Cappuccino

What is Cappuccino? Cappuccino is an Italian espresso-based coffee drink built on three roughly equal parts: a shot of espresso, steamed milk, and a thick cap of milk foam. It is traditionally served in a small porcelain cup of about 150 to 180 ml, with a single 25 ml shot of espresso forming the base. The name comes from the Capuchin friars, a nod to the brown color of their habits, reaching modern usage via the German Kapuziner once used for milky coffee in Viennese coffeehouses. Though precursors date back to the late 18th and 19th centuries, the cappuccino as we know it took shape in the 20th century once espresso machines became widespread across Italy.

Composition and Craft

A proper cappuccino is defined by proportion: one third espresso, one third steamed milk, and one third foam. The foam is not the silky microfoam of a latte but a thicker macrofoam that sits as a distinct, spoonable layer on top of the drink. The World Barista Championship sets the bar at a minimum of one centimeter of foam depth, a useful benchmark for distinguishing a real cappuccino from an oversized milk coffee.

In much of Europe and Australasia, the drink is finished with a light dusting of cocoa or chocolate powder, though this topping is not part of the Italian tradition. Variations include the 'wet' cappuccino, with more steamed milk and less foam, and the 'dry' cappuccino, where the foam dominates. In Greece and Cyprus, the freddo cappuccino offers a cold, frothy version that has become a regional staple in its own right.

How It's Served

In Italy, the cappuccino belongs almost exclusively to breakfast. Locals drink it before 11:00 AM and consider the volume of milk too heavy for the rest of the day, preferring a straight espresso after lunch or dinner. The small porcelain cup with a handle is part of the ritual, designed to keep proportions and temperature in balance.

Outside Italy, the drink has often grown in size. Modern US and chain servings frequently reach 360 ml or more, well beyond the traditional 150 to 180 ml standard. The cappuccino's arrival in America is usually traced to Caffe Reggio in New York City, which claims a date of 1927, and to Caffe Trieste in San Francisco, opened in 1956.

Cappuccino vs. Latte and Macchiato

The cappuccino sits in the middle of the espresso-and-milk spectrum. Compared with a latte, which typically runs 200 to 300 ml and uses smoothly textured microfoam folded into the milk, the cappuccino is smaller and crowned with a distinct foam cap. The mouthfeel is lighter and airier, and the espresso remains more present on the palate.

Against a macchiato, the relationship flips. A macchiato is an espresso 'marked' with only a small amount of milk or foam, keeping the coffee firmly in the foreground. The cappuccino carries far more milk, producing a softer, creamier drink while still preserving the backbone of a proper espresso shot.