – he recommends between 120ml and 150ml.

Ingredients

• 80 ml cold brew
• 10 ml of brown sugar syrup (mix equal parts sugar with warm water)
• 15 ml of Sicilian lemon syrup (recipe below)
• 35 ml of lemon juice
• 45 ml of rum (Mateus uses one which has been aged for seven years)

Method

• Add all ingredients, along with large ice cubes, to a cocktail shaker.
• Shake vigorously and strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
• Serve in an old fashioned glass (a glass tumbler used for serving spirits) with ice.
• Garnish as desired – Mateus suggests thin slices of lemon sprinkled with ground coffee.

Mateus’ lemon syrup recipe

• In a sealable jar with a lid, place 30g of lemon peel with the pith removed.
• Add 300g white sugar and keep covered overnight at room temperature.
• The following day, add 300ml hot water and mix until the sugar completely dissolves. 
• Filter the mixture and store in the fridge for up to 25 days.

The popularity of mazagran coffee in countries like Portugal and Spain is undeniable, but it’s evident that it’s yet to spread to coffee shops in other parts of the world.

However, given the immense popularity of cold brew, iced coffee drinks, and coffee cocktails with consumers across the world, it is certainly possible that we could see mazagran coffee appear on menus more further afield in the near future.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the origins of coffee in Africa.

Photo credits: Isabelle Mani, Mateus Maneschy, Ana Luiza Sanchez, Fil de Fer

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Within this market lies no shortage of opportunity for roasters to diversify and reach new audiences, particularly with ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. One of the many ways they can do this is by using new or experimental brewing methods to prepare RTD coffee, like snapchilling.

So, what is snapchilling and how does it work? To find out, I spoke with five industry professionals. Read on to find out what they said.

You may also like our article on how ageing cold brew coffee affects its flavour.

What is snapchilling?

David Dussault is the founder of Snapchill – a company which created a patented and trademarked Snapchill technology. Snapchill owns the rights to the brewing process, meaning coffee businesses interested in making their own snapchilled products need to work exclusively with Snapchill.

David explains how the process works.

“It’s a brewing method used to make freshly prepared cold coffee,” he says. “We brew hot coffee using a 1:16 ratio of coffee to water, then we chill it rapidly without adding any ice.”

Snapchill technology can reduce the temperature of coffee from 60°C (140°F) to 4°C (40°F) in around 60 seconds, and can cool up to 1.8l (16oz) at one time. 

Once the coffee is extracted, snapchilling brings the temperature of the coffee down as low -23°C (-10°F). This is done using an evaporator coil, which works similarly to air conditioning units.

Stephen Hall is a co-founder of Tinker Coffee in Indiana, US. He explains that snapchilled coffee is different to cold brew.

“It’s not the same as cold brew because it’s brewed hot, [whereas cold brew is extracted at room temperature or below],” he says. “Snapchilling coffee preserves more fruity and floral notes than cold brew.”

He tells me about the first time he experienced snapchilled coffee. 

“I had never tasted a cold coffee product that had as many flavours and aromas preserved as a hot brewed coffee,” he says. “Preparing hot coffee and then quickly cooling it down was something that we were interested in, but we couldn’t figure out how to do it at scale in an energy-efficient way. 

“Snapchill’s technology helped us to achieve this,” he adds.

As the coffee is brewed hot, its full range of flavours, aromas, oils, acids, and sugars are extracted. This is similar to the flash brew process, which involves brewing hot coffee over ice to quickly cool it down. 

Why would coffee brands be interested in snapchilling their coffee?

Today, cold coffee beverages are becoming increasingly popular with many consumers around the world. In 2021, Starbucks reported that cold beverages account for around three-quarters of its total drinks sales. And while cold brew is certainly one of these beverages, there is a growing need to innovate and differentiate within this segment

Firstly, David highlights how the Snapchill process is much quicker than preparing cold brew, which could be beneficial for many busy coffee shops.

“A typical cold brew recipe involves extracting ground coffee in room temperature or colder water for up to 24 hours,” he says. “By contrast, snapchilling can brew and chill coffee in around ten minutes, and can also package it, too.”

Additionally, snapchilling has the ability to extract more of a coffee’s flavour profile than cold brew. Typically, cold brew has less acidity and more chocolate notes than other brewing methods.

Ryan Vaxmonsky is the owner of Evermore Coffee in New Jersey, US.

“Snapchilled coffee has more fruity notes and more pronounced acidity, unlike cold brew,” he says.

Matt Borg is a co-owner of Carrier Roasting Company, in Vermont, US. He agrees that snapchilled coffee can have a different flavour profile to cold brew.

“Snapchilling can avoid what we may consider as cold brew’s pitfalls,” he says. “You can carefully dial in to extract the hot coffee, which can result in a more complex flavour profile.

“In comparison, cold brew has a smooth mouthfeel, but [the flavours are sometimes not as vibrant],” he adds. “What’s more, snapchilling also requires less ground coffee per litre than cold brew.”

Matt also tells me that snapchilled coffee can be flushed with nitrogen to produce a different texture to the drink.

“Snapchilled coffee can be immediately flushed with nitrogen and packaged once brewed to avoid any oxidation,” he explains.

Stephen also says that the Snapchill process allows him to carry out smaller production runs than other brewing methods. In turn, he says this means he can experiment more with different coffees. 

“We typically use washed Ethiopian coffees because snapchilling really compliments this type of coffee,” he tells me. “But recently we used a natural Costa Rican that tasted great.”

Is there potential for the market to grow?

While there is little information available about the emerging global snapchilled coffee market, many roasters and coffee businesses who sell the product expect it to become more popular.

Ryanne Hodson is a co-owner of Broad Porch Coffee in Virginia, US. She tells me how the growth of the RTD coffee market could certainly encourage demand for snapchilled coffee to grow.

“The RTD cold coffee market has exploded in the last few years,” she says. “Many grocery stores around the world now carry these products, which provides us with an opportunity to provide more grab-and-go coffee beverages for our customers.

“It could be a huge market for small-batch roasters,” she adds.

Stephen believes that snapchilling coffee could becoming increasingly popular and come to eventually rival the cold brew market – although this could take many years.

“I think demand for snapchilled coffee will increase alongside the rising demand for RTD coffee,” he says. “The sensory experience of snapchilled coffee is different from the more traditional flavour profiles of cold brew. 

“However, there will always be people who prefer the chocolate notes and toned-down acidity in classic cold brew,” he says.

To support market growth, Matt says roasters need to educate customers on the differences between cold brew and snapchilled coffee so that they can make more informed choices. 

“As awareness of snapchilling grows, we’ll start to see higher demand for cold canned coffee,” he explains. “We need to communicate how the product is different from cold brew, as cold brew has a strong presence in the coffee market [and some people may expect similar flavour profiles].”

Ryan agrees, saying: “A lot of our customers weren’t aware of the differences between cold brew and snapchilled coffee. 

“Even after providing an explanation, some still wanted cold brew because they are more familiar with it,” he adds.

Other considerations

If a roaster or coffee business decides to sell snapchilled coffee, there are certainly some factors to bear in mind. The first thing to consider is the fact that Snapchill technology is patented and trademarked, and that the rights to the process are owned by the brand.

