A latte, cappuccino, flat white, and cortado are all espresso and steamed milk. The difference is how much milk goes in, and how much of that milk is foam. A latte is the biggest and milkiest, with a thin layer of foam on top. A cappuccino is smaller, with a thick cap of airy foam. A flat white is smaller again, with a double shot and a thin layer of velvety foam, so it tastes more of coffee. A cortado is roughly half espresso and half warm milk, with almost no foam.
Cafés vary, sometimes a lot, so treat the numbers below as typical rather than as rules. If a café cappuccino tastes like a latte, it is usually because it is the size of one.
The four drinks side by side
| Cortado | Flat white | Cappuccino | Latte | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical size | About 4 oz | 5–6 oz | About 6 oz | 8–16 oz |
| Espresso | Single or double | Double, often ristretto | Single or double | Single or double |
| Milk | About as much as espresso | Three to four times the espresso | Less than a latte | The most |
| Foam | Very little | A thin, velvety layer | A thick cap, up to a third of the cup | A thin layer, about 1cm |
| Tastes | Mostly coffee, softened | Coffee-forward and creamy | Light, airy, coffee clear through the foam | Mild, sweet, milky |
Read across the table from left to right and each drink has more milk than the one before, so the coffee tastes a little milder at every step.
Which one tastes strongest?
The less milk there is, the more the espresso comes through. From strongest to mildest:
- Macchiato: a shot of espresso with a spoonful of foam.
- Cortado: about equal parts espresso and milk.
- Flat white: a double shot in a small cup of milk.
- Cappuccino: a traditional cappuccino is about four parts milk to one part espresso, but much of that milk is foam, which is mostly air. It drinks lighter than a latte and tastes more of coffee than you might expect.
- Latte: the most milk, and the mildest coffee flavor.
Caffeine is a different question. Milk adds no caffeine, so a drink’s caffeine depends on how many shots are in it, not on its size. A cortado and a 16-ounce latte made with the same double shot carry the same caffeine. If you want to know, ask how many shots a café uses for each size. Which coffee has the most caffeine has the numbers for a shot.
Each drink in more detail
Latte
Latte is Italian for milk, which is why asking for a “latte” in Italy can get you a glass of milk. Ask for a caffè latte there.
A latte is espresso topped up with plenty of steamed milk and finished with a thin layer of foam. It is the mildest and most adaptable of these drinks. Flavored lattes, such as vanilla, caramel, or a mocha with chocolate, are lattes with a syrup or sauce stirred in. Because its foam is thin and glossy, a latte is also the drink that most latte art is poured on.
At home: a double shot, 18g of coffee in and 36g in the cup, with 150–200g of lightly frothed milk, fills an 8–10 oz cup. How to make a latte at home walks through every step, with or without an espresso machine.
Cappuccino
A cappuccino has less milk and much more foam than a latte, traditionally in a smaller cup. Italy’s National Espresso Institute defines it as 25ml of espresso with 100ml of milk, and the classic description is a third espresso, a third steamed milk, and a third foam.
Cafés also offer it “dry”, with more foam and less milk, or “wet”, with more milk and less foam, which brings it close to a small latte. A dusting of cocoa or cinnamon on top is common but optional.
At home: a single or double shot, with 100–120g of milk frothed longer than for a latte, until it has nearly doubled. Pour the milk in first and spoon the foam on top.
Flat white
The flat white comes from Australia and New Zealand, where both countries claim to have invented it in the 1980s. It is a double shot in a small cup, topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of very fine, velvety foam. The result tastes more of coffee than a latte and feels silkier than a cappuccino.
At home: a double ristretto, 18g of coffee in and about 27g in the cup, with 100–120g of milk frothed only briefly, in a 5–6 oz cup. A ristretto is a shorter, sweeter, heavier shot, and it suits a small milk drink well.
Cortado
Cortado comes from the Spanish cortar, to cut: espresso cut with a little warm milk. It is about 4 ounces, roughly half espresso and half milk, with little or no foam. It is the drink to choose if you want coffee first, with the edges softened.
At home: a double shot, 36g in the cup, with 40–60g of warm, lightly textured milk, served in a small glass.
Two close relatives: a Gibraltar is a cortado by another name, from San Francisco cafés, named after the style of glass it is served in. A Cuban cortadito is espresso sweetened during brewing, then topped with steamed milk; see how to make Cuban coffee.
Macchiato
Macchiato means “marked” or “stained”. An espresso macchiato is a single or double shot marked with a spoonful of milk foam, in a 2–3 oz cup. It is the strongest drink here.
