The cappuccino recipe
for your table
Warm the cup with hot water, discard it and pull a fresh 2.5 cl espresso into it, so the crema is still intact when the milk is added.
Froth the cold whole milk into microfoam: fine, glossy bubbles without large bubbles, until the pitcher feels around sixty degrees. Don’t let the milk boil, because above seventy degrees the foam collapses and the milk tastes boiled.
Tap the pitcher once on the counter and swirl it around, so the milk and foam become one glossy whole and no dry layer of foam floats on top.
Pour the milk into the center of the espresso from a few centimeters above, lowering the pitcher toward the edge at the end. To make a caffè corretto, first stir a splash of sambuca or amaretto into the coffee; sprinkle with cocoa if desired.
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The story
The one-third espresso, one-third milk, and one-third foam ratio is what distinguishes a cappuccino from its neighbors. In a cup of fifteen to eighteen centiliters, that amounts to one shot of espresso and the rest milk, about half of which is foam. A latte macchiato reverses the order: the milk goes into a tall glass first, and you pour the coffee through it so you can see the layers. Koffie verkeerd is the Dutch version, with plenty of hot milk and barely any foam. The same two ingredients, three different drinks.
The right glass
A classic cappuccino is served in a cup of fifteen to eighteen centiliters, and if you serve a larger one, twenty-two to twenty-four centiliters is just right. A handle is no luxury: the cup gets hot, and you want to be able to pick it up without a cloth. Glass has one advantage over porcelain: you can see the three layers and immediately tell whether the foam is right. A double-walled cup keeps the coffee warm longer and remains warm to the touch on the outside; you can find one in the double-walled coffee glasses collection.
Bormioli Rocco Easy Bar Cappuccino Cup 22 cl (12 pieces)
Luigi Bormioli Thermic Glass Cappuccino Glass 24 cl Sublime Cappuccino (2 pieces)
Both sets together € 72,90.
The right tools
For a cappuccino, besides the cup, you use a nutmeg grater to grate cocoa or nutmeg over the foam and a jigger to measure the splash of liqueur precisely. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 72,85.
Which splash goes into a cappuccino?
Without alcohol, a cappuccino is simply coffee with milk. Stir in a splash of liqueur, and in Italy it is called a caffè corretto. Traditionally, it is made with sambuca or amaretto. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Sprinkle cocoa or grated dark chocolate over the foam, or use cinnamon if you want a rounder flavor. Add a splash of sambuca or amaretto to the espresso to make a caffè corretto. A cappuccino scuro has more coffee and less milk, while a cappuccino chiaro has the opposite. Semi-skimmed milk foams more easily into a high, dry layer; whole milk produces less volume but creamier microfoam, which is what you need for latte art. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Serve the cappuccino immediately, because the foam and coffee start separating within a few minutes. Serve it with a small spoon instead of a straw: you drink it through the foam. In Italy, it is drunk at breakfast and not after a meal, but that is a custom, not a rule.
Good to know
One-third, one-third, one-third
The classic ratio is one-third espresso, one-third hot milk, and one-third foam. In a sixteen-centilitre cup, that is roughly one 2.5 cl shot of espresso, about 6 cl of liquid milk, and 6 cl of foam on top. You do not pour the milk and foam separately, by the way: you foam the milk all at once and pour it as a whole.
Why the milk must not boil
Milk foams best between fifty and sixty-five degrees. Above that, the proteins that hold the bubbles together clump, the foam collapses, and the milk develops a cooked taste. Without a thermometer, feel the pitcher: as soon as you can no longer keep your hand around it, you’ve reached the right temperature. Refoaming milk that has already been heated does not work well.
Which milk foams best
Whole cow’s milk produces the creamiest microfoam, while semi-skimmed milk gives more volume but a drier layer. Always start with cold milk from the refrigerator, so you have more time before reaching sixty degrees. Among plant-based milks, soy milk foams the most firmly; barista oat milk also works well, while almond milk remains thin.
Cappuccino, latte macchiato or café au lait
A cappuccino is coffee with equal parts milk and foam, served in a cup. A latte macchiato goes in a tall glass, with the milk first and the coffee poured through it afterward, so you can see the layers. Koffie verkeerd is Dutch: lots of hot milk with the coffee and barely any foam. The ingredients are similar, but the ratio and order are not.
Latte art: what you need
For a heart or a rosette, you need glossy microfoam that flows from the jug like wet paint. Large bubbles or a dry cap of foam will not leave a design. First pour from a height into the centre to break the crema, then lower the spout to the surface and, at the end, move through your design to the other side.
Only in the morning?
In Italy, cappuccino is a breakfast drink, and people order an espresso after a meal. The idea is that a cup of milk sits heavily on the stomach after eating. It is a habit, not a rule: at home, you decide what time it is.
Frequently asked questions
How much espresso and milk go into a cappuccino?
Use one 2.5 cl shot of espresso and approximately 12 cl of whole milk, frothed to roughly twice its original volume. In a fifteen- to eighteen-centilitre cup, this gives you the classic ratio of one-third coffee, one-third milk, and one-third foam.
How hot should the milk be for a cappuccino?
Around sixty degrees, and definitely below seventy. Above that, the foam collapses and the milk tastes boiled. Without a thermometer: froth until you can no longer hold the jug with your hand, then stop immediately.
Which glass do you use for a cappuccino?
A heatproof cup with a handle. Traditionally, it holds fifteen to eighteen centilitres; if you pour generously, twenty-two or twenty-four centilitres is more comfortable. Glass has the advantage of letting you see the three layers, so you immediately know whether the foam is right. A double-walled cup keeps the coffee hot for longer and remains warm to the touch on the outside.
What is the difference between a cappuccino and a latte macchiato?
The order and the ratio. With a cappuccino, the espresso goes into the cup first, followed by the frothed milk, with equal parts milk and foam. With a latte macchiato, the milk goes into a tall glass first, and the coffee is then poured through it, with much more milk than coffee.
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