As for other considerations, Matt says that because Snapchill technology can preserve more of the coffee’s innate qualities, dark roasted coffees may not work as well as light or medium roast profiles.

As the drink is a RTD coffee product, it typically comes in cans or bottles. To avoid any issues with storage space – particularly for coffee businesses which operate smaller locations – Stephen recommends ensuring you have enough chilled storage space to keep up with demand.

Although shipping could be a concern, David tells me that the patented Snapchill process now includes pasteurisation – prolonging shelf life for up to a year. Effectively, this eliminates the need for refrigerated shipping, making it easier for roasters and coffee shops to sell snapchilled coffee.

The higher levels of acidity and vibrant flavours in snapchilled coffee can offer a new sensory experience to other beverages like cold brew. Considering this, it certainly has potential to become more popular in the coffee sector.

However, it doesn’t come without its challenges. Roasters and coffee businesses interested in selling snapchilled coffee need to understand how the process works, which means they also need to know which coffees they should use and how they’re going to prepare and ship the product.

Whether or not this innovative technology will take the cold coffee segment by storm remains to be seen.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on flash brew coffee.

Photo credits: Carrier Roasting, Snapchill, Inmaculada Chilled Coffee

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Aside from the continued discussions about when children should be introduced to coffee, we’re seeing more and more parents bring children to coffee shops. When they do, the non-caffeinated babyccino is a popular choice in many cases.

But what exactly is a babyccino, and why should coffee shops serve them?

To find out, I spoke to three coffee professionals from Australia, the UK, and Ireland. Read on to learn more about what they told me.

You may also like our article on introducing children to coffee.

Where did the babyccino come from?

It’s easy to spot that the word babyccino is a combination of “baby” and “cappuccino”. At its simplest, this is a foamy milk-based drink for children which contains no coffee. But where does it come from?

Some coffee professionals believe that the babyccino was first served in North America, where it is sometimes referred to as a “steamer”. 

However, many people agree that the term was first coined in Australia when the drink appeared on coffee shop menus in the early 2000s. In fact, the word was officially added to the Australian National Dictionary in 2016 as it is considered a significant part of the country’s coffee culture.

Today, many coffee shops around the world serve babyccinos, although it is much more prominent in major coffee-consuming markets and not always visible on menus.

For instance, Starbucks doesn’t officially list the beverage on its website, but it can be ordered off-menu at many stores – and is sometimes free of charge.

Costa Coffee also offers a babyccino, which usually comes with a chocolate flake or a few marshmallows. Similarly to Starbucks, Costa initially charged £1 (US $1.22) for the drink, but since 2018, the company has been serving them for free. 

Babyccinos can also be found on McCafé menus, although this usually depends on the region.

How do you make it?

Unlike most beverages served in coffee shops, the babyccino only contains one main ingredient – steamed milk.

There is no official babyccino recipe, but the drink tends to be similar no matter where it is served in the world. According to the Barista Institute, the basic recipe is as follows:

• Pour 60ml of milk foam in an espresso cup.
• Dust the drink with cocoa or cinnamon powder.
• Garnish the babyccino with some marshmallows and a chocolate flake.

Dearbhla Barron is the owner of Signal Box Coffee in Waterford, Ireland. She says that the babyccino is “the kids’ answer to a cappuccino”. However, unlike the cappuccino which has at least 1cm of microfoam, the babyccino is around 80% foam and 20% steamed milk.

“Babyccinos are made with steamed full fat milk (which is heated to a lower temperature than normal) and a dusting of chocolate powder to give it the appearance of a cappuccino,” she explains. “The drink is targeted at the parents of kids aged between one and a half to eight years old who are looking for a healthier beverage alternative in coffee shops.”

Even when dusted with chocolate or served with a marshmallow, the babyccino can contain less sugar than a soft drink or a high-concentrate fruit juice, for instance.

Although the base of the babyccino is always milk, toppings and side garnishes can vary depending on the coffee shop.

Claire Williams is the Director of Claire’s Cottage Kitchen in Towcester, UK. The mobile coffee shop offers a range of additions to its babyccino.

“We top ours with whipped cream, sprinkles, and marshmallows as standard,” she says. “We also have chocolate flakes which can be added at an extra cost.”

In some coffee shops, babyccinos can also be prepared by mixing cocoa powder in the milk to make a small hot chocolate-style drink.

Adjusting your steaming technique

Most milk-based coffee beverages are served at a temperature between 55°C and 65°C (139°F and 149°F). This is to create the best texture and highlight the natural sweetness of the milk.

However, young children are far more sensitive to hotter temperatures than teenagers and adults. For children, milk steamed to these temperatures could lead to scalding – especially considering eager children are less likely to wait for the drink to cool.

Paul Rosenkranz is a co-owner of Quest Coffee Roasters in Queensland, Australia, which offers both vegan and gluten-free babyccinos. 

He says that because children are more sensitive, babyccinos shouldn’t be steamed to the recommended temperature ranges. Instead, the milk should be steamed to around 40.5°C (105°F). 

To prepare a babyccino, a barista simply steams the milk as normal. The milk needs to be steamed until large bubbles appear on the surface – unlike the microfoam which is used to prepare most milk-based drinks, like lattes and flat whites.

The large bubbles help to create a thick layer on top of the drink, which allows the toppings to remain on the surface of the drink. 

Why serve the babyccino at all?

Generally speaking, coffee shops are the territory of adults and teenagers. So, why offer a babyccino?

“It provides kids with a sense of equality when they sit and drink their ‘coffee’ like their parents do,” Dearbhla says.

Claire explains that the drink makes it easier for parents to socialise and bring children with them if they have something to do.

“Children know their parents drink coffee, with some thinking a babyccino is like a miniature coffee,” she tells me. “It’s great to see parents enjoying a hot drink with their kids.”

Dearbhla emphasises that although babyccinos aren’t necessarily profitable, they can help to bring in new, first-time customers. She adds that Signal Box charges a small fee that covers the cost of the milk and additional toppings.

Paul agrees, saying: “The drink is a great way to keep children occupied while the adults enjoy their drinks, which is important to attract more customers to the coffee shop.”

Adding the babyccino to your menu 

Unlike many other emerging drinks, it is straightforward and easy to add a babyccino to your menu if you want to. It can be readily prepared with ingredients that a coffee shop will usually always have in stock – particularly milk.

Paul says that many larger coffee chains offer babyccinos as it is an easy and affordable drink to prepare. This can also encourage customers to spend more and stay in a coffee shop for a while to increase the average sale price of customers with children.

Coffee shops that want to include the drink on their menus also don’t need to invest in new equipment or substantive staff training. 

However, there are a number of things to consider when adding a babyccino to your menu. Coffee shops need to consider whether they will charge customers for the beverage, and if so, how much they will charge. 

The price of a babyccino will make a difference to some customers, so pricing it properly is important. If there is another nearby coffee shop which doesn’t charge, for instance, customers with young children may prefer to go there instead. 

Coffee shop owners need to consider what price customers are willing to pay, as well as staying competitive with other local coffee businesses. 

However, the decision to add a babyccino to your menu largely depends on the clientele of your coffee shop. If you are a coffee business wanting to create a more inclusive environment for families with young children then the babyccino can be a great way of encouraging this demographic to visit your café.

Conversely, if you are looking to provide a quieter atmosphere in your coffee shop then it may be best to avoid adding the babyccino to your menu.

