Cortado VS Cappuccino: Comparing The Best Milk Coffees
Cortado VS Cappuccino is a fair comparison since they are commonly mistaken for one another.
Both of these coffee beverages have an espresso base and are topped with milk. So physically, they are both milk coffee and look pretty much identical.
However, on a closer look, the cortado and cappuccino main difference stems from the texture of the milk. The cappuccino is a comparatively creamier coffee drink in comparison to the cortado.
That is only one of the differences and if you are interested to know more about them, read on!
In this blog post, I will share 6 core differences between Cortado VS Cappuccino.
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At a glance: Cortado VS Cappuccino – Compairing The Best of Milk Coffees
What Is A Cortado
A Cortado is a coffee beverage that is made by brewing an espresso base and topping it with steamed milk. However, unlike the steamed milk we know today which is done using a steam wand, the milk is merely heated without foaming it.
For those who are curious, Cortado’s origin can be traced back to Spain. Here, locals love consuming coffee but they find that espressos are too strong for their palate. So, to cut through the bitterness and acidity of the espresso, they will often request to have a splash of milk in their coffee.
Since the term “cortar” basically means “to cut”, the drink eventually got the term Cortado. Today, you can find Cortados in most cafes which are serious about their coffees.
On a side note, in some parts of the world, a Cortado is also known as Gibraltar. Just a little snack fact, Gibraltar is coined by Blue Bottle coffee but they did not know that a similar drink called Cortado was already within the coffee community.
Recipe For A Cortado
How To Brew A Cortado
1. Warm up your espresso machine 5 minutes before brewing.
2. Measure 18 grams if your favorite coffee bean and grind them to fine size into your portafilter.
3. Distribute and tamp the coffee grounds and ensure the coffee bed is flat and packed.
4. Flush the espresso grouphead and fit in the portafilter.
5. Initiate the espresso extraction process and aim to stop within 25 to 30 seconds. You should get approximately 60 ml (2 ounce) of espresso.
6. Lightly steam your milk with a steam wand. Becareful not to create too much microfoam in the process.
7. Pour 60 ml of milk to the espresso and serve.
Barista Tip: Steaming 60 ml of milk might not be practical as there is too little milk in the pitcher. If you are brewing a Cortado, I’d recommend steaming 120 ml milk (enough for a Latte), use 60 ml for your Cortado and keep the rest of the milk for other Iced coffee drinks.
What Is A Cappuccino
Moving on to the next coffee drink. A cappuccino is a coffee beverage which is prepared with an espresso base and a frothy yet silky textured milk.
Fun fact! The cappuccino’s birthplace was Vienna in the 1800s. Back then, the locals would add milk to coffee until the color of the coffee resembled the color of a monk’s Capuchin robe. And this is how the Cappuccino got its name.
The key defining factor of a Cappuccino is the thickness of the layer of foam on the coffee beverage.
For reference, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and World Barista Championship (WBC) defines a Cappuccino as a 5 – 6 oz coffee beverage that should have at least 1 cm of foam depth.
Without the layer of foam, the coffee beverage is simply an espresso mixed with milk.
On a side note, it is fairly common to mistake a Cortado with a Flat White or a Cappuccino too. An easy way to tell them apart is by the thickness of the layer of foam. In this context, the Cappuccino has a comparatively thicker foam layer on top of it while a Flat White has little to no foam but twice the volume of milk in comparison to the Cortado.
Recipe For A Cappuccino
How To Brew A Cappuccino
1. Warm up your espresso machine 5 minutes before brewing.
2. Measure 18 grams if your favorite coffee bean and grind them to fine size into your portafilter.
3. Distribute and tamp the coffee grounds and ensure the bed of coffee is nicely packed.
4. Flush the espresso grouphead and fit in the portafilter.
5. Initiate the espresso extraction process and aim to stop within 25 to 30 seconds. You should get approximately 60 ml (2 ounce) of espresso.
