Your Cafe’s Core Drinks – A Free Guide

The foundation of your menu, these are the beverages that you will serve day in and day out. Frankly, mastering these drinks is vital, get them wrong and you’ll lose customer, get them right and you’ll keep them!

While it can be tempting to offer an extensive list of options, focusing on a few key drinks can help streamline operations, improve consistency, and create a signature experience for your customers. Luckily for you, the handful of drinks in this post are all made in similar ways, with similar equipment, and they are the drinks that customers have come to expect.

We’ll explore the most important core drinks to your cafe and how to make them all, from classic espresso drinks to refreshing teas. These are the drinks you’ll need to begin creating your winning menu.

What equipment do you need to run a great cafe

Before we dive into the drinks, consider the equipment you’ll need to run a cafe successfully. There are hundreds of options out there, but we’d like to start by offering you the absolute, must-have checklist.

• A Coffee Grinder, preferably on demand.
• Commercial Espresso Machine
• Tamper and Tamper Mat
• Pitcher for Steaming Milk
• Knockbox for Used Coffee Grinders
• Filtered Water System (Probably!)
• Serving Cups
• Hot Water Boiler For Tea

When thinking about serving coffee, at first most people forget about their grinders. To make the best coffee it’s important to grind your whole-bean coffee fresh, before tamping and pulling an espresso in the machine.

A solid entry-level set up would include the Casadio Unidici Espresso Machine with an Enea Grinder, and we’d suggest a Marco Hot Water boiler to get the hot water for your teas. If you’re unsure, or would like to explore how to upgrade these options, get in touch.

Espresso

Espresso is a cornerstone of the coffee industry and an essential beverage for any cafe. This strong, concentrated brew forms the base for most of your menu, as well as being an interesting drink in its own right!

Espresso making is easy to pick up, but difficult to master. Preparing a quality shot of espresso involves tightly packed grounds from a precise coffee grinder, and precisely controlled water temperature and pressure from a Traditional Espresso Machine. The result is a creamy, bold, and complex drink that is as delicious as it is satisfying.

Assuming your grinder is dialed in, making espresso in a cafe is simply following a process.

The espresso process:

1. Take the portafilter and empty it.
2. Dry wipe.
3. Grind your coffee.
4. Flush group head.
5. Distribute the grounds and tamp.
6. Wipe excess grounds from the portafilter.
7. Insert portafilter into the group head.
8. Press the double shot button*.

*Most cafes use a double espresso shot as the basis for all their drinks, but it’s very easy to make a single shot too.

For a more detailed look at how to pull a great espresso, watch this video.

Steam Milk

Once you’re pulling great espresso, your next key Barista skill is to steam the milk properly.

The core drinks all involved espresso mixed with steamed milk, so once you have those two skills down, you’ve taken the step to become a great Barista. As with any skill, preparing milk can take practice, so stock up on some extra milk and get steaming!

Milk Steaming is another process you have to learn, you just have to dive in and get started. You’ll get a few wrong at first, and that’s ok – keep going. Just be careful when touching anything shiny because metal conducts heat and you might get burnt. Most steam wands will have a rubber grip to protect you.

Once you’re confident in steaming regular dairy milk, you can adjust your quantities to make different drinks, and then you could start to experiment with alternative milks.

The milk steaming process:

1. Start with cold whole milk in a steaming pitcher. Fill the pitcher to just below the spout.
2. Purge the steam wand before starting.
3. Insert the steam wand into the pitcher at an angle, positioning the tip just below the surface of the milk.
4. Turn on the steam wand and position the pitcher so that the wand creates a swirling, vortex motion in the milk.
5. As the milk begins to warm, lower the pitcher so that the steam wand is fully submerged in the milk. You’ll hear a ‘hissing’ or ‘paper tearing’ noise as the milk froths up.
6. Continue steaming the milk with the swirling motion until the milk reaches the desired temperature, usually when the pitcher is too hot to touch.
7. Immediately turn off the steam and remove the pitcher from the steam wand.
8. If you need to remove any large bubbles, firmly tap your pitcher on the counter.
9. Swirl the pitcher around to mix the milk and your created micro-foam.
10. Pour the milk into your prepared coffee. When you get good you can start to create some latte art!

What about alternate milks?

Alternate milks – such as oat and soy milk – don’t steam as well as regular milk due to their chemical composition.

Oat milk, for example, doesn’t contain proteins that help to stabilize the milk structure as it’s steamed. As a result, the milk can break down and become overly frothy.

Oat milk is also high in sugar. This means the milk will caramelize more easily during the steaming process, leading to a burnt taste if you’re not careful!

Some adjustments can be made to help overcome these challenges when steaming oat milk. You might want to try starting with colder milk, testing different brands of oat milk, or experimenting with steam wand pressure or your timing.

What if you or your team can’t steam milk?

While good baristas will pride themselves on their milk steaming, it’s still possible for your cafe to serve outstanding lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites without trained baristas.

You could elect for an espresso machine like La Cimbali M26 DT2 TE, which contains a Turbosteam steam wand. The Turbosteam technology means you simply have to pour the milk into the jug and press a button – the machine will do all of work for you.

Alternatively, products such as the Perfect Moose come separate to your espresso machine. You’ll need more space in your cafe, but portioning and steaming any type of milk becomes completely foolproof.