Furthermore, with more than 20% of children in the UK either already following or wanting to adopt a vegan diet, offering plant milks for babyccinos could be a unique selling point for coffee shops. However, it’s important to note that this could increase the cost of a babyccino, as plant milks tend to be more expensive than cow’s milk.

Ultimately, Dearbhla recommends that coffee shops should add it to their menus, but has a few final tips.

“It’s simple and effective,” she concludes. “Remember the target market for the drink, don’t overcomplicate it, and don’t make it too hot.”

While the babyccino might not seem like a natural fit for some coffee shops, it certainly has its place in businesses which accommodate customers who have young children. 

Adding the drink to your menu might not increase profits directly, but it can be a great draw for a wider range of customers. Furthermore, if done well, it can help to create a more inclusive space for parents and their kids.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the pumpkin spice latte.

Picture credits: Quest Coffee Roasters, Signal Box Coffee

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As a brewing method, qahwa has long since been an integral aspect of Arab culture, and it is symbolic of a number of cultural and religious principles that are commonplace in Middle Eastern countries.

I spoke with two local coffee professionals to explore the cultural background of qahwa, as well as how it should be used. Read on to find out what they told me.

You might also like our article on the origins of coffee in Africa.

A brief history of qahwa

Turki Alsagoor is the owner of Flat Wardo, a specialty coffee shop in Saudi Arabia. He explains that “qahwa” is the Arabic word for coffee.

“Usually when you order qahwa, you are asking for an Arabic coffee,” he says.

Qahwa is prepared and served similarly to Turkish coffee, but there are a number of differences between the two brewing methods.

Traditionally, qahwa is brewed in a dallah, which is a traditional Arabic coffee pot. The coffee is boiled for around 20 minutes, before it is poured into fenjals: small cups with no handles.

When pouring qahwa, a dallah is held high above a fenjal. Traditionally, the server should be standing while the guests are seated – usually on the floor.

“The host who prepares the ceremonial qahwa traditionally conducts the process very carefully,” Turki says. “This is because [it helps to make the guests feel more welcome].”

He also tells me that the process of pouring qahwa is particularly significant in Middle Eastern culture. The sound of the coffee being poured into a fenjal is an indication for the guests to relax.

Cultural significance

In 2015, UNESCO added qahwa to its Intangible Cultural World Heritage list. But why is this brewing method so culturally significant in Arab countries?

Khalid Al Mulla is the National Coordinator of the Specialty Coffee Association United Arab Emirates (UAE) Chapter, which is based in Dubai. He is also the curator of a coffee museum in the Al Fahidi historical district of Bur Dubai.

He explains that the qahwa ceremony is a sign of hospitality for people from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds in the Middle East.

“Even though [the person may not have anything of great value to offer their guests], they can still serve coffee,” he says. “It’s a sign that the guest is welcome in their house.”

During Islamic religious holidays, including Eid and Ramadan (except during daylight fasting hours for the latter), preparing and serving coffee can be a significant social aspect of celebrations. Arabic coffee is also served on special occasions, such as at weddings or to celebrate a birth.

Khalid adds that it is common to see qahwa being served by street vendors and other public places in Arab countries. “It is now being served in a variety of venues, from government offices, to five-star hotels, to airports,” he says.

However, Turki tells me that it is rare to find qahwa in coffee shops in the Middle East, even though most people prepare it at home.

He says that there are places called “mohaila” which serve Arabic coffee and tea, mainly as a “replication of at-home hospitality”.

The significance of the dallah

Since the 1970s, the dallah has been printed on Arabic currency, notably on the United Arab Emirates dirham coin.

Typically, a dallah is a rounded coffee pot which tapers in the middle. The handle is thin so that it can be comfortably picked up, and often the pot has a lid to keep the coffee hotter for longer.

The dallah is usually made from brass or stainless steel, but more expensive pots can either be gold-plated or even made from gold.

The design of the dallah can vary, but is largely dependent on where it was manufactured. Countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar, Yemen, and Ethiopia all have their own unique designs of the traditional dallah coffee pot. 

Khalid tells me that over the years, he has collected more than 150 dallah from different countries, all of which are displayed at his museum. He adds that the design of a dallah is comparable to a coat of arms – seals and flags that were commonly used in Europe and North America to identify heritage and ancestry. 

In earlier times, dallah were generally designed to be bigger, and two or three pots would be brewed at one time. One dallah was used to brew concentrated coffee, while another would include a filter made from date palm leaves. This would be placed around the spout of the dallah to filter out any coffee grounds. 

Regional variations of qahwa preparation

It’s believed that coffee has been consumed for centuries in the Middle East. Since coffee was first introduced to the region, tribes such as the nomadic Bedouin people (Bedwai in Arabic) have chewed roasted beans as a form of consumption. Some Bedouin tribes still consume coffee in this way today.

Historians have largely concluded that coffee consumption in Arab countries began in the 7th century, but only on a small scale. It was not until the 1500s that coffee consumption became much more widespread in the Middle East.

There are a number of regional differences from country to country that must be noted when discussing qahwa. Adding spices or flavourings is common – including cardamom, rosewater, ginger, cloves, and saffron. However, as saffron can be expensive, it is usually only added on special occasions. 

Khalid explains that the addition of these spices and flavourings is generally down to individual preference and familial traditions.

Roast profile also plays an important role in qahwa, and can vary depending on the country.

In the UAE, the roast profile used for qahwa is known as “cinnamon roast” or “Saudi-style”. The beans are generally roasted until first crack takes place.

“In southeastern Arab countries, however, roast profiles are generally lighter and are roasted to just before first crack,” says Khalid. “Because of the lighter roast profile, it doesn’t taste like traditional Arabic coffee.”

Turki tells me about “mazboot”, which is a way of preparing qahwa from memory with no precise measurements – such as dose or yield.

“You cannot say what is right or wrong [when preparing qahwa],” Khalid says. “It always goes back to personal taste.”

How to prepare qahwa

Turki tells me about his qahwa brewing recipe.

Firstly, he suggests using a lighter roast profile, but also notes that it’s important to focus on having a good body.

To begin, Turki measures out one fenjal of coarsely-ground coffee. However, he adds that the final brew weight is down to personal taste. He suggests using around three cups of water for every two to three tablespoons of coffee, but emphasises that it’s important to experiment with ratios.

He then adds boiling water to the dallah and brings the mixture to a simmer. Typically, this should be done for about 20 minutes, depending on the brew temperature.

Once boiled, Turki adds spices to the qahwa. He tells me that he always adds crushed cardamom, but because it has a very strong flavour, it’s best to add a tablespoon at a time. Traditionally, similar amounts of ground coffee and cardamom are added to Arabic coffee, but this may not be to most peoples’ taste preferences.

Turki also suggests a pinch of saffron, a teaspoon of cloves, and one or two tablespoons of rosewater.

The coffee mixture is then transferred to another dallah, which is specifically used for pouring into a fenjal. He lets the coffee rest for about five minutes before serving. 

Qahwa is traditionally served with dates, figs, or other dried fruits, which can help to sweeten the coffee if it’s too bitter. Honey can also be added, too.

For people who don’t own a dallah, Arabic coffee can also be prepared in a pot on the stove. The coffee should then be filtered before pouring into a teapot or other server.

