Guides

A cortado is a compact espresso-and-milk drink that uses enough warm textured milk to soften the coffee without becoming latte-sized. Learn its usual balance and how it differs from a macchiato, piccolo, flat white and latte.

An espresso macchiato is espresso marked with a small amount of milk or foam. Learn how it differs from a latte macchiato, cortado and caramel macchiato, plus how to order the short traditional-style version clearly.

Espresso drinks become much easier to understand when you compare four things: the coffee base, added water, milk quantity and milk texture. Use this guide to decode espresso, Americano, macchiato, cortado, flat white, cappuccino, latte and more.

Make a flat white at home by starting with a measured espresso recipe and adding glossy, finely textured milk with relatively little aeration. This guide covers a sensible starting ratio, steaming, pouring and common problems.

Clean milk residue immediately, rinse coffee-contact parts regularly and use deeper cleaning cycles only when the exact machine supports them. This guide separates daily care, coffee-oil cleaning, grinder care and descaling.

Our pick of the decaf coffee beans worth considering in the UK, covering dependable all-rounders, espresso-friendly coffees, lighter speciality roasts and specialist decaf ranges.

The AeroPress Original is a £39.99 manual coffee brewer with a 10oz capacity, paper microfiltration and unusually broad recipe control. This review covers how it works, what it cannot replace and whether Original or Go makes more sense.

Five useful gifts for home espresso drinkers, from a compact coffee scale and coffee subscription to a grinder upgrade, barista course and complete new setup.

Descaling removes mineral deposits from the water circuit, but the correct solution and button sequence depend on the exact machine. Learn when to descale, what product to use and how Sage, De’Longhi, Philips, Nespresso and other systems differ.

Four espresso coffees for different tastes, from balanced speciality and brighter seasonal espresso to darker chocolate-led and approachable everyday blends.