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What’s the Difference Between Cappuccino, Latte, Macchiato and Americano?

By Jerry Del Priore

Latte vs Cap GraphicWhen you order your favorite coffee beverage, have you ever stopped to think about what makes it different from the other popular café drinks? 

The main difference between many of the most popular java drinks is the amount of foam, milk, and espresso that each contains, according to

Coffee foam is technically made of steamed milk that has been gently whipped to add air into it. That’s what gives it its distinct look.

A cappuccino, which originated in Italy, is coffee made with milk that has been frothed up with pressurized steam, with an added shot of espresso to it.

It’s my favorite type of java, especially with almond milk. But it can be light in weight, due to air in the foam, giving you less caffeinated liquid for your buck. 

A latte, an American-based coffee, contains more steamed or textured milk and less milk foam than a cappuccino, but still has a shot of espresso to it. 

A macchiato is an espresso coffee drink with a small amount of milk, usually foamed, on top, and is made with two shots of espresso in the middle, with steamed milk at the bottom. 

In Italian, macchiato means “stained” or “spotted,” so the literal translation of caffè macchiato is “stained coffee”, or coffee with a spot of milk. 

An Americano is a type of Joe drink prepared by diluting an espresso (two shots, usually) with hot water, giving it a similar strength to, but different flavor from traditionally brewed coffee.

Now, see if you can fall asleep after downing a few of these spectacular caffeinated drinks during the course of a day. 




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