Latte, cappuccino and flat white side by side
Same espresso, three different amounts of milk. These cups are drawn from our drinks chart data, in millilitres, top layer first.
| Per drink | Latte | Cappuccino | Flat white |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 40 ml | 40 ml | 40 ml |
| Steamed milk | 230 ml | 55 ml | 100 ml |
| Milk foam | 15 ml | 55 ml | 10 ml |
| Typical total | about 9.6 fl oz (285 ml) | about 5 fl oz (150 ml) | about 5 fl oz (150 ml) |
| Caffeine | about 125–190 mg (double shot, from the espresso): the same in each | ||
| How it is made | Pull a double shot into a large cup. Steam a larger volume of milk. Pour it over the espresso and finish with a thin foam layer. | Pull a double shot into a cup. Steam milk and build a thick layer of foam. Pour so espresso, milk and foam sit in roughly equal thirds. | Pull a double shot into a cup. Steam milk to a smooth microfoam. Pour so the foam stays thin, about half a centimetre. |
Typical builds from the sources listed below; cafés vary. Open the drinks chart in compare mode to see them side by side. Last checked 2026-11-04.
Which one should you order?
- You want a mild, milky drink: latte. It has the most milk (about 230 ml in our data) and only a thin foam layer.
- You like foam and a stronger coffee taste: cappuccino. Equal thirds of espresso, milk and foam, so the coffee is less diluted.
- You want coffee flavour with smooth milk: flat white. About 100 ml of milk and a thin foam, around half a centimetre.
How the three differ
The roles are about milk and foam, not different coffee. A latte is the "milkiest" of the classics, with about 1 cm of foam, per the Coffee Bros guide. A cappuccino has the thickest foam of the three, about 1.5 cm, with roughly equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam (Seattle Coffee Gear, MistoBox, Coffee at Three). A flat white keeps the foam to about 0.5 cm and the milk near 100 g, so it is described as a stronger milk drink than a latte.
| Latte | Cappuccino | Flat white | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | Most (about 230 ml) | About 55 ml, plus foam | About 100 ml |
| Foam | Thin, about 1 cm | Thick, about 1.5 cm | Thin, about 0.5 cm |
| Typical size | 8 to 12 oz | 5 to 6 oz | 5 to 6 oz |
| Taste | Mildest, most milk | Foamy, coffee forward | Smooth, coffee forward |
Café builds vary, so treat these as typical. Sizes come from the sources on the drinks chart, which also lists how each source measured.
Making each at home
- Pull a double shot. About 40 ml into the cup. Same for all three.
- Steam the milk. A latte needs the largest volume and a thin foam. A cappuccino needs a thick foam layer. A flat white needs a smooth, thin microfoam.
- Pour. Latte: pour over the espresso. Cappuccino: aim for equal thirds. Flat white: keep the foam to about half a centimetre.
A pitcher with a fill line makes the volumes repeatable, which is the hard part. See choosing a milk pitcher size. New to steaming? Our dial-in guide helps the espresso side first.
Do they differ in caffeine?
Not in our sources: the same number of shots gives the same range, about 125 to 190 mg for a double. The milk dilutes the taste, not the shot. More in caffeine in an espresso shot.