What's the Difference Between Latte and Cappuccino? What Kind of Coffee is a Latte? What are the Characteristics of Cappuccino? Why is Latte Coffee Sweeter?

Latte and Cappuccino, as "vintage coffees," are essential products in almost every coffee shop. Although both are very classic, as FrontStreet Coffee often says, those who have not ventured into the coffee world will find it difficult to know the difference between them.

Therefore, when many beginners are at a loss when looking at these two coffees, they usually choose a novel ordering method, which is to choose based on appearance. For example: ordering latte because the latte art is beautiful, or ordering cappuccino because its name looks more exotic.

FrontStreet Coffee must confess that it used to be like this in the early days. But this way of ordering often comes with a consequence: the coffee you get may not match what you actually wanted. So today, FrontStreet Coffee will take everyone to review what exactly are the differences between latte and cappuccino, these two very classic milk coffees!

Latte & Cappuccino

Latte, transliterated from "Latte," is the most widely consumed milk coffee. Thanks to the birth of latte art, latte sparked an unprecedented craze in the late 20s. Countless people were attracted by the latte art patterns on the surface of latte coffee, ordered a cup, and thus stepped into the "abyss" of no coffee, no happiness.

Although cappuccino doesn't have as wide an audience as latte, it is also the favorite of most coffee connoisseurs. The name cappuccino comes from the word "Capuchin" monk's robe, because the color of milk and coffee fusion is very similar to the color of the robe. And because early cappuccinos would have a "small pointed hat" very similar to the monk's hat, people named it "Cappuccino."

Ingredients and Proportions

Latte and cappuccino use exactly the same ingredients: espresso, milk, and milk foam. Although they use the same ingredients, their quantities differ. And it is precisely the different usage amounts of ingredients that make latte and cappuccino have completely different presentations. For example, their taste - latte is sweet, cappuccino is bitter - is the result of the amount of milk.

Differences in Taste

As mentioned earlier, the taste of latte is sweeter compared to other milk coffees. The reason is simple: this coffee contains a higher proportion of milk. Take FrontStreet Coffee as an example. The ratio of coffee to milk in FrontStreet Coffee's latte is 1:5, with 40ml espresso and about 200ml milk. The large amount of milk dilutes the bitterness of the coffee, reducing the burden brought by the rich bitterness of coffee, and the milk can balance with the coffee's flavor. So people often say that the taste of latte is suitable for all ages because it's not that bitter.

Cappuccino, on the other hand, is a relatively opposite product. It uses relatively less milk because the purpose is to use a small amount of milk to enhance the overall texture and make the coffee flavor more prominent! The ratio of coffee to milk in FrontStreet Coffee's cappuccino is 1:4, with 40ml espresso and 160ml milk, a full 40ml less than latte. Therefore, because the milk in cappuccino cannot compete with the coffee flavor, this makes the coffee flavor more prominent. When drinking it, people will feel more coffee flavor, which means it's more bitter.

Differences in Milk Foam

In addition to cup size, there is another significant characteristic difference between the two: the thickness of milk foam! Cappuccino's milk foam is thicker than latte's, and the foam will be higher than the cup itself, with a thickness of about 2-3 centimeters, while latte's milk foam is only in the range of 0.5-1 centimeters.

Milk foam affects coffee in two main aspects. The first is texture! When the foam in the cup is thicker, it means more foam generated by frothing, so when we drink coffee, we can naturally feel a denser texture. Cappuccino is a good example - if you take a small sip, you might not even reach the coffee underneath, fully enjoying the dense feeling of milk foam. When the foam in the cup is thinner, it means we can more quickly contact the coffee underneath the foam. So compared to thick foam, thin foam latte may not have such a dense texture when drinking, but its smoothness will be higher. The second impact is on latte art! Those various and extremely difficult latte art patterns we often see mostly come from latte coffee. Why? Because the thickness of milk foam affects the fluidity of the overall (milk and foam)!

The thinner the foam, the higher the fluidity, so we can more easily create delicate lines and make more complex patterns; when the foam is thicker, the fluidity is lower. Foam as thick as cappuccino's is almost impossible to draw delicate lines by swinging, so most of the time, cappuccinos only have simple big white hearts because they can't be pushed, or no pattern at all.

Conclusion

In summary, we can know that the main differences between latte and cappuccino lie in cup size and the thickness of milk foam. Because latte has a larger cup size and more milk, the taste of milk and coffee can be balanced when drinking, making it sweeter. At the same time, because the foam is thinner, many complex latte art patterns can be made. Cappuccino, on the other hand, has a smaller cup size, less milk, and the coffee flavor will be more prominent. At the same time, due to the existence of thick foam, we can experience a denser feeling. If you want it simpler... latte is sweet, cappuccino is bitter! It's that simple.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473