Cappuccino
Also cappuccino italiano
Espresso with steamed milk and a cap of dense foam in a small cup. In Italy it is a morning drink of about 150 ml; abroad it has grown into a larger latte-like beverage.
Espresso and milkServed hotFrom Italy
- Volume
- 150ml5.1 US fl oz
- Espresso
- 1shot
- Caffeine
- 64mgderived, USDA FDC
- Coffee to milk
- 1:5.0
The build
Watch it made, step by step- Espresso25 ml17%
- Milk100 ml67%
- Foam25 ml17%
- Volume
- 150ml
- Caffeine
- 64mg
- Espresso
- 1shot
Scales every component together, so the ratio holds; caffeine scales with the coffee.
INEI's certified Italian cappuccino is 25 ml espresso plus 100 ml steam-foamed milk; the common rule of thumb is thirds of espresso, milk and foam in a 150-180 ml cup.
Caffeine
Derivedin a 150 ml cappuccino
Derived per shot: USDA FoodData Central FDC 171891 (espresso, restaurant-prepared) lists 212 mg per 100 g; a standard 30 g shot is about 63.6 mg, times 1 shot(s). Real values vary with dose, roast and species (robusta roughly doubles it).
USDA FoodData Central record 171891 · read 2026-10-26
A derived figure: the reference food's caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee in this build. Real cups vary with the coffee, the dose and the shot.
Variants by country
4| Name | Country | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| cappuccino (US) | United States | Served in 240-470 ml cups, often with a dry foam cap; see Cappuccino (US size). |
| cappuccino chiaro / scuro | Italy | Lighter or darker, i.e. more or less milk. |
| Kapuziner | Austria | Viennese ancestor: small coffee with a little cream to a brown colour. |
| freddo cappuccino | Greece | Iced espresso with cold frothed milk. |
History
Popular accountWikidata records Italy as country of origin and the Capuchin order as the namesake. The Viennese Kapuziner was a coffee coloured brown with cream; the steamed-milk cappuccino is a twentieth-century Italian machine-era drink (popular account).
Named for the colour of Capuchin friars' habits.
Parts of this story are repeated widely but were not confirmed against a source this atlas accepts. They are kept as the story people tell, not as fact.
Related drinks
The American-sized cappuccino: a double shot under a large volume of steamed milk and foam in a 12 oz cup. The distinction from a latte is mostly the thicker foam layer.
Espresso and milk Wiener Melange 150 ml · 64 mgVienna's milk coffee: a long espresso with hot milk and foam in a large cup. The gentle heart of the Viennese coffee-house menu.
Espresso and milk Flat White 165 ml · 127 mgA double espresso with steamed milk textured to a thin microfoam, served in a small cup. It is stronger and less foamy than a latte and smoother than a cappuccino.
Espresso and milk Caffè Latte 240 ml · 64 mgEspresso with a large volume of steamed milk and a little foam, usually in a tall glass or wide bowl cup. It is the mildest and milkiest of the core espresso drinks.
Espresso and milk Latte Macchiato 250 ml · 64 mgSteamed milk in a tall glass with espresso poured through the foam, producing three layers. It is the inverse of the caffè macchiato: milk marked with coffee.
Espresso and milk Caffè Mocha 260 ml · 64 mgA latte with chocolate added, usually as syrup mixed with the espresso before the milk goes in. Toppings of whipped cream or cocoa are common.