What is the difference between an Espresso and Cappuccino?


Both espresso and cappuccino are coffee but nevertheless different varieties. Before learning the difference between these two varieties of coffee, it is important to know how they are prepared. Espresso is prepared by crushing coffee beans through an espresso machine. The espresso machine can differ depending on how fine you want the coffee beans to be.

Espresso is used as the base ingredient in most coffee varieties; this however depends on what you want in your coffee and at what concentration. Espresso can either be made using an espresso machine or boiled in a pot on the stove. The latter will however not produce the same quality espresso. This is because the machine takes the coffee beans through different temperatures and pressures until the end product is a well refined espresso.

The espresso machine brings out the best out of the coffee beans by grinding them to produce a very fine puck. Hot water is then added to this puck at different temperatures and pressures taking into consideration the time as well. All this is carefully monitored by the espresso machine. No milk or cream is added to the espresso unless one wants to make other coffee variations like cappuccino or latte. Espresso is also known to be a popular beverage in America that is consumed after dinner. Some people are known to use different coffee beans to bring out different espresso flavors. In this case, it is highly advised to thoroughly wash the espresso machine so that the new flavor is not influenced by any other taste.

Cappuccino on the other is also a coffee variety that is widely taken in the morning and has a wonderful aroma. To make cappuccino, an espresso machine is also needed as in the case of making espresso. Cappuccino is basically made from mixing equal volumes of espresso and milk before adding a milk froth to the end result. Pour steamed milk in a cup then pour an equal volume of espresso brewed from the espresso machine and finally add milk froth to it. The milk froth is usually twice the volume of the steamed milk which is steamed through the milk wand found on the espresso machine. For a greater flavor, you can add cinnamon or a pinch of cocoa powder to it.

With cappuccino, you can use soy milk or low fat milk as well. Today, people experiment with different flavors in making cappuccino. One can add orange, bailey or even vanilla syrups to the cappuccino to get a great flavor. For the skilled cappuccino makers, they add designs on the froth of the cappuccino to make it look attractive. Designs can range from leaves to love heart shapes that make the beverage fun.

The main differences between espresso and cappuccino are as follows-:


  • Concentration – Coffee concentration in the espresso in higher than in cappuccino with the simple fact that there are no additives in it. Espresso is served plain without adding any milk or cream to it while cappuccino is the exact opposite.
  • Milk – There is presence of milk in cappuccino, both skimmed and frothed which makes a very huge difference to the plain espresso.
  • Base Ingredient – Espresso is the base ingredient for cappuccino and not the other way round.
  • Flavorful- This is debatable depending on what you are going for. If you are looking for that extra coffee kick then plain and simple espresso will work for you. It will have more flavors in terms of coffee concentration. If you are looking for a fun loving attractive cup of coffee then the froth milk, touch of vanilla syrup and a pinch of cinnamon will definitely work for you.

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