Milk & Foam – Cappuccino, Flat White, Latte

Cappuccino, flat white, latte macchiato – they all start with the same espresso. The difference is in the milk: how much, and how it’s foamed.

The three classics

• Cappuccino – roughly a third each of espresso, milk and foam: bold and creamy.
• Flat white – double espresso, a little finely foamed milk: intense and velvety.
• Latte macchiato – lots of milk, little espresso: the gentlest of the three.

Microfoam – the secret

Good milk foam isn’t airy and stiff but fine-textured and glossy – «microfoam». It forms when the steam wand pulls in only a little air and sets the milk spinning. This silky texture is also what makes latte art possible.

Which milk?

Whole milk foams most easily and tastes sweetly rounded. Oat milk with a barista blend is the most popular plant-based alternative and foams well; others take a little more practice. In the end, taste decides.