In Arab countries, qahwa represents much more than a brewing method. Its traditional significance has made it a staple of Middle Eastern culture.

But despite its deep roots, there is room for innovation and experimentation with this brewing method. Ultimately, this creates the potential for qahwa to theoretically become more popular around the world, and potentially play a role in wider coffee culture.

Enjoyed this? Then try our article exploring coffee culture in Iran.

Photo credits: Isabelle Mani SanMax

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However, while it is popular, the exact composition of the latte can differ depending on your geographical location – including throughout Europe. The drink is believed to have technically originated in 17th-century Europe, some time before its modern name was first coined in the late 1860s.

So why is this beverage so popular? And where did it come from? I spoke to two coffee professionals to learn more. Read on to learn more about what they told me.

You may also like our article on the flat white & where it came from.

The history of the latte

Coffee and milk have been enjoyed together in European coffee houses since the 1600s, as well as being a popular beverage at home for many coffee drinkers.

Across Europe, the classic milk-based coffee beverage takes a number of forms depending on where you are. This includes the caffè latte in Italy, Milchkaffee in Germany, café con leche in Spain, and café au lait in France. And although the latte shares similarities with these drinks, it wasn’t until the late 1860s that the first use of the term to describe a milk-based coffee beverage was established.

Tim Sturk is a coffee consultant for Booker Group, as well as a coffee competition judge and trainer. He tells me that the US helped to develop the latte as we know it today.

“When Americans first imported espresso machines from Italy after World War II, they wanted to imitate the coffee they had consumed in Italy,” he says. “At the time, consumers generally found coffee to taste too ‘strong’, so they added milk to make it taste milder.”

The latte was more recently popularised in Seattle during the late 1980s, with the drink then appearing in coffee shops across the country throughout the 1990s. Undoubtedly, the more subtle and less intense flavour of coffee made it more accessible, and helped it proliferate quickly not just across the US, but further afield around the world.

Sabrina Pastano is an authorised Specialty Coffee Association trainer and the manager of Guillam Coffee House in London. She further explains why the latte is one of the most popular beverages in coffee shops around the world.

“The latte makes me think about my Italian roots,” she says. “It’s also a drink that is constantly changing and adapting to the specialty coffee sector. It’s traditional, yet revolutionary.”

The latte today

As a result of these geographical differences, it can be difficult to universally define the latte. In some cases, it can be more similar to the flat white or cappuccino – especially in terms of size. 

However, in other places, the latte is a much larger drink – typically between 295ml and 340ml (10oz to 12oz). For comparison, the cappuccino is usually around 180ml (6oz).

“I define a latte as a cappuccino with more milk,” Tim tells me.

Typically, a cappuccino has at least 1cm of microfoam, compared to around 0.5cm for a latte or flat white. This ultimately affects the mouthfeel of the beverage, as less microfoam will produce a thinner – but still creamy – texture.

Tim explains that latte art is an essential aspect of the modern latte.

“It’s very rare to not find latte art on any milk-based coffee beverage in most coffee shops today,” he says.

The concept of latte art has existed for centuries, but owner of Espresso Vivace in Seattle, David Schomer, is largely credited with popularising it in the 1980s. Today, there are a number of well known latte art patterns – including the tulip, heart, and rosette (also known as a florette).

“The latte has an important role in the specialty coffee industry,” Sabrina says. “It’s not just because it’s a popular drink, but because it has so many variations.

“You can call it caffè latte, café au lait, or café con leche,” she explains. “You can have it iced or with syrups. 

“You can have a latte anywhere in the world and always expect something different,” she adds.

Variations of the beverage

Although the latte can vary based on where you are in the world, there are some fundamental aspects of the drink which are common in many places.

“Traditionally, the latte was prepared by steaming milk to create microfoam,” Sabrina explains. “The barista then poured the milk into a glass and added the espresso on top.

“This method produces dry foam on top of the drink when poured, with liquid milk underneath,” Sabrina says. “This steaming technique is different to the wetter microfoam which is used for latte art.”

This method is a more traditional way of preparing a latte, which usually results in no latte art as the foam is too thick to pour most designs.

“A latte is usually poured into a tall glass, so when the barista pours the espresso you can see all the different shades of the coffee moving through the milk.”

However, it’s now more common for baristas to pour the steamed milk onto the espresso to make a latte. This is largely because this method is best for latte art, which has become a staple in the specialty coffee sector.

“The specialty coffee industry helped to make textured microfoam more common,” Tim explains. “Most baristas and consumers agree that it enhances the taste and texture of the beverage.”

Because the majority of a latte is milk, it is important that baristas hone their steaming and pouring techniques to prepare the best beverage possible for the consumer. Poor quality microfoam can negatively affect the mouthfeel of a latte – making the drink feel thin or watered down.

How is a latte made?

“To make a latte, we use the same espresso base as a cappuccino or flat white,” Sabrina tells me. “I generally use a ratio of 1:2, depending on the coffee.

“A latte is generally foamier than a flat white, but less so than a cappuccino,” she adds. “For this reason, it’s the perfect balance of espresso and milk for many consumers.”

Sabrina also adds that a latte should always be served in a glass rather than a mug. She says this allows the customer to see the milk and coffee slowly blending together – giving them something visually appealing to watch as they drink it.

The drink is also typically bigger than the flat white or cappuccino, as more milk is added to the espresso. This generally means that less of the coffee’s flavour will come through in the beverage – creating a sweeter, milkier beverage.

Because of this, the intensity of the espresso is especially important. In order to highlight the flavour of the coffee as much as possible, many coffee shops use two shots of espresso in their lattes.

“Starbucks used to make its lattes with one shot of espresso (around 30ml) in a 12oz (340ml) cup,” Tim says. “Consumer demand in the UK pushed Starbucks to change their recipe to two shots (around 60ml).” 

Today, lattes prepared in specialty coffee shops are usually at least 236ml (8oz). This allows the espresso to cut through the sweetness of the milk, while at the same time offering a more milky beverage to customers.

As a general rule, medium to dark roast profiles work best for lattes, as do coffees with more chocolate and nutty tasting notes. This is because these flavours are typically more complementary to the larger volumes of milk, whereas more fruit-forward coffees or lighter roasts could be too acidic for many consumers.

When preparing a latte, try using coffees from Central or South America, such as Brazil, Guatemala, and Colombia. These coffees tend to have more chocolate, nut, and caramel flavours, and will generally work best in larger milk-based coffee drinks.

Many milk-based coffee drinks are prepared differently around the world, including the latte. 

Over the years, the beverage has become a staple of the global coffee industry and remains consistently popular with many consumers.

And no matter how it’s prepared, one thing is for sure: the latte will be on coffee shop menus for many years to come.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on understanding the history of latte art.

Photo credits: Matthew Deyn

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However, as well as being able to use freshly brewed coffee or espresso for these beverages, coffee shops can also use coffee concentrate. This is usually prepared as concentrated filter or full immersion brewed coffee, which is then diluted to make other beverages – such as cold brew or iced lattes.

Although the concept of coffee concentrate is relatively simple, there are a number of factors to consider when making it. So how is it made and how can coffee shops use it? I spoke to three coffee professionals to find out more. Read on to learn what they told me.

You may also like our article on how you can make cold brew coffee at home.

What is coffee concentrate? 

