The 'Perfect' Cappuccino with the CoffeeMeister

by Erin Meister, Posted Jul 21st 2009 @ 2:00PM

A well-made cappuccino. Photo: Erin Meister

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is the tenth in a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Like Brooklynites arguing over the perfect egg cream, baristas do sometimes spar about the perfect cappuccino: What's the precise coffee-to-milk ratio? Should it be "bone dry" with stiff foam that peaks like fresh meringue? How is it different from a latte? What makes it so special, anyway?

Like many other things about coffee, the cappuccino even has a charming (and much debated) origin story that adds to its mystique: It's said the drink was named for the monks of Capuchin, whose thick hooded cowls are reminiscent of the creamy caffeinated treat. Maybe that's why some people treat a great cappuccino as a religious experience?

More about the proverbial "perfect cappuccino" after the jump.

Most baristas and cappuccino lovers alike agree, however, that the gargantuan concoction handed across American coffee shop counters is not, strictly speaking, a cappuccino. Traditionally, capps are rather smallish: While the cited proportions of coffee and moo juice vary, the final product typically holds a max of 8 ounces (preferably even 5 or 6). Myriad experts say the beverage should be crafted roughly in thirds -- a double shot (about 2 ounces) of espresso, complemented by equal parts steamed milk and frothy goodness.

Increasingly, United States cafés are scaling back to the more classic 6-ounce version common in Europe, though fanatics will tell you it's the substance, not the size, that makes a cappuccino: A balanced blend of velvety foam, delicious coffee and sweet, hot milk. An easy way to tell if the texture's spot on is to pull back your drink's head using the tip of a spoon: If it gives way to more froth, it's a successful cappuccino. If you see liquid milk instead, you're in Latteville, buster.

More foam under a capp's top layer is a good sign. Photo: Erin Meister

What do you think makes the perfect cappuccino, and what's the closest you've come to one?

Filed Under: Drink Recipes
Tags: cappuccino, coffee

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-06-2009 @3:05PM Silent D said... The best cappuccini I've had start out with barely a distinction between the milk and foam. It's a uniform texture which separates as the milk rests. I'm not a big fan of the Starbucksian latté-with-a-smidge-more-foam. Nothing says disappointment like an overly wet capp.
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