Do you know the difference between a Cappuccino, Machiatto, Latté, and Café au Lait?

I know I am a victim of pretty much all of these sweet, rich, and foamy drinks from Lattés, Cappuccino’s, Cafe au Laits and my all time favorite Machiattos…. Caramel Machiattos to be exact. 😉

I know that it may be confusing for those that do not drink any of these all the time to know which ones are which.  So here are the differences.

• Café au Lait – This drink is simply half brewed coffee and half warmed milk. You can avoid the milk or add a little but the idea is thinning the strong coffee with a generous amount of warm, creamy milk.

For more,• Latté – Similar to a café au lait, lattés are made with a shot or more of espresso poured into the bottom of a mug and topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. This is my dad’s favorite one, he always adds whipped cream.

• Cappuccino – This is absolutely my mom’s most favorite drink.  She pretty much has one every morning.  A cappuccino contains shots of espresso, but the differences lie in the amounts of milk and foam… a little milk, lots of foam. The coffee flavor is more enhanced in this drink version.

• Machiatto – My favorite, so yummy! It is simply a shot of espresso topped with a little foam, and no milk.  I however, like to add it with steamed milk, whipped cream, and caramel sauce.  Just Perfect!

Image: BrittneyBush/Flickr