Thomas Blackwall is the Global Head of Coffee for Finlays, which manufactures coffee extracts in the UK and US. 

“Coffee concentrate is essentially an extract,” he says.

It’s important to note that preparation methods can vary massively for coffee concentrate. Thomas explains that Finlays’ process involves placing ground coffee in water to create a “strong” concentrate. 

This is a full immersion brewing method, as the coffee grounds are in full contact with the water for the entire brew time.

“Generally, higher-quality coffee concentrates are made with cold water,” he says. “This slow extraction produces a thick-textured coffee that is more intense than regular filter coffee.”

In a recent study carried out by Finlays, researchers found that cold-extracted coffee has a 30% lower concentration of chlorogenic acids, which are responsible for bitter flavours in coffee. 

“As a result of this, our customers believe that cold-extracted coffee concentrates are more palatable than hot brewed coffee,” Thomas says.

Dale Harris is the Product Development Manager for OCRi (Ozone and Hasbean). He explains how concentrates can be extracted at different temperatures.

“There are many options available on the market, but at Ozone and Hasbean, we use a hot brewed coffee that is stored at an ambient temperature,” he says.

Making coffee concentrate

Jaime van Schyndel is the founder of Barismo Coffee. He explains how brewing temperature affects the flavours in coffee concentrate.

“The main difference between hot and cold coffee when made as a concentrate is the fruitier notes are more prominent in the hot coffee as it starts to cool,” he says. “The cold coffee has a heavier mouthfeel.”

But brew temperature is just one of several factors to consider when making coffee concentrate – brew ratio is also important.

One common method is to use a medium-to-coarse grind with a brew ratio between 1:5 and 1:7. This means that for every gram of coffee used, you will need between five to seven grams of water – which can be room temperature or colder.

When you experiment with brew ratios, keep in mind how you want your coffee concentrate to taste. Are you looking for more intense, bolder flavours or a more subtle concentrate to create a more delicate beverage? 

For bolder flavours, lower ratios are recommended, whereas if you want a less intense concentrate, higher ratios will work better.

Jaime says: “We like to use four parts water to one part coffee in our concentrate, as it’s a good ratio to allow the coffee quality to hold up – even if it’s made stronger or weaker.”

Dale details the concentrate recipe used at Ozone and Hasbean.

“We brew a single origin coffee and then concentrate it down to a similar strength as a double espresso,” he says. “Essentially, the whole concentrate is around 80 double espresso shots that you can use for cold or hot coffee.”

The total brew time for coffee concentrate should be around 14 to 16 hours. Once ready, the concentrate can be added to water, a range of milks, or other ingredients. 

Thomas suggests storing concentrate in a bag or lined box in cool conditions to preserve freshness as much as possible. The bags can then be attached to automatic coffee dispensing systems, such as the Marco POUR’D, which can be installed in fridges, kegs, or on counters.

What is it used for?

“Coffee concentrate is a diverse product,” Thomas tells me. 

He explains that the US market is growing rapidly, and adds that the European and Asian markets are also developing at pace. 

Many different brands purchase coffee concentrate, including coffee shops, restaurants, bars, offices, and manufacturers of carbonated drinks, ice cream, and condiments. Consumers can also use concentrate at home to quickly prepare coffee beverages.

In hospitality settings, meanwhile, coffee concentrate can be used in a number of ways to create different drinks. 

“We use the concentrate for everything on our menu that’s not hot espresso – such as iced lattes, cold brew, and even hot brewed coffee,” Jaime says.

“Cold brew is my favourite because it’s clean and smooth-tasting. We use 2oz (around 60ml) of coffee concentrate and 8oz (around 236ml) of water, and then we add ice,” he explains.

Dale also says that cold brew can be made easily using coffee concentrate. 

“Cold brew is the go-to choice for concentrates: it’s how most of our concentrates are served, although it can just as easily be used in iced lattes and iced cappuccinos,” he tells me.

By 2024, the global cold brew market is expected to grow a further US $1.12 billion, with year-on-year growth between now and then estimated at 28%. This shows just how popular it is on coffee shop menus.

Coffee concentrate can also be used as a substitute for espresso to prepare hot or cold milk-based drinks, as well as americanos, frappés, coffee-based desserts, and coffee cocktails. 

“Cold brew concentrate with a shot of gin and some clementine-infused tonic water tastes wonderful,” Thomas says.

To add to this, coffee concentrate can even be consumed on its own over ice. 

“There is a wide range of flavours and sensory attributes in the coffee concentrates available on the market, so do your research and find what works best for your coffee,” Jaime explains.

What are the benefits of concentrates for coffee shops?

Besides being a versatile ingredient in many beverages, coffee concentrate has several benefits. Baristas or home consumers can create a range of high-quality coffee beverages in less time than it takes to prepare espresso, filter coffee, or cold brew.

Extracting large volumes of cold brew, in particular, can take as long as 24 hours. However, by using coffee concentrate to make “instant” cold brew, both brew time and labour can be reduced. 

“Concentrates open up a range of cold coffee drinks that can be popular in coffee shops during summer months, without the need for extra labour, space, or technical skills, which makes for more consistent coffee,” Dale tells me.

Coffee concentrate can be useful for seasonal drinks, particularly in summer when more customers order cold brew and iced coffee drinks. At the same time, concentrate can be used as a base for multiple beverages, which can make it easier for baristas to adapt to consumers’ preferences. 

“It can also be used as an ingredient to make milk-based drinks and cold brew easily at home,” he adds.

What’s more, Dale says that coffee concentrates can be especially beneficial for smaller coffee shops which may have limited access to equipment.

“Coffee concentrates mixed with hot water can produce consistent and high-quality filter-style coffees, especially in coffee shops where batch brewers and large grinders aren’t available,” he explains.

“Being able to make iced milk-based beverages without using the espresso machine is beneficial for many coffee shops,” he adds.

Furthermore, smaller coffee shops which have limited counter or storage space could also benefit from using concentrates.

“Coffee shop owners can struggle with space – concentrates can help with this,” Jaime says. “Significant space and labour can be saved as your concentrate storage kegs or bags will be smaller.

“At Barismo, we have one font that produces hot coffee and hot water, and another font which serves cold coffee and cold water. The systems for these fonts are all under the counter, [keeping the bar clean and decluttered],” he adds.

Automated cold coffee concentrate dispensing systems, like the Marco POUR’D, can increase counter and fridge space, as well as making service more efficient. 

Marco also offers a hands-free font as part of POUR’D range – which is ideal for busy coffee shops, office spaces, bars, and restaurants.

“Using concentrate maximises our storage capacity and makes our drinks more consistent as we make large batches so we can dial in our coffee,” Jaime says.

Tips for using concentrates

Ultimately, quality is key when it comes to coffee concentrate.

Dale says: “If you can’t taste where the coffee comes from and if the beverage doesn’t represent the coffee flavours well, then maybe it’s not the right fit for your business.

“You should taste the coffee concentrate the same way that your customers will experience it, either as an iced latte or cold drip – whichever beverage sells the best.”

Furthermore, coffee shop owners need to decide how they will incorporate coffee concentrate into different beverages, which can mean needing different recipes for each drink.

“The recipe might be different for each concentrate product, mainly depending on the roast profile,” Dale tells me. “Generally, the same dilution recipe served at different temperatures helps to accentuate different characteristics of the coffee.”

