Lev Lazinskiy

The Difference Between a Latte and a Cappuccino

update 6/11/24: I think its so funny that I used to think that Starbucks and Panera represented good coffee. I’ve become an even worse coffee snob than ever before.

I have been severely disappointed, disgusted, and even offended twice in the last week. It has come to my attention that 21st Century Baristas do not know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino and that is simply disturbing.

The first time that it happened was last friday. I was strolling on a cool fall evening in Dupont Circle when I stopped at Starbucks to grab something nice to drink. I ordered a grande cappuccino. It was made quickly and I left the store looking forward to drinking it.

I sat down on a bench, and was chatting with a friend, when I took my initial sip. What I expected and what I got were two extreme opposites. I was expecting a warm fluff of foam followed by the heavenly scent of fresh crushed espresso beans and then, and only then, the soothing taste of the delicious warm espresso milk mixture. What I got on the other hand, was a scalding hot serving of espresso and milk, with no foam to be seen. Initially I was shocked, confused “Did I order the right thing?” I thought to myself. Then I confirmed that I did - Strike One.

Then today I came to my local Panera bread to study, like I do quite often these days. Now let me start off by saying that my expectations from Panera bread are much lower than they are from Starbucks, so when I come in here to order a cappuccino I don’t really expect the best one that I have ever had. The first sign of trouble was when the Barista looked up instructions on how to make a cappuccino. Then she attempted to make one and did not do a very good job, I could see the frustration on her face when she realized that she had completely failed in her task. Strike 2.

I hope there will be no Strike 3, so I am putting this message out as a public service announcement. I hope all the Baristas out there are reading this. A latte and cappuccino are very similar but they are not the same thing.

Yes, I admit that they are very subtle differences. But to this coffee addict, they mean the world.