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Original poster

My coffee order wasn’t weird?

132 replies

MeetyouatMidnight · 09/10/2024 18:34

Went to a local volunteer run cafe and a woman at the till was training someone.

I asked for a black americano with a shot of vanilla.

She looked at me like I was crazy and said “you mean a white americano”. I explained I definitely did not.

(I don’t have dairy and don’t really like any sort of milk in coffee anyway, but I like something to sweeten it. I prefer it to a sweetener.)

she said SO loudly “I’ve never seen that before! A latte or something yes, but really!”

and then the girl started to make it but was getting confused so the woman kept very loudly, in a quiet cafe, banging on about how she would be confused because it was a strange order but the customer is always right…

Am I a freak and I never realised!?!?

OP posts:
Backfromhols · 10/10/2024 06:32

a colleague at work drinks vanilla coffee pods without adding milk and I always find it strange, don’t really know why! Just feels like it should have milk.

Original poster
MeetyouatMidnight · 10/10/2024 06:30

HowYouSpellingThat10 · 09/10/2024 20:03

It's a volunteer run cafe. The person was new. There's often a reason people need work experience.

I'd have found it an unusual order. Okay it might not be in a Costa but in our local church cafe they'd probably also check.

It wasn’t the new person… it was the person training her who said it was so strange. And then loudly told the person she was training it was weird multiple times.

OP posts:
CrumpledBankNote · 10/10/2024 06:30

BusySittingDown · 09/10/2024 18:39

Well an Americano IS black so you just need to order an Americano with a shot of vanilla. If you want it with milk it is then that you have to specify. You said that you wanted a black Americano - she probably thought that she had misheard or that you had meant to say white but mistakenly said black.

Yes an americano is black - the best coffee in the world. But the amount of times I'm in a coffee shop and I order an americano and they say "would you like milk?"

Well no. Because then I wouldn't have ordered an americano.

Original poster
MeetyouatMidnight · 10/10/2024 06:27

JagerPlease · 09/10/2024 18:52

Your order is identical to my standard coffee order OP. Although I sometimes vary the syrup to caramel 😁

I sometimes go rogue and go gingerbread in the winter! Such a maverick 🤣🤣

OP posts:
ForGreyKoala · 10/10/2024 03:20

Saschka · 10/10/2024 01:05

DH drinks mostly iced black americanos, and he usually has to specify no milk multiple times. And even then he often still ends up with milk.

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I'm not in the UK, people here know what an americano is. It seems they don't in the UK.

ForGreyKoala · 10/10/2024 03:19

Grimgrump · 10/10/2024 00:57

Is an Americano known as a Long Black in Australia?

No, they are different, and a long black is stronger

Saschka · 10/10/2024 01:10

Saschka · 10/10/2024 01:05

DH drinks mostly iced black americanos, and he usually has to specify no milk multiple times. And even then he often still ends up with milk.

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And actually the number of places that insist they can’t make an iced Americano but can happily give him a glass of ice, a glass of water and a double shot of espresso to mix together himself is honestly unbelievable.

Saschka · 10/10/2024 01:05

ForGreyKoala · 09/10/2024 21:36

Well, that's weird, as an americano is always black. I just ask for an americano and no-one has ever asked if I wanted milk with it. We do take coffee more seriously where I live however Wink

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DH drinks mostly iced black americanos, and he usually has to specify no milk multiple times. And even then he often still ends up with milk.

chaosmaker · 10/10/2024 01:03

@MeetyouatMidnight nope, not weird. Lately when I've asked for a bog standard white coffee, they all seem to think it's a flat white. Why? I only like a little bit of milk or cream if they have it (which is also what they think that squirty crap in a tin is but is actully foamy sugar).

Grimgrump · 10/10/2024 00:57

Is an Americano known as a Long Black in Australia?

GlennCloseButNoCigar · 10/10/2024 00:55

This actually sounds really nice, I’m going to try it.

But no I don’t think it’s weird or you either! Surely it’s the same idea as having one of those vanilla Nespresso pods? But obviously much better quality?

Doingmybest12 · 10/10/2024 00:42

The thing is you went to a volunteer led cafe. I imagine the volunteers are there because they have some sort of need or because the cafe has a particular ethos which is beyond serving coffee. If I wanted a really slick experience in a coffee shop ,then I would go to somewhere else.