He adds: “For our product, we found that a higher level of total dissolved solids (TDS – a measurement of how much of the coffee has been dissolved in water) suits cold brew better, as it highlights both acidity and depth of flavour.

“Diluting the concentrate more (a lower TDS) can allow more of the flavours to come through and creates more balance.”

However, Dale points out that baristas should take extra care when preparing cold beverages with coffee concentrate.

“You should account for ice in a coffee concentrate, as it will melt and dilute the drink even more,” he says.

Optimising counter space by using coffee concentrate dispensers, such as the Marco POUR’D, can make service more efficient and consistent, as well as giving baristas more time to interact with customers. 

Marco’s three-button dispenser also allows the user to preset up to three different kinds of coffee concentrate. This means that baristas can dispense several different concentrates that are specifically suited to different beverages – such as milk-based drinks and cold brew.

“Coffee trends have changed in recent years,” Jaime says. “Having cold brew, cold coffee, and hot coffee options has changed a lot of consumers’ perceptions about coffee concentrates, especially because the experience is easily repeatable.”

Although it might not be suitable for every coffee shop, coffee concentrate can be a versatile and efficient addition to many cafés. Whether it’s used to make cold brew, milk-based drinks, or even cocktails, concentrate can be easily adapted for use in most types of beverage.

“Focus on the concentrate recipe first,” Dale advises, “Once you get this right, you can explore the easiest way to incorporate it on your menu.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article exploring RTD cold brew’s rising popularity.

Photo credits: Finlays

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This was the same year that the flat white also became more popular in the same country. Sales increased by a staggering 56% on 2017. But how did it become so popular? And where did it come from?

Once a unique beverage served in both Australia and New Zealand, the flat white can now be found in coffee shops around the world. To learn more, I spoke with two coffee professionals who told me about the flat white’s journey. Read on to find out what they said.

You might also like our article on white coffee around the world.

A brief history of the flat white

The exact origins of the flat white are somewhat contentious, especially when compared to other popular milk-based coffee beverages.

Charles Skadiang is the Director of the Melbourne Coffee Academy.

“I wouldn’t be able to say whether the flat white originated in Australia or New Zealand,” he says. “It’s a debate that will likely go back and forth for a long time.”

One of the numerous claims to the invention of the flat white comes from Australian barista Alan Preston. He says he was the first coffee shop owner to permanently have the term “flat white” on his menu in the mid-1980s. 

Upon opening a coffee shop in Sydney, Alan found that many customers ordered a “white coffee – flat”: an espresso served with steamed milk. After noticing its popularity among local consumers, Alan then referred to this drink as a flat white.

Alan’s original recipe used a double ristretto shot and steamed milk with little foam. The drink was poured without latte art and served in a ceramic cup.

However, New Zealander Fraser McInnes challenges Alan’s claim. According to Fraser, the flat white was invented when he tried to make a cappuccino for a customer while working as a barista.

He says the milk he used had very low fat content, which made it impossible to create a good amount of microfoam. Fraser claims he presented the drink to a customer saying: “Sorry, it’s a flat white!”

Whether the drink was invented in Australia or New Zealand, one thing is for sure: in the years since, it has steadily become more popular around the world. Over the last few decades, the drink has spread across Europe, Asia, and North America as more and more specialty coffee shops have opened.

Charles believes that the emergence of latte art in the early 2000s helped to boost the flat white’s popularity.

“Baristas were looking for cups that had wider surface areas so it would be easier to pour latte art,” he explains. “I think the flat white steadily became more popular because of this.

“People started ordering it to have a milk-based espresso beverage with less foam than a cappuccino, but still with a smooth and silky texture,” he adds.

What are its characteristics?

As the specialty coffee sector has evolved, so have the characteristics of the flat white.

While the Specialty Coffee Association and the World Barista Championships define the cappuccino as having “a minimum of 1cm of foam depth”, the flat white usually has around 0.5cm of foam. 

Technically, this makes the milk more suitable for pouring latte art as there is less microfoam, meaning the milk is less rigid. This allows skilled baristas to pour more intricate and detailed latte art patterns.

Evangelos Koulougousidis is the lead barista at WatchHouse in London. He tells me that the definition of a flat white can depend on where you are; however, he believes that the drink should always allow the characteristics of the coffee to shine through.

“The flat white is a beverage that highlights the nuances of coffee, such as the origin or roast profile,” he says. “When I dial in espresso for a flat white, the flavours of the coffee need to stand out against the milk.”

Evangelos explains his own flat white recipe begins with a dose of 18g and a yield of 36g.

“The 1:2 ratio usually works with the majority of coffees,” he says. “After initially using this ratio, I taste the drink and play around with the grind size before changing the dose, or the yield.”

He tells me which flavour attributes work best in a flat white.

“For a delicious flat white, we don’t rely on the sweetness of the espresso. Instead, we rely on the acidity of the espresso to allow all those flavour characteristics to cut through the milk,” he notes. “A balanced espresso doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a balanced flat white when you add the milk – there’s so much more to it than that.”

Charles says that the customer’s preference for how intense they want their coffee to taste often dictates whether they should order a single or double shot flat white.

“I personally like my flat whites with a single shot of espresso in a smaller 150ml cup,” he says. “I typically use a recipe with a 20g dose and 40g yield, extracted in 28 seconds. 

“I then split that shot between two flat whites and top them up with steamed milk,” he adds.

Tips for perfecting the flat white

For baristas who are new to the specialty coffee industry, perfecting a flat white can take some time.

Although the drink is generally smaller than lattes and cappuccinos, a flat white is still generally around two-thirds milk. As such, milk is a crucial ingredient and it’s important for baristas to pay attention to how they steam and pour milk when preparing one.

“It should have a harmonious balance of espresso and textured milk,” Evangelos explains. The milk will compliment the nuances of the espresso, creating a harmonious beverage that will highlight all those flavours that made this coffee special.”

Coffees roasted for espresso (typically a medium roast profile or darker) tend to work best in milk-based beverages. This has led some roasters to develop “milk-based blends”, (notably ONA Coffee in Australia), which are complementary to the sweetness and creaminess of milk.

“I prefer using a medium roast blend that is strong enough to cut through the milk, but also has minimal bitterness,” Charles explains. “Make sure to use high-quality coffee and perfect your steaming technique to create silky microfoam with minimal froth.”

To create microfoam, baristas need to steam cold milk by incorporating air into the liquid as it heats. It is recommended that baristas fully aerate milk before 38°C (100°F) to ensure that the microfoam is as smooth as possible. During this process, small air bubbles are trapped in the liquid by milk proteins.

“Banging” and “swirling” milk after steaming also helps to break down any larger air bubbles that can negatively affect the mouthfeel of a flat white. The smaller the air bubbles are, the smoother the texture will be – resulting in a better experience for the consumer.

However, this can all depend on the type of milk you use. Steaming and pouring techniques can vary based on whether you prefer cow’s milk or plant milks. For example, soy milk foams much more easily than cow’s milk, so baristas need to be more mindful when steaming it.

Can you make a flat white at home?

As more and more consumers show interest in making their own café-quality beverages at home, the flat white naturally enters the conversation. But is this possible?

