I have had the debate time and time again over the validity of my coffee as compared to other friends' coffee. Yes, I add sugar and creamer, but that is how I like to have my coffee, much like some people prefer butter on their toast or salt and pepper on their dinner. Drinking coffee without any added ingredients can be commendable but the debate remains over what is the "true" way in which to drink coffee.

Discovered in the 9th century in Ethiopia, coffee spread throughout the North African world, infiltrating the Muslim culture until the 15th century when it was spread to the rest of Europe and on to the Americas. In many African cultures, such as those in Yemen and Ethiopia, coffee had an important role in many religious ceremonies and was therefore banned from secular consumption. The original coffee drinkers drank the coffee straight from the beans (the "pure" form), without any of the fancy additives which we now add, and was thought to counteract many stomach illnesses. While coffee did not experience the boom in North America that it did upon initial introduction in Europe, the demand grew during the Revolutionary War mostly due to the reduced availability of tea during this time. The American taste for coffee grew during the Civil War as increases in brewing technology led to a better tasting quality for everyone. This in turn led to coffee becoming the everyday commodity which we now know it to be.

Coffee users have since discovered a myriad of ways in which to prepare the beverage, from the traditional "black" coffee, to coffee with milk or cream, even iced coffee. Espresso-based coffee is even another way that was created in a shot form, or in a watered-down style of café américano. Milk can additionally be added to this drink to make a café latte, or equal parts of steamed milk and milk froth can make a cappuccino, or even a bit of hot foamed milk on top creates a caffé macchiato. Instant coffee has also become incredibly popular throughout the modern world for those coffee drinkers who do not wish to prepare their own. This increase in particular coffee use has also procured an increase in coffee shops throughout the world as well, with many Starbucks-esque shops which serve customers who want their coffee prepared with a certain flavor or added ingredients. This evolution from the early coffee drinkers who simply drank the "bunnu" fruit in Africa has been an amazing transition; most Americans today cannot fathom drinking coffee straight from its original source, especially without the specialized drinks they have now learned to love.

In the end, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to drink coffee, but if you want to debate over the methods, the original way to drink coffee was the preferred "black" way, although even Civil War Americans liked to add their milk to the mix. Coffee has become a staple of modern day society and many people now could not function without the caffeine it provides to their day, which is the main reason why this cash crop will never drop in value.

This post was contributed by Meredith Walker, who writes about the online nursing programs. She welcomes your feedback at MeredithWalker1983 at gmail.com

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It seems that all of the coffee drinks in US coffee shops start with espresso as the base. It may not be true for all coffee shops, but it's certainly true for Starbucks and Seattle's Best.

Unlike most people who come and go and pay little attention to anything but what they're doing at the time, I observe everything that goes on around me. I have seen how both of these companies make coffee drinks — I purposely observed every facet from start to finish.

What Exactly is Espresso?

Espresso is sometimes referred to as espresso coffee and it's often mispronounced and misspelled as "expresso". Invented in Italy, as were most coffee beverages, it's a concentrated form of coffee, up to three times as strong as a regular cup of coffee.

You can't make espresso with ordinary automatic drip coffee makers. You need an espresso machine which brews the coffee under extreme pressure. Most people don't have one at home.

When served as espresso, the coffee is normally served in espresso cups of one kind or another. In most coffee shops, they use cheap containers that can be thrown away. Restaurants use fancy cups designed specifically for espresso. The cheapest espresso cup is usually more expensive than expensive coffee mugs.

Observations

I don't normally buy coffee at Starbucks or Seattle's Best (which has been owned by Starbucks since 2003). It's good coffee (at least in the US), but it's just too damned expensive. Of course, I won't buy coffee from fast-food joints either and that's because it usually tastes like they made it with my dirty socks.

On rare occasions, when I really needed my coffee fix, I bought coffee at both Starbucks and Seattle's Best. In March of 2008, while I was picking out books at a Border's bookstore, I succumbed to the smell of the coffee brewing nearby (within the bookstore). The aroma is what caused me to buy coffee at Starbucks on previous occasions.

I always ordered cappuccino. I like cappuccino a whole lot more than the other coffee drinks. Whenever I ordered a regular-sized cup, I noticed they used one shot of espresso. Whenever I ordered a large-sized cup, they used two shots of espresso. No wonder I always got a quick caffeine buzz after drinking the cappuccino (I never really thought about it until now).

Espresso Experience?

Other than being used for the cappuccino I drank, I have never tried espresso as a stand-alone coffee drink. With cappuccino, it's diluted by the added milk. I picture acid reflux coming back to haunt me if I try espresso straight from the cup, therefore I will probably never try it.

I know a few people that only drink espresso. It's not for me. I love the smell and flavor of coffee as it's normally brewed at home. I don't need a caffeine buzz every time I drink coffee, thank you very much.

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After watching the employees at one of the Starbucks locations in Phoenix, Arizona, my wife decided to do an experiment to see if she could make coffee that tasted as good as Starbucks coffee. More specifically, she wanted to reproduce the taste of their lattes.

Latte is Italian for Milk

Lattes were invented in the US. In Italy, latte means milk. It's probably okay to order a caffè latte in Italy now, after all the publicity of the drink, but years ago it would have fetched you a glass of milk.

In the US, a latte is quite simply a cup of coffee made with milk instead of water.

It Starts With Espresso

Starbucks has machines which produce espresso, a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing very hot water under high pressure through coffee that has been ground to a consistency between extremely fine and powder. Espresso, which was invented in Italy, is used as the base for lattes, cappuccinos and mochas.

My wife noticed that two shots of espresso were added to the large drinks at Starbucks, while they added only one shot to the smaller drinks.

How to Mimic a Latte

It's easy to do if you have your own personal espresso machine. What if you don't? Here's how my wife did it:

She filled a cup with milk (whole milk, not 2%, 1% or skim milk), heated it in the microwave oven for 2 minutes, added two spoons of coffee power and stirred. I'm talking about the spoons you eat with, not teaspoons for measuring.

What you end up is a strong cup of coffee, a simple latte. If you want to turn it into a cappuccino, add whip cream to the top. If you want to turn it into a mocha, add a spoonful of sweetened, powdered chocolate.

Why Starbucks instead of at home?

If it's so easy to make coffee that tastes like Starbucks coffee at home, then why don't people do that instead of spending much more money at coffee shops like that? I could never afford to regularly stop at Starbucks and probably wouldn't make it a point to do so even if I had a Starbucks gift card.

People are always "on the go" and don't take the time at home to enjoy the simple pleasures. They stop by coffee shops on the way to work or on the way home. It's the fast-paced societies that keep companies like Starbucks in business. They can keep their business. I'll drink my lattes and cappuccinos at home.

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