- INSIDER consulted baristas and coffee experts alike to get the best tips on how to order coffee like a pro.
- Stick to black coffee to gauge the quality of a coffee shop and enjoy the flavor of your beans.
- Dark roasts can help protect a sensitive stomach.
- Maximize value by skipping milk and syrups.
- Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.
When it comes to ordering coffee like a pro, baristas definitely have the advantage. They know all about what goes into a great cup of coffee, from the real difference between dark and light roast to just how hot to serve a latte.
INSIDER consulted with baristas and coffee experts to learn what they actually order from coffee shops and what they avoid at all costs.
Ordering a plain black coffee can reveal a lot about a coffee shop.
Garrett Oden, former cafe manager and current coffee educator atJavaPresse Coffee Co., told INSIDER that his favorite order at coffee shops is always a simple cup of drip coffee, served black.
Though many trendy coffee shops pour all their love into their espresso and manual brew methods, many leave their regular drip coffee unattended for hours.
"The highest-quality shops care for their regular drip coffee just as much as everything else. It's not an afterthought. It's quality-checked throughout the day, just like espresso," said Oden.
By ordering a plain cup of drip coffee, baristas can tell if the coffee shop cares about the quality of all their drinks or just the fancier menu items.
Baristas aren’t shy about asking for the house specialty.
If you can't decide what to order from a coffee shop, one pro strategy is to go with whatever your barista suggests. Allie Caran, barista and director of coffee education atPartners Coffee, told INSIDER that though her go-to drink is a black filter coffee, she's usually game for recommendations from staff.
"If I'm looking for something different, I always defer to the baristas on the bar for their recommendation," said Caran. "Whether it's a delicious espresso, signature drink, or fun little off-the-menu items, if the person crafting the drink is excited, then I am, too."
Create a lighter holiday drink year-round with sugar-free syrups.
You can cut down on calories and sugar by swapping that limited edition festive menu drink for a custom concoction of sugar-free syrup and coffee.
Registered dietitian and former Starbucks baristaEmily Tills shared with INSIDER that her go-to holiday drink is a grande cold brew coffee with two pumps of sugar-free peppermint syrup and a drizzle of skinny mocha sauce over a float of vanilla sweet cream. This combination adds sweetness and flavor without adding excess calories.
Skipping milk and sugar allows you to really taste the quality of the beans.
Rather than ordering the most over-the-top item on the menu, true coffee connoisseurs know that simple is usually better.Felton Jones, chief roastmaster at PJ'S Coffee, told INSIDER that ordering a black coffee allows you to truly appreciate the flavor profile of a particular coffee blend.
"My go-to drink at any coffee shop is just a cup of their dark roast. I love the smell and taste of black coffee, as it really allows me to taste the beans," said Felton, who added that creamer or pumps of sweetener often overpower the taste of quality coffee.
Sensitive stomachs might consider switching to dark roast.
Does a strong cup of coffee tend to give you an upset stomach or indigestion? Switching to darker roasts could help.
"Dark roasts are easier on the stomach because the darker the roast, the less acidity produced – I also simply prefer nuttier dark roasts," Felton said.
This tip is backed up by science. In 2010, the American Chemical Society reported that espresso, French roast, and other dark-roasted coffeecontain a compound that tells the stomach to dial back acid production.
Try a cortado for a less intense version of an espresso.
If you love the efficiency and intense flavor of espresso but can't stomach the bitterness, ordering a cortado could be the answer. It's made with roughly equal portions espresso and equal portions warm milk. The milk cuts down on the coffee's acidity without adding too much volume or other flavors.
"I have to say my favorite drink is the cortado. There's just the right amount of milk, where it doesn't overpower the taste of the coffee beans. It's the perfect pick-me-up at any time of the day," Meg Semeniuk, manager atOTL coffee shop in Miami, told INSIDER.