What is the Difference Between Coffee and Latte?
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages globally, noted for its strong but delicious taste and fantastic aroma. There are several kinds of coffee that you can come across, one of them being latte. So what is the difference between the standard coffee and latte?
The two vary greatly and this piece will show you the ways to differ coffee and latte so that you can be assured to have the right content in your mug.
Difference Between Coffee and Latte
The preparation process will help you to notice the main difference between these two types of coffee. While you can say coffee is the traditional beverage, a latte is quite sophisticated when it comes to its preparation.
Latte has some milk among its ingredients, and even its name comes from the Italian word, caffelatte, meaning coffee and milk.
Let us stem deeper into their preparation modes to understand how the two beverages differ.
Preparation of Coffee
What you need;
- Enough water.
- Grind coffee beans
- Preferred sweetener.
Coffee is easy to prepare, where you grind coffee beans as you wait for the water to boil. You then line a filter paper on your mug and put some of the ground coffee. Do not put excess coffee, as it may be extra strong for your liking, with a slightly bitter taste.
You can then add the sweetener of your choice to improve its taste. A few tablespoons of sugar or honey will do the trick, and you have a tasty cup of coffee with a pleasant aroma.
Preparation of Latte
What you need;
- Sufficient water.
- Ground coffee beans, roasted to a darker finish.
- Milk.
- Sweetener
Making Espresso
Preparing latte is an art, and you should follow every step keenly if you want a great cup of this coffee-based beverage. You start by making an espresso. If you have an espresso machine, the better, as you will have a simple task ahead.
However, if you do not have an espresso machine, you can put your barista skills to the test to make a strong cup of coffee. A thing to note about making espresso for your latte is that it should be extra strong to have the right taste and aroma.
To make espresso, you will need a French press or an AeroPress to pressure the finely ground coffee for the best taste. The AeroPress is an excellent option and easy to use, and you should stack it up and place a filter in the drain cap and place the press on a stable mug.
You then prepare your coffee and put it on the filter. The coffee grind should be fine for you to get the best flavor. You can add more coffee to the filter if you want a more pronounced taste.
You now add boiled water to the press, like 3.5-ounces, which is enough to fill your cup. Then press down on the plunger to get your espresso on the cup.
The press is the critical process as espresso’s taste relies on the pressure and the quality of the coffee grind.
Whisking Your Milk
A critical step in preparing a latte is adding milk. You can use the milk variety of your choice, be it the non-fat or whichever you love.
The milk needs to be frothy to turn espresso into a latte. If you have a frothing machine, you will have the simple task of getting frothy milk.
However, if you do not have a frothing device, you can manually use a whisk to make your milk frothy. You whisk it continuously until the milk appears to be bubbly and quite thick.
Pour Frothy Milk into Your Espresso
This is a delicate process and determines how good your cup of latte will look. You should pour the milk into the espresso, doing it gently for the milk to take in the coffee and give you the perfect blend.
Here is where baristas show off their artistry, creating impressive patterns on the cup. If you are a beginner, you can learn the art with time.
Latte Macchiato
Latte macchiato is similar to the traditional latte, using similar ingredients, but the preparation process varies at the final step. While you add milk to espresso for a latte, for latte macchiato, you add espresso to frothed milk.
There is also an iced latte, where you add milk and coffee to ice, and it is a standard beverage in coffee shops.
You do not need foam or steamed milk for an iced latte, though you can go for them if you prefer so.
There are also many sweetener options, with coffee shops preferring syrups to give them a unique taste.
Adding Flavor
You can add flavor to both coffee and latte, with plenty of options to pick from. You can either go for cinnamon, mint, or have a hint of chocolate or ginger.
You can add the spices on the espresso when making a latte, for the hot water to fuse in the different flavors at once, with the milk acting as a neutralizing agent.
Latte Art
Latte art is one of the impressive culinary arts and one that makes latte stand out from a traditional coffee cup.
You achieve the artworks when you pour the milk into the espresso, where you come up with excellent prints. Many patrons love this artwork, and it makes them appreciate their cups of coffee.
Final Thought
So, got the idea about how to differ coffee from a latte? Simply put, you can refer to a latte as coffee, but not the other way around. Latte is a special type of coffee, where you have an espresso base with a dash of frothed milk.
Latte is one of the best beverages that many coffee lovers appreciate, from the taste, aroma to the art. This article shows you how to prepare a latte and differentiate it from your standard cup of coffee. Frothed milk is a must; otherwise, you will have plain coffee with milk.
The standard coffee is easy to prepare, especially if you love the black variety. Follow the preparation steps keenly to improve your home coffee-making skills.
