A cappuccino is espresso, steamed milk and a thick cap of milk foam in roughly equal parts, served hot in a small cup.
Cappuccino coffee is easy to make at home, with or without a machine. It's one of the types of coffee built on espresso and milk.
What is cappuccino?
A cappuccino is equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk foam, served in a small cup. The thick foam makes it feel light, and with less milk than a latte, the coffee tastes stronger. It has the same caffeine as the espresso in it, about 60–65 mg for a single shot.
Italy's national espresso institute, the Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano, defines a traditional cappuccino as 25 ml of espresso topped with 125 ml of milk steamed and frothed from cold, in a 150–160 ml cup, according to Il Sole 24 Ore. Many cafés dust the top with cocoa.
Why is it called cappuccino?
The name is linked to the Capuchin friars, an order of monks.
How to make cappuccino at home
This cappuccino recipe works three ways: with an espresso machine, without one, or as the beaten coffee long made in Indian homes.
With an espresso machine
- Pull a single or double shot into a small cup.
- Steam about 100 ml of cold milk until it's hot, about 55–65°C, and keep frothing a little longer than you would for a latte, so the foam builds up thick.
- Pour the milk in, holding back the foam with a spoon. Then spoon the foam on top until it's about a third of the cup.
- Dust with cocoa if you like.
Without an espresso machine
For the coffee, use strong moka pot coffee, or 2 tsp of instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp of hot water. A moka pot is a stovetop brewer that makes strong, concentrated coffee.
- Heat about 100 ml of milk until it's steaming, and take it off before it boils.
- Froth it until it's thick: pump it in a French press, shake it in a closed jar or use a handheld frother.
- Pour the milk onto the coffee, holding back the foam, then spoon the foam on top.
Indian beaten-coffee cappuccino
Beaten coffee, often called Indian-style cappuccino, starts with the same whipped instant coffee as dalgona coffee, then gets hot milk instead of cold.
- In a cup, beat 1 tbsp instant coffee and 1 tbsp sugar with 1 tbsp hot water until it's pale and thick. With a whisk or spoon this takes about 5 minutes.
- Pour hot milk over it and stir.
- The froth rises to the top, ready to drink.
Dry and wet cappuccino
- Dry cappuccino: more foam and less milk, so it tastes stronger.
- Wet cappuccino: more milk and less foam, so it's creamier.
Iced cappuccino
An iced cappuccino is espresso and cold milk over ice, topped with a layer of foamed milk. The foam on top is what makes it a cappuccino.
- Fill a glass with ice and pour in cold milk.
- Add the espresso, or any of the coffee bases above.
- Froth a little cold milk in a jar or French press and spoon the foam on top.
Cappuccino vs latte
A latte has about three times as much milk as espresso and only a thin foam, so it's milder and creamier. For the full side-by-side, see cappuccino vs latte.
Cappuccino FAQs
Is a cappuccino a coffee?
Yes. Espresso is coffee, and a cappuccino is espresso with steamed milk and foam on top.
Is cappuccino sweet?
Not on its own. The milk adds a little natural sweetness, but a plain cappuccino has no sugar. Add sugar or a syrup if you like it sweet.
Is cappuccino hot or cold?
Traditionally hot. Iced cappuccino is the cold version.
Is cappuccino healthy?
A cappuccino is mostly espresso, milk and air. Cow's milk has about 67 kcal per 100 ml, according to ICMR-NIN figures, so the milk adds roughly 70–85 kcal, before sugar. It has less milk than a latte, so it's the lighter of the two.
Make your first cappuccino
Start with the method that suits your kitchen. The coffee is the easy part. The thick foam is what takes practice.