KenAdams · 10/10/2024 00:25

MeetyouatMidnight · 09/10/2024 18:37

I will admit I’m not the most cultured and was a bit worried there was some sort of “only syrup with milk” rule I’d missed over the years 😂😂

Nope. You're paying for the coffee you have it as you like. Don't feel inferior, they're the weird ones.

2Rebecca · 10/10/2024 00:19

I have my americano with a small amount of milk. Lots of people in the UK don't want the large amount of milk you get in a Latte and I don't think having an Americano with milk is odd, it's a different drink to a latte. Milk in an expresso is more unusual. I'll occasionally have a syrup in it but usually find them too sweet, I'd like the flavour with less sweetness. Putting a shot of syrup and a bit of milk in an americano isn't difficult

Clafoutie · 09/10/2024 23:55

TotHappy · 09/10/2024 20:39

I miss the days when you could just order black filter coffee. Costa did it for a little while, £1 a cup too and a million miles nicer than an Americano.

I completely agree. If places still offered filter coffee, it might help avoid some of the confusion around whether Americano is expected with/without milk. An Americano is meant to be a specific drink, espresso based, served black. A filter coffee is not espresso based and probably closer to what people have in mind when they just want a ‘ coffee with milk’. I get so fed up of asking for filter coffee and they say ‘ we don’t do that but you could have an Americano’ ( watered down!). That is not the same drink at all!

ForGreyKoala · 09/10/2024 22:53

exitstrategyideas · 09/10/2024 21:38

I drink Americano (black) and if you don’t ask for it black, they put milk in, so I ALWAYS say ‘black Americano’!

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Then they have no idea what an americano is.

Starlightstarbright3 · 09/10/2024 22:11

I also have it with a caramel shot not vanilla . I might switch it up and try vanilla

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 09/10/2024 22:08

TeenLifeMum · 09/10/2024 20:32

This is my order too op! However, I’ve also been told it’s unusual. Iced black americano with vanilla syrup blows their mind 😂 but I love it!

These are my orders, too!

Milky coffee shop coffee makes me feel sick.

EngineEngineNumber9 · 09/10/2024 21:57

BlackOrangeFrog · 09/10/2024 21:51

Hmmmm .... Not convinced. Does it not just taste like a biscuit dunked in coffee?

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A bit, but not in a bad way! It just takes the edge off the bitterness and adds a hint of spice.

BlackOrangeFrog · 09/10/2024 21:51

EngineEngineNumber9 · 09/10/2024 21:40

I don’t order it when out, but my coffee “order” at home is a very strong americano with a teaspoonful of Biscoff spread stirred into it. Highly recommend it!

Hmmmm .... Not convinced. Does it not just taste like a biscuit dunked in coffee?

EngineEngineNumber9 · 09/10/2024 21:40

I don’t order it when out, but my coffee “order” at home is a very strong americano with a teaspoonful of Biscoff spread stirred into it. Highly recommend it!

Xmasbaby11 · 09/10/2024 21:40

I actually think it’s unusual in that I’ve never heard anyone order it and I have a lot of friends who I go for coffee with.

however I’ve never worked in a coffee shop and I imagine they have heard it all. The whole point of an expensive hand made coffee is to have it exactly how you want! She was rude to make a thing of it!

bluebirdholiday · 09/10/2024 21:40

volunteer run cafe

exitstrategyideas · 09/10/2024 21:38

BusySittingDown · 09/10/2024 18:39

Well an Americano IS black so you just need to order an Americano with a shot of vanilla. If you want it with milk it is then that you have to specify. You said that you wanted a black Americano - she probably thought that she had misheard or that you had meant to say white but mistakenly said black.

I drink Americano (black) and if you don’t ask for it black, they put milk in, so I ALWAYS say ‘black Americano’!

BlackOrangeFrog · 09/10/2024 21:37

MeetyouatMidnight · 09/10/2024 18:37

I will admit I’m not the most cultured and was a bit worried there was some sort of “only syrup with milk” rule I’d missed over the years 😂😂

Sometimes I order a hot milk with a shot of syrup 😋