For a more detailed look at how to steam milk, watch this video.

Latte

“Latte” comes from the Italian “caffè latte,” which means “milk coffee.” Typically made using a double shot of espresso which is then combined with steamed milk on top.

The exact origin of the latte is unclear since different cultures have their versions of the drink. In Italy, a latte is usually more of a milky coffee consumed at breakfast. However, the classic latte we know today is believed to have originated in the United States during the 1980s coffee boom, where milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes became increasingly popular with consumers. Thank you, Starbucks.

One reason for the latte’s enduring popularity is its versatility. Lattes can be customized with a range of flavors, syrups, and toppings to meet individual taste preferences. Popular variations include vanilla lattes, caramel lattes, and pumpkin spice lattes.

No doubt, you’ll be serving plenty of lattes in your cafe, so get familiar with these steps. If you’re adding a flavouring, such as Vanilla Syrup, add the syrup to the cup before adding your espresso.

How to make a Latte in your Cafe:

1. Add your double espresso into your cup
2. Pour steamed milk on top
3. Aim to finish with latte art.

Flat White

The Flat White is prepared in the same way to a latte, but you usually serve in a smaller cup, resulting in a different coffee-to-milk ratio. The flat white is like a stronger, shorter latte.

The steamed milk in a flat white is less frothy and less voluminous than in a latte, resulting in a smaller, richer, and stronger coffee. The flat white is a popular choice among coffee aficionados who prefer a stronger coffee taste and texture.

While both Australia and New Zealand claim to have created the flat white, today the drink can be found on coffee shop menus worldwide. It’s the “coffee lovers” choice, for those who appreciate the subtlety of the drink, and the focus on the quality and balance of the espresso and steamed milk.

Watch Ringtons Barista Trainer Kaitlin create a the Latte and The Flat White in this video.

Cappuccino

Cappuccino is a popular coffee drink that is made with equal parts of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. When steaming milk for a cappuccino, you’ll add more air when compared to steaming milk for a latte – more of the hissing noise!

The drink is named after the Capuchin friars, whose brown habits are similar in color to the coffee drink’s light and dark tones.The espresso provides a rich, strong flavor, while the steamed milk adds a creamy sweetness. The foam on top of the drink provides a light and airy texture, making the cappuccino a satisfying and comforting drink.

A staple in most coffees shop menus, cappuccinos will continue to be enjoyed for years to come.

How to make a cappuccino in a cafe:

1. Start by preparing your espresso in a pre heated cup.
2. Fill the steaming pitcher with cold whole milk.
3. Purge the steam wand of any water and position the wand tip just below the surface of the milk.
4. Turn on the steam wand, and tilt the pitcher to create a swirling motion in the milk.
5. As the milk begins to warm up, lower the pitcher so that the steam wand is fully submerged in the milk.
6. Continue to steam the milk until the pitcher becomes too hot to touch.
7. Once the milk is ready, tap the bottom of the pitcher on the counter to eliminate any large bubbles.
8. Swirl the milk to create consistent texture in the milk
9. Pour the steamed milk over the espresso shot slowly, layering the foam on top.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious cappuccino.

For a more detailed look at how to make a cappuccino, watch this video.

Americano

Americano is a popular coffee drink that is made by pulling an espresso on top of hot water. At Ringtons we always suggest adding the hot water first, that way you preserve that beautiful crema of the espresso.

The resulting drink is similar to filter coffee, but with a slightly stronger flavor profile and more complex texture. The Americano is another versatile drink – it can be served hot or over ice and can be customized with a wide range of additions, including syrups, milk, and cream, depending on the preferences of the drinker.

How to make an Americano in a cafe:

1. FIll your serving cup with Hot Water from your Hot Water Boiler.
2. Prepare your espresso in the usual way
3. Pull your espresso on top of the hot water.
4. Serve with milk in a separate small jug.

For a more detailed look at how to make an americano, watch this video.

Hot Chocolate

No cafe is complete without a brilliant hot chocolate, and with 33% cocoa content, Ringtons Hot Chocolate is some of the best.

We make Hot Chocolates by using the “Fake Espresso” method, using chocolate powder and hot water to create a small drink similar to a double espresso. You then steam the milk as normal and pour over to create your Hot Chocolate.

The Fake Espresso method is easier to remember for your staff, and you can create some fancy art on top with your pouring, which customers always love!

In the below video, Barista Trainer Sam talks you through the whole process.

For a more detailed look at how to make a hot chocolate, watch this video.

What about Tea?

Your customers might want different tea, so you’ll need to consider their taste preferences. You’ll likely want to offer a classic Black Tea, such as Ringtons Gold, and some other classic options like Green Tea, Camomile Tea, or Peppermint Tea.

For something more adventurous, you could look at the Ringtons Large Leaf Tea Bag range – flavours like Mint & Toffee and Apple & Peach, will give your customers something a little different.

When you’re making tea in a cafe, do not use the hot water direct from your espresso machine. This can cause damage to your machine, and if you overuse the hot water like this, the machine will need to heat up again and you won’t be able to serve coffee. This can be a total disaster during busy periods.

We recommend a separate Hot Water Boiler for your teas, set to a temperature of ~96 degrees. Encourage your customers to allow the tea bag to brew for at least 4 minutes before drinking or adding milk to unlock the full, fresh flavour of Ringtons Teas.