What's in your coffee cup?

If understood and brewed right, coffee can be your best friend; it will give you a warm, fuzzy feeling that far surpasses any comfort food.

Says Rhicha Sinha, head of beverages of a leading coffee chain, "At home, we are used to brewing coffees in the traditional South Indian filters. People want to taste coffee in different ways, but not all are aware of the various brewing techniques of preparing this mysterious beverage. It is just a matter of educating people to realise that culinarywise, coffee is up there in terms of food." As our fascination and understanding of coffee ascends, experts are looking for new ways to excite and enhance the consumer experience with this intense brown fluid.

Know your coffees
It can be daunting to walk into a cafe and pick from the long list of coffees on the menu.

We tell you the difference between a latte and an au lait, and how a cappuccino differs from an Americano.

Americano: A single shot of espresso with about 30 ml of hot water added to the mix. The name for this coffee drink stemmed from an insult to 'uncouth' Americans, who weren't up to drinking full espressos.

Espresso: Strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffee beans.

Black coffee: A drip brew, percolated or French press style coffee served straight, with no milk.

Cafe latte: Essentially, a single shot of espresso in steamed (not frothed) milk. The ratio of milk to coffee should be about 3:1

Cafe au lait: Similar to Caffe Latte, except that an au lait is made with brewed coffee instead of espresso. Additionally, the ratio of milk to coffee is 1:1, making for a much less intense taste.

Cappuccino : Usually equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and frothed milk, often with cinnamon or flaked chocolate sprinkled on top.

Dry cappuccino: A regular cappuccino, only with a smaller amount of foam, and no steamed milk at all.

Cafe macchiato: A shot of espresso with steamed milk added. The ratio of coffee to milk is approximately 4:1.

Hammerhead: A real caffeine fix, this drink consists of a shot of espresso in a regular-sized coffee cup, which is then filled with drip coffee. Also known as a 'shot in the dark'.

Double or double shot: Just as it sounds, this is two shots of espresso mixed in with the regular amount of additional ingredients. So, for example, if you were going to make a double hammerhead, you would put two shots of espresso into a coffee cup, and fill it with the drip blend, rather than the usual single espresso shot.

Espresso con panna: Your basic standard espresso with a shot of whipped cream on top.

Frappe: Originally a cold espresso, it has more recently been prepared putting 1-2 teaspoons of instant coffee with sugar, water and ice. The brew is placed in a long glass with ice, and milk if you like, turning it into a big coffee milkshake.

Indian (Madras) filter coffee: Indian filter coffee is made from rough ground, dark-roasted coffee Arabica or Peaberry beans. It's drip-brewed for several hours in a traditional metal coffee filter before being served. The ratio of coffee to milk is usually 3:1.

Instant coffee: These grounds have usually been freeze-dried and turned into soluble powder or coffee granules. Irish coffee: A coffee spiked with Irish whiskey, with cream on top. Cafe mocha: This popular drink is basically a cappuccino or latte with chocolate syrup added to the mix.

Recipe: Mixed mocha
Have your classic mocha and white chocolate too. This recipe mixes white and regular chocolate to create a creamy, chocolaty treat.

Ingredients:
1/4 cups milk
1/2 tbsp white chocolate syrup
1/2 tbsp chocolate syrup
45 ml brewed espresso
1 tbsp whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
- Pour milk into a steaming pitcher and heat to 65 to 70 degrees Celsius using the steaming wand.
- Measure the white chocolate and chocolate syrup into a large coffee mug.
- Brew espresso then add to mug.
- Pour the steamed milk into the mug, using a spoon to hold back the foam.
- Top with whipped cream.

Brew the perfect cup
- Buy coffee in whole bean form when you can and keep it in an airtight container. Buying a one-week supply is ideal. Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans and grounds should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their best flavour.

- To brew coffee, use fresh water free of any odd tastes or odours. It's 98 per cent of every cup of coffee, you know.

- Ideally, grind your coffee beans just before brewing. If you're using pre-ground, that's okay, too. The faster your brew cycle, the finer you should grind the beans. A good rule of thumb is to use a fine grind (20-25 seconds in a blade grinder) for vacuum pots and one-cup cones, a drip grind (15 seconds) for most drip brewers and a coarse grind (10 seconds) for plunger pots and cold water extractors.

- Use about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for each ¾ cup of water that will be poured through them, no matter how much you're brewing.