A latte macchiato is the reverse: a glass of steamed milk marked with espresso poured in on top, so it settles into layers. The caramel macchiato on many café chain menus is closer to this, a vanilla latte with the espresso poured on last and caramel sauce on top, than to a traditional macchiato.
The rest of the menu
| Drink | What it is |
|---|---|
| Piccolo | A ristretto topped with warm milk in a small glass, about 3–4 oz |
| Mocha | A latte with chocolate sauce or cocoa stirred in |
| Breve | A latte made with half-and-half instead of milk |
| Café au lait | Brewed coffee rather than espresso, mixed about half and half with hot milk |
| Café con leche | Strong coffee with plenty of hot milk; the Cuban version is sweetened, like a cafecito |
| Americano | Espresso topped up with hot water, with no milk; see bypass water |
Which one should you choose?
| If you want… | Choose |
|---|---|
| The most coffee flavor, with a touch of milk | Macchiato or cortado |
| Coffee-forward but creamy | Flat white |
| A light, foamy texture | Cappuccino |
| Something mild, milky, and large | Latte |
| A milk drink without an espresso machine | Café au lait, or a latte made with a Moka Pot |
| The fewest calories | Macchiato or cortado |
Calories
The calories in these drinks come almost entirely from the milk. A shot of espresso has only a couple. Whole milk has about 60 calories per 100g, so you can estimate any drink from its milk:
| Drink, made with whole milk | Milk | Calories, roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Macchiato | A spoonful of foam | 10 |
| Cortado | 50g | 30 |
| Flat white | 110g | 65 |
| Cappuccino | 110g | 65 |
| Latte, 8–10 oz | 175g | 105 |
| Latte, 16 oz | 350g | 210 |
Skim milk cuts these numbers by about 40%. Plant milks vary widely by brand, so check the carton. Syrups, sauces, and sugar add to all of them.
How to make each one at home
All of these start with the same two things: a strong coffee base and milk that is hot and frothed. Heat the milk to about 60–65°C (140–150°F), steaming but nowhere near a simmer. How to make a latte covers frothing with a French press, a jar, a handheld frother, or a steam wand.
| Drink | Espresso | Milk | How much to froth | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macchiato | Single or double shot | A spoonful of foam | Froth a little milk and spoon only the foam on top | 2–3 oz |
| Cortado | Double shot, 36g | 40–60g | Barely: warm and smooth, almost no foam | 4–5 oz glass |
| Flat white | Double ristretto, about 27g | 100–120g | Briefly, for a thin, glossy layer | 5–6 oz |
| Cappuccino | Single or double shot | 100–120g | Longer, until the milk nearly doubles | 5–6 oz |
| Latte | Double shot, 36g | 150–200g | Briefly, for a thin layer | 8–10 oz |
Foam or microfoam?
The texture of the milk is what really separates these drinks.
- Microfoam is milk with very small, even bubbles worked all the way through it. It looks glossy, like wet paint, and pours like heavy cream. Lattes, flat whites, and cortados want this.
- Thicker foam has more air and bigger bubbles, and it sits on top of the milk as a cap. Cappuccinos want more of it.
For a cappuccino, froth a little longer, then let the milk rest for 30 seconds so the foam rises. Pour the milk underneath, then spoon the foam on top. For the others, tap the jug to burst any big bubbles and swirl until the milk looks glossy before pouring.
Without an espresso machine
A Moka Pot or an AeroPress concentrate makes a good base for a latte or cappuccino; the latte guide has the recipe for each. Smaller drinks, such as a cortado or flat white, show off the coffee more, so a Moka Pot suits them better than an AeroPress. With only drip or a French press, make a café au lait instead: brew a little stronger than usual, around 1:12, and mix it half and half with hot milk.
Common questions
Is a flat white stronger than a latte?
It tastes stronger, because it has as much espresso, or more, in far less milk. Its caffeine is the same as a latte made with the same number of shots.
What is the difference between a cappuccino and a latte?
Foam and size. A cappuccino is smaller, with less milk and a thick cap of foam. A latte is larger, with more milk and only a thin layer of foam.
Which milk works best?
Whole milk is the easiest to froth well, and it tastes the sweetest. For plant milk, look for a “barista” version. Oat barista milks foam most like dairy; ordinary cartons often will not hold a foam at all. See which milk to use.
Why does my homemade latte taste weak?
Usually the coffee base is not strong enough for the amount of milk. Use a double shot or a more concentrated base, or try a smaller drink: the same coffee makes a better flat white than it does a 16-ounce latte.