In brief
A latte is espresso topped with plenty of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. The name is short for the Italian caffè latte, which simply means coffee and milk.
It is the milkiest of the common espresso drinks. Wikipedia describes it as much milkier than a cappuccino, with a milder coffee taste. L'OR Espresso puts the ratio at about one-third espresso to two-thirds steamed milk, with roughly 1 cm of foam.
In Italy, Wikipedia notes, milky coffee drinks like the latte and cappuccino are often a breakfast-only habit.
On this page · 5 sections
Where does the latte come from?
The name is old, but the drink as cafés make it today is a 20th-century invention. Achilles Coffee Roasters and The Daily Meal both date the earliest written use to 1867, in William Dean Howells's travel essays "Italian Journeys."
Howells could not have had a modern latte. Wikipedia dates the steam wand to 1903, and Achilles notes the lever espresso machine arrived in the 1940s. What he drank on the boat from Trieste to Venice was coffee with milk.
The modern American latte is often traced to Berkeley, California. The Daily Meal reports that Lino Meiorin, owner of Caffe Mediterraneum, is often credited with it in the 1950s. His customers found his cappuccinos too small and too strong. Achilles adds that Seattle baristas began pouring latte art in the 1980s.
How is a latte different from a cappuccino?
A latte has more milk and less foam. Wikipedia's cappuccino article says a traditional cappuccino is one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk and one-third foam. A latte has "the same amount of espresso, but with more milk."
| Drink | Typical serving (Wikipedia) | Milk and foam |
|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino | 150 to 180 ml cup | Equal parts milk and thick foam |
| Flat white | Small cup, like a cappuccino | Less milk, thin microfoam |
| Latte | 200 to 300 ml cup or glass | Most milk, thin foam |
The milk is steamed differently too. The 2M Barista Journal suggests stretching milk by 50 to 80% in volume for a classic cappuccino. For a latte or flat white, it suggests only 20 to 40%.
How is a latte different from a flat white?
A flat white is smaller and stronger-tasting. Both use thin, velvety microfoam. The flat white puts a similar amount of espresso into less milk, so the coffee comes through more.
How much espresso is in a latte?
Usually one or two shots. Achilles describes the modern latte as typically a double shot of espresso with steamed milk. L'OR says a single or double shot.
The milk is what makes the drink large. Wikipedia notes that American lattes are often heavily sweetened, usually with 3% or more of refined white sugar, which pushes them further from the Italian original.
What grind does a latte need?
A normal espresso grind. The latte does not call for its own grind setting. You dial in the shot as you would for straight espresso, then add milk.
A latte is more forgiving than a flat white, because the extra milk softens the shot's flaws. But a badly extracted shot still tastes thin or harsh through milk. The fix is still at the grinder.
If lattes are all you make, you still need a grinder that can reach espresso fineness and adjust in small steps. Baratza notes that on its original Encore, built for filter, the ideal shot can fall between two settings. The grinder finder narrows the field for espresso, and espresso settings by grinder gives a starting point for each model.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Latte
- Wikipedia: Cappuccino
- Achilles Coffee Roasters: The history of the latte
- The Daily Meal: The mysterious history of the classic latte
- L'OR Espresso: Flat white vs latte vs cappuccino
- 2M Barista Journal: Steaming milk, science and technique
- Baratza: Stepped vs. Stepless, which is right for your grind?
By Jeff Gluck · Checked Oct 21, 2026