☕ Latte

A latte (from the Italian caffè latte, “coffee with milk”) is espresso with plenty of hot milk, usually topped with a thin layer of foam. According to USDA, 100 g of latte has 43 kcal, 2.8 g of protein, 1.6 g of fat and 105 mg of calcium, and a 240 g cup about 86 mg of caffeine.

The base is espresso. The Istituto Espresso Italiano describes a certified serving as a small cup of about 25 ml of coffee, and its cappuccino as 25 ml of espresso and 100 ml of steam-frothed milk. A latte has even more milk, so it is milder and paler than a cappuccino.

Milk for a latte is heated and frothed with the coffee machine's steam wand, creating a microfoam of tiny bubbles that makes it silky. A 2022 study in the International Dairy Journal found the best final frothing temperature to be 50–60 °C; in pasteurised milk the most uniform bubbles formed at around 60 °C. Such foam can be poured into coffee in a pattern, known as latte art.

Caffeine. According to EFSA, 60 ml of espresso contains about 80 mg of caffeine. Healthy adults can safely have up to 400 mg a day and up to 200 mg at a time; pregnant and breastfeeding women, up to 200 mg a day. So two or three lattes are within this limit for a healthy adult, not counting other coffee or tea.

Latte or cappuccino? The base is the same espresso, but a latte has even more milk than a cappuccino, which the Istituto Espresso Italiano describes as 25 ml of espresso and 100 ml of steam-frothed milk. That makes a latte milder and paler. Latte or espresso? A latte seems lighter, but it holds the same shot of espresso, just diluted with milk, so the caffeine is not lower. The milk is frothed with the steam wand to a microfoam, best at a final temperature of 50–60 °C.

In a café, ask for “latte” or “caffè latte”, since in Italian “latte” alone means milk. In a supermarket, ready-to-drink caffè latte is a chilled drink sold in the dairy cabinet, and its label lists coffee and milk. If you prefer plant-based milk, check that the pack says so, as such a latte is a different product. Whole milk versions have more fat than skimmed ones.

Why it matters to you. A latte seems lighter than espresso, but the cup holds no less caffeine: it contains the same shot of espresso, just diluted with milk. If cow's milk does not suit you, plant-based milk works too; USDA lists such a latte separately. And a dairy latte also provides calcium: 105 mg per 100 g.