Drinks
Latte
A latte is an espresso drink with steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam on top — typically 12oz total, with 1–2 shots of espresso and the rest milk. It's the most popular specialty espresso drink in the US and the most common canvas for latte art.
The standard latte: 18g double shot, 12oz cup, whole milk steamed with light stretching (1–2 seconds) and gentle texturing, poured to create a glossy surface with ~1cm of foam. Latte art happens here — rosettas, tulips, and hearts are all latte standards because the volume and milk texture suit them.
Latte quality has three layers: shot quality (the espresso underneath), milk quality (texture, temperature, sweetness from steaming), and pour quality (the art and how well the espresso integrates with the milk). Customers may not articulate any of these, but they feel a great latte vs an average one immediately.
Lattes have become specialty cafés' bread and butter — typically 40–60% of milk drink orders. Quality consistency across lattes is one of the most reliable predictors of regular customer return rate.
Related terms
Keep exploring
Drinks
Flat white
A flat white is a small espresso drink with steamed milk and minimal microfoam — typically 6oz total, with 1–2 espresso shots and tightly textured milk poured without a visible foam layer.
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Drinks
Cappuccino
A cappuccino is a small espresso drink with equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and dense milk foam — typically 6oz total.
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Drinks
Espresso
Espresso is a small, concentrated coffee beverage made by forcing about 92–94°C water through finely-ground, tamped coffee at 9 bars of pressure for 25–32 seconds.
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Milk & latte art
Microfoam
Microfoam is steamed milk with very small, uniform bubbles that create a glossy, paint-like texture.
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Milk & latte art
Latte art
Latte art is the practice of pouring textured milk into espresso to create patterns on the drink's surface — hearts, tulips, rosettas, and more complex designs.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What's the standard latte size?
How many shots are in a latte?
What's the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?
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