6. Steam your milk and gently create microfoam. You should aim to get the milk volume to rise about 1 centimeters (0.4 inch). This foam is what defines a true cappuccino.
7. Pour 120 ml of the foamy milk on to the espresso and serve!
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Grinder quality is extremely crucial in determining if your coffee will be good or not.
Baratza Encore is an award winning grinder and you certainly cannot go wrong with this. Equipped with 40 grind settings, it fits all kinds of brew methods. Be it espresso, Aeropress, Hario V60, Chemex, French Press, or automatic brewers.
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Cortado VS Cappuccino: 6 Key Differences
Now that both the coffee beverages are clearly defined, we can now look at their differences.
In this section, I will discuss the 6 differentiating factors you can use to tell the Cortado apart from the Cappuccino.
1. Brew Ratio
The first evident difference between a Cortado and a Cappuccino is the brew ratio. For context, the brew ratio of 1:2 means 1 part coffee and 2 parts milk.
Starting with the Cortado. It is crafted with a brew ratio of 1:1. Hence, for every drop of espresso coffee, you should match it with equal volume of milk.
On the contrary, a Cappuccino is prepared with a brew ratio of 1:2. Here, there will be more milk added to the espresso base in comparison to the Cortado.
To sum it up, cortados have a smaller espresso to milk ratio in comparison to cappuccinos. Keep these brew ratios in mind as they are the core reasons for more differences.
2. Mouthfeel & Texture
Putting both the Cortado and Cappuccino side by side, you will quickly notice that the Cappuccino has a nice velvety layer of foam while the Cortado has little to no milk foam.
This is because the milk used for a Cappuccino is textured with an espresso machine’s steam wand.
In fact, a Cappuccino will not be known as a Cappuccino without that layer of foam.
With the textured milk, the Cappuccino will give you a silky smooth mouthfeel as you consume it. On the other hand, the Cortado will have a relatively flatter mouthfeel since the milk is not textured.
Author’s Note: With the trend of sharing content on social media, baristas have now sought to craft Cortados with a lightly textured milk for Latte art.
3. Taste
Since the brew ratios of both the Cortado and Cappuccino are different, you can expect the taste to differ as well.
In this case, the taste of coffee in the Cortado is much more prevalent than in the Cappuccino. This is mainly because of the smaller coffee to milk ratio of the Cortado. Hence with the Cortado, you can taste the natural tasting notes of the coffee since there is less milk in the coffee beverage.
Conversely, the Cappuccino will naturally have a milkier tasting profile since there is twice as much milk in this espresso-based milk beverage. Therefore, people will usually prefer to use medium or dark roast as an espresso base for cappuccinos so that the coffee taste will not get too diluted.
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4. Coffee Strength
Another fairly common question when comparing Cortado VS Cappuccino is, “Is A Cortado stronger than a Cappuccino?”.
Short answer, Yes, a Cortado is stronger than a Cappuccino.
This is mainly due to the fact that the Cortado has a smaller coffee to milk ratio in comparison to the Cappuccino.
That said, assuming that both the Cortado and Cappuccino were prepared with double shot espresso as a base, they contain the same amount of coffee.
The Cortado is only stronger in terms of taste since there is less milk to dilute the flavor of the espresso.
Common Misunderstanding: Did you know that adding more milk to coffee does not reduce the coffee’s caffeine content? All it does is simply dilute the coffee!
5. Coffee Volume
Once again, with reference to the brew ratio, the volume of the coffee beverage for both the Cortado and Cappuccino is definitely different. Since the brew ratio of the Cortado and Cappuccino are 1:1 and 1:2 respectively, the Cappuccino has twice the amount of milk when compared to the Cortado.
For the sake of comparison, we will assume that both coffee beverages use a double shot espresso as the base.
| Coffee Drink | Espresso Volume | Milk Volume | Total Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cortado | 60 ml | 60 ml | 120 ml |
| Cappuccino | 60 ml | 120 ml | 180 ml |
As you can see, the Cortado is a comparatively smaller coffee beverage in comparison to the Cappuccino. Therefore do not be disappointed when you order a Cortado and what you get is a small cup of coffee.
