I want a regular coffee

Earlier this year, Marjan Ippel was at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival. There, she tasted ancient coffee from descendants of the very first coffee shrub and drank an espresso martini. And De Koffieschool gave her a lesson in ‘regular coffee’.

I prefer to drink filter coffee. A batch brew goes down well too. I just find espresso too intense. But what do you do when your favorite coffee shop or restaurant doesn’t serve filter coffee?

Bitter
Many people around me order a ‘regular’ coffee. When I do the same, I usually get an over-extracted espresso that doubles down on the bitter notes in a sea of water with some kind of floating rim on top.

A lungo is a waste of coffee beans.

So I was pleased with the lesson from Joost Leopold of De Koffieschool on what to order when you want a ‘regular’ coffee.

Definitely not a lungo
First, what you definitely shouldn’t order: a lungo. That’s when the barista runs more water through your espresso. The result: once all the beautiful aromas have been extracted from the coffee beans, the bitter notes remain. You get those thrown in for free with your lungo. Exactly what you don’t want.

So what should you order?

A little jug of water on the side, then?

Okay option: Americano
It originated during WWII, when Americans were stationed in Italy and these coffee-guzzlers couldn’t handle a thimbleful of fiercely strong espresso. They asked for a little jug of hot water on the side so they could determine the strength of their coffee themselves. The advantage: exactly the right amount of water passes through your espresso, ensuring the optimal flavors end up in the cup, and then you add hot water. The downside: every espresso consists of three layers of flavor, and the top one is the most bitter. Because the crema, sour-bitter oils and fats from that top layer are mixed with the other flavor layers thanks to the water, you mainly taste bitterness.

Top option: Long Black
A variation from coffee country Australia (or perhaps coffee country New Zealand), in which an espresso-sized amount of hot water goes into the cup first, followed by an espresso shot. This way, the water and espresso combine in the best possible way for the best flavor in a regular coffee. A single shot for a mild one; a doppio over the water for a full-bodied Long Black.

So from now on, order a Long Black when you want regular coffee (and explain to the barista what that is first.)