Cappuccino vs. Macchiato – What’s the Difference?
Coffee usually makes our mornings refreshing and productive. It tastes good and it only takes one cup to hold you for a few hours. But when you place an order, do you ever think about what the name means, what it tastes like? People usually feel that way when they order cappuccino or macchiato. So, here I will try to differentiate between cappuccino vs. macchiato.
What is Cappuccino?
Cappuccino is a popular Italian coffee drink made with espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. A cappuccino usually falls between a macchiato and a latte. The ratio of ingredients is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk, and 1/3 milk foam.
In other words, it contains equal parts of espresso, milk, and milk foam. To make a cappuccino, you first need to pour the espresso into a cup of coffee, and then fill it with milk and steamed milk foam. You can make steamed milk using a milk steamer on your espresso machine. On top, traditional cappuccinos have a 2 cm thick layer of foam. When you order a dried cappuccino you will get a cappuccino with more form. On the other hand, if you order a wet cappuccino you will get a cappuccino with more milk.
Cappuccino contains a creamy, rich, and velvet texture. It has a smooth taste. Although these are milky, they may have a stronger coffee taste than some other coffee drinks. Some add spices and flavors to the cappuccino. You can also sometimes find a lump of chocolate or cocoa powder on top of your cappuccino.
Pros:
- Creamy and smooth taste
- Delicious milk foam
- Rich and velvet texture
Cons
- It’s too milky for some people
- It is difficult to make a perfect cappuccino
What is Macchiato?
Usually, a macchiato is made by combining a shot of espresso with a small amount of milk foam. However, many more variations are available, including latte macchiato, which is made by adding an espresso shot to a glass of hot milk.
Because macchiato is usually made using a small amount of milk foam, it tastes much stronger than other coffee drinks.
Pros:
- Stronger taste
- It is easy to make
- Stronger coffee flavor
Cons:
- A small amount of milk
- Some people don’t like the strong flavor
What’s the difference between Cappuccino vs. Macchiato?
Caffeine difference:
A cappuccino contains around 130 mg of caffeine while a macchiato contains around 65 mg of caffeine. As you can see, macchiato contains less caffeine because less espresso is used in this coffee.
Preparation method:
Coffee drinks usually contain a combination of milk foam, steamed milk, and espresso. The milk foam is just steamed milk that has been whipped to add some air to it. In this case, the cappuccino is almost in equal proportions. It contains equal proportions of milk foam, steamed milk, and espresso.
A macchiato, on the other hand, contains only milk foam and espresso.
Taste
Since a cappuccino contains more steamed milk, it tastes milkier and softer than a macchiato. Milk does not completely mask the taste of espresso, but it is usually more enjoyable for those who dislike the bold taste of macchiatos.
Although the taste of macchiato may be more bitter, the caffeine content in cappuccino is higher than in macchiato.
For those who are going to drink coffee to be more calorie conscious a macchiato may be a good choice because it is basically an espresso.
So you already know the difference between a cappuccino and a macchiato. Now it will be easier for you to choose which coffee you want to drink in different situations.
Bottom line
Cappuccino is the morning drink, while macchiato is the afternoon coffee. Coffee has an important place in people’s lives.
Macchiato and cappuccino are both espresso-based drinks that help control diabetes. Espresso is rich in antioxidants and thus it helps reduce the risk of cancer.
