Cappuccinos vs. Lattes vs. Inadequate Knowledge of the Two

Ever since I started my job as a barista, it has come to my attention that many people don't know what the heck they're ordering. So that's the purpose of today's post: an informational guide to aid YOU in your quest to understanding the difference between a cappuccino and a latte (personally, I hate making cappuccinos. I can't always find the sweet spot to make it super foamy, so it turns into the love child of a cappuccino and a latte. When I tell people this, excluding the love child metaphor, they look at me weirdly. Don't be afraid to ask your barista about what it is you're ordering.)

*To condense the amount of poorly drawn diagrams I have to draw, we're going to stick with the 16oz requirement for drinks here. For the record, where I barista the requirement is 1 shot of espresso for smalls, and 2 shots for mediums/larges. Also, the foam I refer to is from the steamed milk. I digress.

Latte

 A latte has significantly less foam than a cappuccino.  Remember that.

Cappuccino

Please, for a moment, notice the foam to steamed milk ratio for the cappuccino, then look back to the latte, and compare the two. There is a difference. A cappuccino will feel significantly lighter than a latte. You are not being ripped off. Foam is just lighter. If you ever feel full or just want something that will be easier on the stomach, get a cappuccino.
[Personally, I like lattes better.]

Caramel Macchiato

This is one of my favorite drinks. Well, my second favorite. If it's too sweet for you, then ask for less flavoring. All the sugar from the drink comes from the 2 pumps of vanilla and 2 pumps of caramel. There's a guy who comes in everyday and gets one of these, but I only give him a pump of each flavor because he likes it less sweet. But if you're really into contracting diabetes,  I can also put whipped cream on top with a bit of caramel drizzle (sometimes when I make it for myself, I also add a bit of white chocolate drizzle) and it's frickin' delicious.
The sugar and espresso combined will wake you up.

Mocha Latte

 

A mocha is basically like a latte, just with chocolate in it. When you make it though, you want to first put the chocolate in, then the espresso, then maybe fill the cup halfway with steamed milk and stir everything together so the chocolate doesn't stick to bottom. Then you pour the rest of your steamed milk, add foam, and presto! You have yourself a mocha.

Add whipped cream for best results.

Chai Tea Latte

Personally, this is my favorite drink. Especially when adding some vanilla flavoring to it (although I could also add cinnamon flavoring or pumpkin spice... next week people). I also like adding a shot of espresso (which is called a "dirty chai") for for an extra burst of caffeine. Chai already has some caffeine in it... but I'm not sure how much. Also, if the barista asks you if you'd like some cinnamon sprinkled on top, say YES people. You won't regret it.

(Also, just to clarify, there is a difference between chai tea lattes,
and just plain old chai tea that comes in the form of a tea bag.)

Americano

An americano is the same idea of coffee, just with espresso beans. You want it watered down, because plain espresso is mad gross. I don't want to grow hair on my chest,
because I am a female and that is revolting.

Steamer

A steamer is just flavored milk, essentially. I've never made myself one, because it doesn't have caffeine in it. So I don't see a point in consuming it.

Café Au Lait

Half coffee and half milk. We only charge 50 cents plus whatever size of coffee you get. I've never had one of these, but I'm sure it's good. Some places might not have this on their menu, but you could probably ask them if they'd do a half coffee half steamed milk thang.
They should be able to figure it out.

London Fog

My old roommate from college, Melinda, made me one of these. And dang. It be good. Our coffee shop doesn't have it on the menu, but I make it for myself if I don't feel like drinking coffee. You're supposed to use Earl Grey Tea, but at work I just use the Numi Breakfast Blend and it's pretty good. As long as it's black tea it should still work fine. Also you can put some extra vanilla flavoring in it if you want. I just put 2 pumps because that's the norm.
Do what you want man.

Granted, that's not everything. But these next few items I'm not even going to bother drawing. I hate using paint sometimes. My hands cramp up, and I my face bunches up, and I hate it. I'd rather have a tablet. But I'm not going to get one for just this one instance, cause that's a waste of money.

Frappuccinos vs. Smoothies
They're both cold, the difference is frappuccinos have an espresso base while smoothies have an apple juice base. We have tons of different flavors/kinds, and that's why I don't feel like drawing it. It'd be too confusing with the flavors and mixtures and stuff. Just typing this is far more pleasing to my uncramped hands.

Espresso
If you just order plain old espresso, props to you. It's far too strong for me. I have to add coffee (which would be called a red-eye. I forgot to draw it. But I really don't want to battle with paint again guys), or water to it or something.

Macchiato
If you order this, you're getting espresso, with a dollop of foam on top. So it's not a huge drink you're getting. More like a sample cup of jacked up coffee.

Well guys, that's all the time I have for now to drop knowledge on you all. Until next time.

<3 Brittany

P.S. Also, I wish to apologize for not posting for the past THREE MONTHS. I have two jobs now, and I'm busy fund raising for Mission Year, and netflix has destroyed my life, aaaand I actually started another blog called Wym (which you should totally check out: wymsicallyyours.wordpress.com) that I post to every Monday. My friends and I started Wym in college under pen names, and printed/stapled all the booklets ourselves, and delivered them to professors offices when they weren't there, and mailed them to our friend's CPO boxes... yea. Good times man. We decided to continue our endeavors publicly with a blog. Check it out. It's pretty cool.

P.S....S? If there's a coffee drink I missed, or I messed up some sort of info shenanigans on here, please let me know. I'll be happy to add drinks to this post, or correct anything that I got wrong. I'M NOT ASHAMED OF MY MISTAKES.