Cappuccino Contemplation

Working at a variety of different cafes in both Milwaukee and Atlanta, I have seen a myriad of styles and methods behind preparing drinks. Each style and method are very personal to the barista in question, and therefore, those methods become a law to him or her, intimately attached to his or her own being. While I understand that feeling, I find so often that this attitude toward beverage preparation can be a real hindrance to the standardization of coffee across the globe. If you order a cappuccino in Frankfurt, Germany, for instance, will you receive that exact recipe once you order in Portland, Oregon? Maybe you wouldn’t. Although many might find this kind of diversity quite alluring, a lack of standardization promotes a lack of fastidiousness not only toward coffee preparation, but even in other areas of service and cafe maintenance; therefore, I would like to offer a bit of resolution.

If you have ever ordered a cappuccino before, you may take note of the primary feature: a substantial layer of foam riding the surface. Having a clear vessel will even more clearly evidence this point. I would like to congratulate you on your result: you have received what you paid for. Unlike a latte, which consists of approximately 1/4 espresso, 5/8 steamed milk, and 1/8 foam, a cappuccino revels in its reputation as a foamy beverage.

Despite these quintessential characteristics, however, the success of a cappuccino in achieving such a ratio depends on a few nuances.

1. The cappuccino must be served in an 8oz cup. I don’t care if you tell me you don’t have an 8oz to-go cup. You’d better get one! This cup is incumbent because of the customer’s perception. You are setting the standard of differentiation for them, that they would understand from the get-go that this drink is not a latte and thus does not come in the same size cup as a latte.
2. Do not make a point of creating latte art! Do not try to exalt your ability to paint a pretty little flower in the customer’s drink. If your beverage is truly a cappuccino, why would someone expect to see “latte art" in there anyway? The closer you get to making a macchiato (which is another matter we will try to tackle), the less likely latte art will make any sense.
3. Do not polish your milk! Despite what you may think, the same milk you use to make a cappuccino could very well be used to make a latte. Most everything depends on whether or not you polish. If you blend the milk, there goes those distinct layers. Although we don’t want to make a dry cappuccino unless someone asks for it, we should not presume that a wet cappuccino is the same as a latte.

To some people, terms are just labels and categories ascribed to ideas, shackling them to one person’s point of view and thus limiting their greater potential. As limiting as these words may be, they also preserve the foundation upon which new discoveries are built. Remove the foundation, and be certain that the potential energy of everything above it will result in catastrophe. We can glean from experience and learn from the past. That is why I feel the need, at least with regard to cappuccinos, for laying down the law.