For starters, we need to consider that it takes a considerable amount of time for baristas to learn technical skills, such as steaming and pouring well-textured milk. Most baristas receive weeks or months of training to prepare high-quality coffee using commercial coffee shop equipment, which is inaccessible for the majority of consumers.

However, the market for home and prosumer espresso machines is evolving to meet the growing demands of home coffee consumers. Now more than ever, there are more high-quality and accessible machine options that can steam milk well enough to create a flat white. 

“In the end, coffee is all about taste preferences,” Evangelos concludes. “If you invest in the right equipment at home, you will be able to explore a wider variety of coffees at your own pace.”

While it may take home consumers longer to perfect their milk steaming techniques than professional baristas, with plenty of practice and patience, making a high-quality flat white at home is possible. 

But it should be noted that there are a number of factors to consider beyond the espresso machine and the steam wand – including the milk jug you’re using and the type of milk that you prefer.

Many milk-based espresso drinks are prepared differently around the world, and the same can be said for the flat white. 

Over the years, the drink has become one of the go-to beverages in many international specialty coffee shops. No matter where it was invented, who came up with it, or how it was originally prepared, one thing is for sure: the flat white will certainly be around for many more years to come.

Enjoyed this? Then check out our article on cappuccino variations around the world.

Photo credits: Matthew Deyn, Eli Kubikova

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It wasn’t until the late 20th and early 21st century, however, that this beverage started to become popular further afield in the US. Since then, it has played a role in the wider rise of cold coffee.

I spoke to two coffee brewing champions to get a better understanding of how this drink is prepared, how to brew the perfect cup, and how it’s different to cold brew. Read on to learn more.

You might also like our article exploring alternative coffee beverages.

The fundamentals of flash brew

First things first: with flash brew or Japanese iced coffee, you should start by using a pour over coffee brewer, such as a Hario V60 or Kalita Wave.

The concept is simple. You retain the same ratio of water to coffee, but a proportion of your water weight is frozen as ice. The ice is placed in the server beneath the dripper, while the remaining water is heated to your target brewing temperature and used to brew a kind of pour over coffee concentrate.

This results in a brew that is hot for a brief moment before being quickly chilled, which allows for more nuanced flavours in the final cup. 

As with normal filter brewing, following a specific recipe is important, if not more so because of the addition of ice.

To understand the process more closely, I spoke with 2020 UK Brewers Cup Champion Matteo D’Ottavio. He currently works as a barista at WatchHouse in London. 

“The way to prepare Japanese iced coffee is to create a concentrate with the first part of the brew, and then balance it with the ice,” he explains. “This way, you get the right amount of solubles without losing the strength.”

He adds that most of the coffee’s soluble compounds are extracted during the first 50% of your brew, while the second half is really there to balance the cup. 

Matteo also notes that as well as having a defined recipe, getting your brew ratio right is vital.

“I like to create a beverage with a coffee to water ratio of 1:17,” he says. “Some 65% of the total water should be hot, while the remaining 35% should be ice.”

This is why it’s key to weigh out both the water you’re going to brew with, as well as the ice you’re putting in your cup or server. Make sure it equals your total brew weight, otherwise your brew won’t be properly balanced.

Flash brew recipe

Below you can find an example flash brew recipe using 30g of coffee, which will yield 500g (around enough for two cups):

You’ll need:

• 30g coffee 
• 325ml water, heated to between 90°C and 96°C
• 175g ice
• Pour over dripper
• Filter paper
• Server or jug with a capacity of more than 500ml
• Kettle
• Grinder
• Timer
• Scales

Instructions:

1. Weigh out your coffee and grind it, medium-fine. The coffee will need to be finer than usual for pour over, as you are using less water.
2. Boil your water and load your ice into the server or jug.
3. Place your filter into your dripper, and rinse it through with hot water. Don’t do this over your server, however, as the ice will melt.
4. Place your ground coffee into your dripper.
5. Saturate the coffee bed with your water (60ml to 90ml), and let the coffee bloom for 30 to 45 seconds.
6. Resume pouring in concentric circles, filling in stages. Pour slowly, aiming to reach your total brew weight by around 2 minutes.
7. Once the brew water has drained, dispose of the filter and coffee, then serve and enjoy.

Finding the sweet spot

Just as with filter coffee, it’s important to experiment with your recipe and tailor all the different brewing variables

Former UK Brewers Cup champion Lisa-Laura Verhoest, who’s currently the coffee manager at GAIL’s Bakery in London, tells me that the true beauty of Japanese-style iced coffee lies in its potential for experimentation.

“You can really tailor the recipe to get the best out of your brew,” she says. “Because you’re brewing with hot water and there’s so much more energy in the water, you’ll get a lot more complexity in your cup, compared to when you steep cold brew over time.”

This is the main reason why the flavour profile of a cold brew coffee is smoother and sweeter, while flash brew retains its acidity and brightness.

“To achieve a good flash brew I’d say it’s best to use a coffee that is quite high-grown, with a good amount of acidity and brightness to it,” she notes.

To get the most out of your brew, she recommends making sure that your ice makes up no more than 30 to 40% of the total water weight, to allow for proper extraction. To compensate for this, she also uses a finer grind, as mentioned in the recipe above.

“We need to remember that we’ve still got the same amount of coffee, but less water to extract all the flavours,” she adds.

On the other hand, Matteo not only adjusts the grind size, but also the water temperature.

“I like to grind my coffee finer than usual and brew with a water temperature below 90°C,” he says. “With this method, you get good extraction, but you won’t need more ice to cool down the coffee.”

Choosing right coffee

Matteo says that the type of coffee you use will depend on your personal preference.

He says: “For flash brew, I usually prefer fruity or floral coffee with bright acidity, but if you prefer something sweeter with chocolatey and nutty flavours, go for it.” 

Lisa-Laura agrees, saying that you should take the time to find a coffee you like, whether it’s a specific origin or a roast profile. She notes that changing our the actual brewer itself can help to amp up or dial back certain flavour notes.

“You can choose the device that will help you achieve the best flavour for that particular coffee,” she says. “If I’m brewing an Ethiopian coffee, and looking for lots of bergamot and floral notes, I’m going to be using my V60.

“Meanwhile, If I know that I’m going to be brewing a Costa Rican, where I expect a base note of chocolate and some higher notes as well, I’m going to be using my Kalita,” she adds. “I feel like a Kalita is the best way to get all of those flavours out into the brew.”

Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to start with what you have and explore a range of coffees for each new brewing method. Japanese iced coffee is no different.

Flash brew today

Although flash brew is certainly more well-known today than it was a few decades ago, it’s not as widely offered by specialty coffee shops as you might expect. 

Nonetheless, it can be a great addition to a coffee shop menu and can help encourage coffee drinkers to explore new flavours. 

While it might also sound like a lot more effort than cold brew, flash brew can actually be made with a batch brewer and some ice. 

“It is actually much more efficient and cost effective to use a batch brewer to make Japanese iced coffee than to steep cold brew for 12 to 24 hours,” Lisa-Laura tells me.

It’s also interesting to see forward-thinking coffee professionals experimenting on this classic technique to innovate with cold coffee flavour profiles. For example, Matteo tells me that he was impressed by the work of 2019 Brewers Cup Champion Lewis Maillardet. 

