CAPPUCCINO VS LATTE

Coffee is very popular around the globe. When we walk into the closest Starbucks, we don’t know what to order: cappuccino vs latte.

Just how many espresso-based drinks can you make with milk? We know we have the macchiato, the cortado, the latte, the cappuccino, and so on…

Today, Golden Sin will cover the lattes and cappuccinos from our world and give you an overview of these 2 great coffees!

See also: best cheap espresso machine.
See also: best espresso beans.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CAPPUCCINO AND A LATTE?

DRINK	#ESPRESSO	#MILK	#FOAM	REMARK
Cappuccino	1/3	1/3	1/3	Foam is lighter, less dense
Latte	1/4	~3/4	thin layer	Foam is heavier, denser, a small layer

Cappuccino:

We’ll start with the cappuccino, not because it’s better because we follow the alphabet ;)!

A cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee, that consists of espresso and steamed milk.

The name cappuccino comes from the Capuchin friars because of the resemblance with their Capuchin robe.

A cappuccino is made with espresso, milk, and foam. The ratio for these parts is 1:1:1. Cappuccinos are what we say a great test to see if your barista has the right skill set that’s expected of a barista.

Cappuccinos are presented by great chains with more sweeteners and a bigger cup. In Italy, you’ll get a smaller size, about 6 ounces. There’s a real difference there.

Latte:

A synonym for a latte is a café latte and stands for coffee (café) and milk (latte). There are a lot of different drinks based on the latte.

Latte is thus the Italian word for milk

As said before, a latte is served in bigger cups and is made with 1 espresso shot and about 5-6 ounces of steamed milk. The result should contain foam on top of your espresso.

Lattes and cappuccinos are both known for their great pictures with foam and coffee art.

These drinks are thus made from the same components, like other drinks, but differ in their espresso-to-milk ratio. They all have 1 shot of espresso, but different quantities of foam and milk:

• A cappuccino has more foam, less milk, and is known for the 3 layers: espresso – milk – foam.
• A latte has mixed milk and foam, making the top foam layer thinner and less clear.

Mostly, cappuccinos have a finishing touch by adding extra cinnamon, chocolate, cacao powder on top. There are also cappuccinos with cream in it for that extra touch.

ARE THERE ANY THINGS SIMILAR BETWEEN THEM?

The latte and cappuccino are similar because they’re made with the same coffee beans – only a latte uses more steamed milk than a cappuccino, which has more foam.

They share everything but in different ratios and depending on the location with different accents.

HOW TO MAKE THEM AT HOME?

You can easily make a latte at home with an automatic espresso machine. If you don’t have an automatic espresso machine, follow these steps (we assume you’ve already had your grounds):

• brew your espresso coffee
• heat your milk, you can use your micro-wave for this or a steamer. Do this for about 3° seconds to 40 seconds. Use cold milk.
• use a milk frother to froth your milk. Tap with your cup to get rid of the larger bubbles
• pour the milk into the cup with the espresso shot(s), do this slowly

Tip: you can use a spoon to capture a bit of the froth and spray it on top.

Everyone has their recipe and tricks to make one.

There’s a difference between a cappuccino and a latte in the ratio but you’ll have to play with these ratios.

The more you do this, the better your skillset should become. Not all baristas will give you what you ask!

dBe your judge!

Remember, a latte has more milk when compared to espresso. Finish your drink by sprinkling some cocoa powder, cinnamon on it to make it a Golden Sin!

IS ONE BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE OTHER?

That’s hard to say because these are personal opinions on a coffee topic. They have the same building blocks, just in different ratios.

When you look at these ratios, you can tell that the cappuccino should be the stronger drink and have more body and stronger flavors because of a higher share of espresso compared to the latte.

Lattes have a more subtle taste because of the higher share of milk that influences the original tastes of the espresso.

It’s difficult to say which one is better or worse because latte and cappuccinos are both great drinks with different flavors. Latte has a more subtle taste than what you get from a cappuccino.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULAR COFFEE AND LATTE AND CAPPUCCINO?

You can brew regular coffee with hot water and ground coffee beans. Classic but good!

Lattes and cappuccinos are espresso-based coffee drinks and have their own story. They stand out because of the espresso-to-milk ratio, it’s lower in a cappuccino when compared to a latte. When you look at the name latte, it’s Italian for milk so this makes sense.

The difference between regular coffee and these 2 is simply the addition of milk (and foam) in the process.

ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES IN COFFEE BEANS IN A CAPPUCCINO VS A LATTE?

No, both drinks are espresso-based and the same beans can be used. The cappuccino is stronger and has a heavier body because of the larger amount of espresso compared to milk. They contain more foam than a latte, that’s made of espresso and milk mostly and a very thin layer of foam on top.

ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES IN PREPARATION BETWEEN A CAPPUCCINO AND A LATTE?

We’d say that the latte is easier to make because there’s less foaming involved. You can mess a cappuccino easily up and get a latte in return. The difference is thus especially in the frothing and the layer on top.

ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES IN FLAVOR?

The cappuccino has a stronger flavor because of a higher amount of espresso. The latte has a more subtle taste because of the lower amount of espresso and higher amount of milk. Mostly, lattes come with extra sweeteners like cinnamon, cocoa powder, sugar, syrup, while cappuccinos usually don’t contain any extra flavors.

There are differences between latte and cappuccino. Generally, a latte comes with added cinnamon or vanilla syrup, while cappuccinos don’t typically contain any additional flavors. Latte is more popular because it’s easier to make a latte at home with a latte maker.

SHOULD I SWITCH FROM MY LATTE TO A CAPPUCCINO?

That’s up to you. If you didn’t have tried the cappuccino as a drink, please go for one and try as many coffees as you can so you can experience up!

Are you someone who likes milk and a more soft, subtle taste? Go for a latte! Are you more fan of a stronger flavor and less milk and more foam? Go for a cappuccino!

CONCLUSION

Now you’ve read all this info about lattes and cappuccinos, you can surely separate the two from each other. We at Golden Sin think you should try different coffees and also these two.

You can also get to know yourself better when experiencing things, drinking coffee, and enjoying it by doing this.

F.A.Q.

WHAT IS HEALTHIER: A LATTE OR A CAPPUCINO?

A latte is made from only espresso and milk and a cappuccino has equal portions of espresso, milk, and foam. The foam is lighter than a cappuccino.

Lattes contain more milk and go with more toppings or extra sweeteners like sugar, syrups, cinnamon, and so on. They both have some calories for you, but we’d say a cappuccino will be the healthiest one, as this is relative!

IS A CAPPUCCINO SWEETER THAN A LATTE?

No. In most cases, a cappuccino has less milk and has generally no extra sweeteners on top like sugar, syrups, cinnamon… A latte has more milk and is mostly served with more sweeteners. A cappuccino has a stronger taste compared to a latte. It all depends on what you use as a base: whole milk, what is serving as extra toppings, and so on.

IS A CAPPUCCINO STRONGER THAN A LATTE?

Yes, a cappuccino consists of 3 equal parts of espresso, milk, and foam, while a latte has 1/4th espresso and the rest is milk. The share of the espresso is higher in a cappuccino and the share of milk is lower when compared to a latte. That’s why cappuccinos have a stronger taste and heavier body and lattes have a more subtle taste.

Enjoy your coffee!