What is the difference between café crème and cappuccino? – Caffè Méo

In front of the espresso machine, at the counter of a bar or at home, it’s a great classic: you hesitate. Do you want a gourmet coffee with a hint of lait and a delicious touch of cream. But then? A coffee cream oh cappuccino ? Even among coffee lovers, hesitation is common. And for good reason: if the recipes they share a common basis, there are very different nuances and balances. The role of the milk, the place of the foam, the way in which the coffee is expressed change the experience and the tasting, but never the pleasure.

Chez Distortedcoffee can be discovered, shared and savored. This is why today we invite you to finally discover the difference between a café crème and a cappuccino.

Café crème and cappuccino: a difference played out in the cup

Yes, yes coffee cream and the cappuccino they are so often confused, it’s because the basis is the same. The combination of the same ingredients: coffee it is extracted under pressure, to which we add milk. This alchemy offers an incomparable taste, but can also create the illusion of a unique recipe, even if the intentions are different right from the preparation phase.
These two milk drinks in fact, they offer two versions, two interpretations of coffee combined with milk. To distinguish them we will focus on preparation of both recipesTHE structure and above all the balance between the power of the coffee and the sweetness of the milk for each version.

A common base: espresso, the heart of the drink

The espresso it is the basis of both recipes. Waterfall hot is sent under pressure through the coffee finely ground, in order to obtain a short, intense and aromatic extraction. Whether it’s a café crème or a perfect cappuccino, it all starts with a few mastered elements:

• An espresso successful offers a natural cream on the surface and a dense consistency. Depending on the settings it can be closer to a Ristretto, shorter and more concentrated or to a longer espresso.
• A lot of work adapted.
• Filtered water or mineralized.

Milk, foam and proportions

It’s time to work lait that café crème and cappuccino take different paths.

In the coffee creamTHE warm milk occupies an important place. It is heated with steam, then poured generously over the espresso. The foam remains fine and discreet. It blends into the drink without marked interruptions. A homogeneous and soft consistency is obtained.

The cappuccinos it is more structured. The proportions are balanced between espresso, hot milk and milk foam. This mousse it is thicker, more airy, and forms a real layer on the surface, clearly visible. The sensation in the mouth is immediately more marked.

Consistency, taste, sensations: what you really feel in your mouth

Beyond the recipe, the difference between a café crème and a cappuccino you can perceive it above all in the tasting. The consistency and duration of the aromas in the mouth they are essential. Del sensations and different feelings that often explain preferences, sometimes even without us really knowing the reason.

Café crème: softness, roundness and length in the mouth

• Coffee cream stands out for its softness.
• THE lait it is dominant, without completely overpowering the coffee.
• Round the aromas, cereals, reduces bitterness and gives a feeling of immediate comfort.
• THE taste it is more milky, the texture fluid and regular.

Coffee cream it is a drink that goes perfectly pauses gourmet, those in which we give ourselves time. A recipe similar to a latte while maintaining the structure of an espresso. Some enthusiasts will find the spirit of a filter coffee, but with more roundness and body.

Cappuccino: balance, contrast and character

• THE cappuccino offers a more contrasting experience.
• THE mousse brings an initial light sensation before giving way to coffee.
• The espresso it asserts itself more than in a café crème, supported by milk without being diluted.

THE cappuccino often suitable for those who love black coffee, but are looking for a less strong drink bitterness. The cup is shorter, the experience more concentrated.

Team café crème or Team cappuccino?

How to choose based on your desires? It’s time to choose a side. Or not. Why the choice between café crème and cappuccino it varies depending on the moment, your desire for the day, the machine used and the coffee you prefer.

Depending on the time of day

Although there are no rules, in general, the morning requires more milk-based drinks, which will accompany the awakening gently. The perfect time for a café crème.

After a mealcappuccino is a real treat, just like hazelnut coffee or espresso, but the latter retains its exciting coffee side.

Depending on the machine and the coffee

A espresso coffee machine equipped with a steam nozzle allows you to process milk with precision. There temperatureTHE structure foam and precise gestures, here are the secrets for a perfect result.

The choice of coffee, if in cereals , Earth OR organic it is equally decisive.

Expressed, slow coffeecafé crème, cappuccino, etc., freshly ground coffee offers more aromas and allows you to adjust the grind according to the recipe.

Between coffee cream et cappuccinoeach drink responds above all to your desire, in a moment, to your way of enjoying coffee.
It is this diversity that gives it its richness and still guarantees its title Favorite hot drink of the French. At Méo, coffee is enjoyed as a moment to dedicate to oneself, a pleasure to discover and rediscover cup after cup.

Tips for Meo: test! Try different coffees, different names and origins, change recipes, adjust the foam: enrich the coffee experience until you find the version that best suits you.