“Lewis’ technique consists of pouring the first part of your coffee in an empty vessel, pouring the rest over ice, and finally adding that first pour to the iced brew,” he explains.

“We noticed that the coffee was brighter with a more vibrant acidity if we avoided the thermal shock that would occur when you poured the whole brew onto ice straight away.”

Today, flash brew isn’t as prominent among the global coffee market as one might expect, with cold brew having taken the lead. Nonetheless, its unique preparation method means it often has a brighter, cleaner, and more aromatic flavour profile. 

As the Covid-19 pandemic has already forced coffee consumers to experiment with home brewing, however, it will be interesting to see whether or not flash brew coffee becomes more prominent in the months and years to come. 

It is quick and easy to make, and certainly could become a summer coffee favourite if it becomes more popular. Whether or not this will be the case, however, remains to be seen.

Enjoyed this? Then try our article exploring Indonesia’s iced coffee revolution.

Photo credits: Matthew Deyn, Unsplash

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However, while the pistachio is naturally green, if you’re not drinking an iced version, your pistachio latte is more likely to resemble a classic latte than take on a bright green hue.

To learn more about where the pistachio latte comes from, and how it’s finding its way onto coffee shop menus, I spoke to Louisette Castel, operations manager at Jolt Coffee, and Nathan Hamood, owner-director and president at Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters.

You might also like our article on the Spanish latte.

Origins of the pistachio latte

When you think of pistachio latte, chances are you might associate it with Starbucks.

This is completely understandable, as the chain launched and marketed a high-calorie version for its 2021 winter menu. This beverage itself is an adaptation of an earlier pistachio latte prototype, which was created for the 2019 launch of its Chicago Reserve roastery.

After the success of their popular hazelnut-flavoured beverage, Starbucks looked to Italian cuisine for further inspiration. To their drink development team, it seemed logical to go with pistachio, which is also a clear culinary favourite and widely used in Italian pastries and ice cream. 

Furthermore, Sicily is renowned for producing top-quality pistachios. Two millennia ago, the nut was brought from Persia to Europe by the Romans, and cultivated in Sicily in particular.

Today, however, Iran is the world’s top pistachio producer, just ahead of Syria and Turkey.

Even as far back as 7,000 BC, pistachio has been a significant component of Middle Eastern cuisine. To this day, it is still the most widely used nut in Middle Eastern desserts and sweets. 

This is likely why the pistachio latte is readily available in many coffee shops in the Middle East, where it’s typically served both iced and warm.

And approximately five years before the launch of its pistachio latte in North America, Starbucks actually launched a syrup-based pistachio and rose mocha beverage – specifically for its markets in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. 

So, this raises a question: did they invent the pistachio latte? 

Well, not as such. We already know that the pistachio is a culinary staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and Italian desserts, and it has been used to prepare beverages over the years. 

One such example is menengic coffee (also called pistachio or terebinth coffee). While it is not strictly made from coffee beans, it is served hot and made from roasted and ground terebinth flowers that are sourced from a subtype of pistachio tree. This gives it a similar texture to a foamy cezve or ibrik coffee.

Alongside this, there are also several creamy pistachio liqueurs on the market, particularly from Sicily, which shows that the idea of using pistachio as a beverage flavouring certainly isn’t new.

Why pistachio, and how is it made?

In London, Louisette says Jolt Coffee serves a pistachio latte all year round. 

“Pistachio has been on our menu since day one,” she says. “It’s inspired by our roots in the Middle East, where pistachios are often used in desserts. 

“We source our pistachio paste from Sicily, where they grow some of the best pistachios in the world.”

At Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters, Nathan says launching a pistachio latte came from his manager Robert Becker, who was based in Detroit at the time: 

“He said he’d actually just had pistachio ice cream for breakfast, funnily enough, and that was his inspiration to give it a try!” 

After preparing the first “prototype”, Nathan says they set about “making it in bigger batches to offer to customers at the one location first”. 

He adds: “We started having customers ask for it at the other stores, so we began producing it everywhere. We now have it [available] year-round and it’s been very popular since its release almost a year ago.” 

As for the flavour, Louisette describes Jolt’s pistachio latte as having the “sweet, nutty and slightly menthol-caramel flavour of really good pistachios”.

She adds that Jolt’s recipe uses a double shot of espresso, an in-house pistachio and condensed milk sauce, and estate dairy milk.

“For the iced version, we layer the pistachio sauce first, then pour the milk over ice before artfully pouring the coffee shot at the end,” she says.

According to Nathan, it’s similar at Dessert Oasis: “We make a sauce in-house that we’re then able to use in our lattes. We then pull the shot over the sauce, stir, and pour over steamed milk. 

“In addition to the pistachio in the sauce, we use a sweetened condensed milk base and some select spices that we think enhance the flavour of the pistachio, helping it to hold up to the coffee and milk. We do them both hot and iced, and it’s very popular both ways.”

So, what about the coffee?

I also asked both Louisette and Nathan about the types of coffee that pair well with pistachio. 

Louisette in general says she is very passionate about the coffee they serve at Jolt, including for their pistachio latte. 

“We work with a roaster called Nude Coffee Roasters, and of course recommend their beans,” she says. “For the pistachio latte, we recommend the Costa Rica/El Salvador blend, or their infused El Salvador coffee.”

She says the blend is characterised by its red grape and caramel notes, while the infused Salvadoran single origin has sweet, chocolatey notes.

As for Dessert Oasis, Nathan says: “We use our house espresso which is currently a really nice natural process single variety Yellow Bourbon from Fazenda Sertão in Brazil. 

“This coffee has been a pleasure to roast and brew, and lends itself well to the body of the drink.”

Interestingly enough, all of these coffees have notes of chocolate or caramel. Balancing the pistachio with a coffee that has these sweeter flavours seems to be a good place to start.

What does the future hold for the pistachio latte?

By and large, the pistachio latte is popular, even though it is still relatively new on the scene.

Louisette says: “[At Jolt] it’s our most loved and most Instagrammed drink! We have a lot of people saying they are addicted.

“Really, it’s a core item on our menu. I think it was born out of the Spanish latte trend and will endure because pistachio and coffee is such a beautiful pairing,” she concludes.

Nathan agrees. “It’s been a big hit for us,” he says. “We’d planned on it just being a drink we served at our Detroit location, but it became so popular and we had so many inquiries at the other stores that we had to bring it to Rochester and Royal Oak as well.”

“We think this drink will likely stay on our menu for some time. We love experimenting with different house-made syrups to keep things fresh and exciting, but some drinks just tend to really stick. This is likely one that will stay.”

As Louisette notes, the rise of the pistachio latte also seems to coincide with the growth of the Spanish latte in the Middle East. This makes sense, as both drinks are sweet, with a rich, creamy flavour.

Beyond the Middle East, the UK, and the US, the pistachio latte is also starting to appear in other coffee consuming across Europe, and it’ll only be a matter of time before it spreads further afield. This means that consumers around the world should get ready to see it around soon.

In the future, both Louisette and Nathan also earmark pistachio milk as something likely to emerge. As more and more alternative milks start to emerge in the coffee sector, it seems likely that a vegan pistachio milk latte could be a fresh take on this drink that appeals to even more people.

Enjoyed this? Then try our article on the café con leche.

Photo credits: HakanBey, Jolt Coffee, Ben Lew, Bradley Szymanski

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