Latte vs. Cappuccino vs. Cortado vs. Flat White: What's the Difference?

Short answer: all four are espresso and steamed milk. The difference is how much milk and foam: a latte is the milkiest and mildest, a cappuccino has a thick cap of foam, a flat white is smaller with a thin layer of silky microfoam, and a cortado is roughly equal parts espresso and milk, so it tastes the most like coffee.

One thing first: recipes differ from café to café and country to country. The guide below gives the classic versions, with sources, so you know what to expect and what to ask for.

The four at a glance

• Latte: about 1 part espresso to 3 parts steamed milk, with a thin layer of foam. The biggest of the four. Taste: creamy, mild.
• Cappuccino: espresso, steamed milk and thick foam in roughly equal thirds. A smaller cup. Taste: bolder than a latte, airy on top.
• Flat white: espresso with less milk than a latte and only a thin layer of microfoam. Small cup. Taste: coffee-forward, velvety.
• Cortado: espresso with about the same amount of warm milk, little or no froth. Usually the smallest. Taste: strong coffee, softened.

Latte

A latte is espresso topped with plenty of steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam. Jamie Oliver's coffee guide puts it at 1 part coffee to 3 parts steamed milk, with about 1 cm of foam. It's usually the largest drink of the four: Wikipedia notes a latte is normally served in a 225 ml (about 7.6 oz) glass.

Because it's mostly milk, a latte is the gentlest way into espresso, and the one that carries flavored syrups best.

Cappuccino

A cappuccino is built in thirds: espresso, steamed milk and a dense layer of foam, about 15 mm thick in Jamie Oliver's guide, often finished with a dusting of cocoa. The cup is smaller than a latte's, around 150 to 160 ml (5.1 to 5.4 oz), according to Wikipedia.

With less liquid milk than a latte, the espresso comes through more. The foam makes it feel light.

Flat white

A flat white is espresso and steamed milk with "a thin layer of microfoam (hence the 'flat' in flat white)," as Wikipedia puts it. It has less milk and less foam than a latte, so the coffee is stronger in the cup. Jamie Oliver's guide describes a double shot in a 6 oz cup and adds: "There is no such thing as a large flat white."

Where it comes from is disputed: café owners in both Australia and New Zealand claim it, and the name was already in use in England decades earlier.

Cortado

A cortado is a Spanish drink: espresso mixed with a roughly equal amount of warm milk. The name comes from the verb cortar, "to cut," because the milk cuts the espresso's intensity (Wikipedia). The milk is steamed but not frothy, so there's little or no foam.

Perfect Daily Grind notes the size varies a lot between cafés, as long as the ratio holds. In the US you may also see a Gibraltar: a cortado-style drink named in San Francisco after the 4½ oz Libbey Gibraltar glass it's served in (Wikipedia).

Which one should you order?

• You don't usually drink espresso: a latte. Mild, creamy, and great with a syrup.
• You like foam and a bit more coffee taste: a cappuccino.
• You want coffee-forward but smooth: a flat white, where a café makes one.
• You want a small, strong drink with just enough milk: a cortado.

How we make them at your event

Our coffee cart brings a full espresso bar to weddings, showers, office events and parties. Our Classic menu includes espresso, americano, cappuccino, latte and cortado, plus a matcha latte and teas, all with our house-made syrups. Oat and almond milk are included at no extra charge. A flat white isn't on our listed menu.

Want something your guests won't find at every café? Our Premium menu adds RAF Coffee, Bumble Coffee, homemade lemonade and Matcha Tonic. Here's our guide to those drinks.

See packages and service areas on our San Diego coffee cart and Sacramento coffee cart pages.

Latte vs. cappuccino FAQ

Which is stronger, a latte or a cappuccino?

A cappuccino tastes stronger because it has less milk around the same espresso. How many shots go into each depends on the café, so ask if you want a double.

Is a flat white just a small latte?

Close, but not quite. A flat white has less milk and a thinner layer of microfoam than a latte, so the coffee comes through more.

What is a cortado in simple terms?

Espresso "cut" with about the same amount of warm milk. Small, strong and smooth, with little or no foam.

Does oat or almond milk change the drink?

The drink is built the same way; only the milk's own taste comes through. Oat and almond milk are included in our Classic package at no extra charge.

Which is best for guests who don't usually drink espresso?

A latte. It's the mildest of the four, and a house-made syrup makes it even easier to like.

Holy Coffee Cart is a coffee cart for weddings, corporate events and private parties in San Diego and Sacramento, with baristas who make lattes, cappuccinos and cortados to order. Send us your date and guest count and we'll send you a quote.