6. Calories
Lastly, the calorific value of both the Cappuccino and Cortado are different mainly due to the volume of milk added.
Trivia!
Did you know that black coffee and espresso have zero calories? The calories start marching in only when other ingredients such as milk, sugar and cream are added.
With reference to the brew ratio, since there is more milk in the cappuccino, the cappuccino has higher calories compared to a cortado.
Here’s a simple table of comparison for your ease of reference.
| Coffee Drink | Milk Volume | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Cortado | 60 ml | 38 |
| Cappuccino | 120 ml | 76 |
Which Is Better: Cortado VS Cappuccino
It is definitely not my call to say either the cortado or cappuccino is better. After all, flavor and taste are subjective and we all have different opinions and preferences.
Both the Cortado and Cappuccino are excellent milk-based espresso drinks and you’d certainly not go wrong with either of them. On a side note, other than regular milk, evaporated milk with coffee is a pretty popular combination in South East Asia.
Back on topic, if you really had to choose one, there are 3 questions to ask yourself.
i) Do you prefer a stronger or weaker coffee drink?
ii) Would you want a larger volume of a coffee beverage?
iii) Do you like your coffee drink to have a creamy and foamy texture?
As you ask yourself the questions above, let us move on to the reasons to choose a cortado or the cappuccino.
Reasons To Choose Cortado
1. Preference for a stronger and more intense flavor of the coffee.
2. Enjoys a coffee beverage that has minimal foam.
3. Likes to have coffee which has a lesser milk-to-coffee ratio.
4. Do not mind a small volume of a coffee drink.
Reasons To Choose Cappuccino
1. Preference for milkier-tasting coffee beverages.
2. Enjoys the creamy foamy texture that a cappuccino brings.
3. Likes to have coffee which has a more milk-to-coffee ratio.
4. Wants a higher volume of coffee beverage.
Now that you know the differences between Cortado and Cappuccino, you may be interested in finding out the differences between Cortado and Latte!
FAQ On Cortado VS Cappuccino
Is Cortado Stronger Than A Cappuccino?
Yes, Cortado is stronger than a cappuccino. The reason is because the ratio of espresso to milk is equal while the cappuccino has more milk than espresso volume. Hence, the taste of the Cortado will appear to be much stronger compared to a cappuccino as there is less milk to dilute the coffee beverage.
Is A Cortado The Same As A Flat White?
A Cortado is not the same as a Flat White. The main difference between a Cortado and a Flat White is the ratio of espresso to milk. Similar to a Cappuccino, the Flat White is also made with 1 part espresso and 2 parts milk but with lightly textured milk. Hence, a Cortado is smaller than a Flat White but much stronger.
What Is Starbucks Equivalent To A Cortado?
Cortado is not an official Starbucks coffee beverage. Chances are the barista on duty may not even know what a Cortado is. However, there is a simple trick to order one. You simply have to ask the barista for a double shot of espresso with 2 ounces of steamed milk on top.
Do You Stir A Cortado?
You can stir a Cortado if you have added other condiments such as sugar or flavored syrup. Other than that, you may want to stir your Cortado to evenly mix the espresso and milk before you drink it. If not, you can just drink a Cortado without stirring. It will still taste as good!
Closing Notes
This concludes the comparison of Cortado VS Cappuccino. Both are great coffee beverages but I’d personally choose a Cortado over a Cappuccino.
The strength and intensity of a Cortado is simply too good to give up. Furthermore, it highlights the flavors of the natural occurring acids of the coffee beans since it has lesser milk volume.
That said, the creaminess that the Cappuccino has, has its own loyal fan base too!
Which is your favorite?
If you find this piece of article informational and have taught you a thing or two about Cortado and Cappuccino, please share it with your fellow friends. baristas and home brewers!
Happy brewing!
