Like quite a few older Australians, my mum is a massive tea drinker (3-4 cups daily) and pretty much never drinks coffee at all. When she does tend to consume the addictive bean, it is generally only when out at a cafe or a restaurant and there are only two styles that she likes. These are the coffees you get from places like McDonald's, which mum orders as a
'white coffee', or a coffee drink that is known as a
Caffè Americano in Italy. The problem is that whenever mum tries to order a drink like this in Australia, or asks for a white coffee, the barista gets confused and doesn't know what she's talking about.
We've tried ordering long blacks for mum and requesting some milk on the top, but invariably this ends up being too strong for my mum's taste. Conversely, flat whites and lattés are no good either- they're too milky and mum hates the taste. So this is where I consult the help of Ehell's coffee aficionados and baristas- what on earth should my mum be asking for at a cafe when she just wants an Americano or filter coffee, especially if the cafe does not do drip coffee? FWIW, I'm no help at all- I despise coffee and have never drunk a cuppa joe in my life!