Being a true coffee aficionado, you might know a whole lot about various types of coffee drinks, the espresso beverages, but do you really know the difference between a latte vs breve? If not, no worries, we will tell you about it.
We all love our coffee in one way or the other – the cappuccinos, lattes, americanos, mochas, breves, cold coffees, black or espressos, there are numerous espresso based drinks that people love to drink around the world.
Some coffee drinks look or taste similar, while others differ a lot. For example, a mocha can be made differently by changing the amount of sugar or foam or both for example. On the other hand, Americano and black coffee are quite similar.
What is a Breve Coffee
Well, it is a type in which espresso is added with steamed half milk and half cream. This is a rich creamier type of coffee due to the cream in it. This is an American type of drink and loved for its creamier texture mainly.
The steamed cream and milk add the fluffy nature of this coffee and there is more fat in this. It is mostly taken without the need to add sugar as it is already quite rich. But some people do add sugar or syrup to make it sweeter. This drink is even served as a dessert due to the foamy part of it!
A breve can be made from any kind of milk – whole milk or low-fat milk. For a richer experience, whole milk is better to use. Also, the cream is made by heating the milk up but cream maybe added extra as well. This depends on the richness required individually.
How to Make a Breve at Home
To make a breve at home, simply follow these steps:
- Make an espresso shot (2 ounces) in your coffee maker.
- Add steamed half milk and half cream into it.
- Now use a spoon and add the foam from the steamed milk and cream depending on the amount of fluff required.
- Enjoy your breve!
As you can see, this is a very easy coffee type to make. Whether you do it manually or through a coffee maker, this beverage will taste amazing as long as the right amounts of ingredients are used.
You can even try playing around with the amounts as that will bring different textures and aromas to the cups. Mastering a breve will just take some interest and practice – giving you a perfect cup at home to enjoy every day.
This is surely a simple and quick type of coffee that anyone can make at home.
What is a Breve Latte
An Americanized version of the traditional Italian cappuccino, the Breve Latte is a type of espresso-based drink in which steamed milk and a very small amount of milk foam is added on espresso. The taste of a breve latte is somewhat creamy.
How to Make a Breve Latte
The basic ingredient of a breve latte is again espresso. To make a latte, follow the below mentioned steps:
- Add steamed milk on to espresso.
- Add foam (as per your preferences) to give your drink a milky effect.
- Ready to sip (go ahead with any additives if you prefer).
- Your perfect, smooth and aromatic latte drink is ready to be sipped!
What is a Latte
Latte is also a combination of steamed milk and a very little amount of milk foam that is added onto espresso.
Latte is generally served hot but can be taken as a cold drink as well. The only difference in the making is that for cold latte, espresso is poured over ice and the rest is the same. Sugar is an individual preference and maybe added as per preferences.
Latte Variations and Drinks
Latte can be taken in a decaf way too. This means the drink will not have too much caffeine but only a little amount of it. This is generally used by people that maybe allergic to caffeine or do not want to consume too much of it.
The drinks that are like latte include cappuccino, mocha, flat white and cortado.
Latte Strength & Flavor
Also, the amount of milk matters greatly for the taste of a latte. Lesser milk will mean more coffee strength in the flavor. More milk will give a creamier taste obviously.
Using whole milk will also make the latte creamier and smoother to have. Two percent frothed milk can also be used for making lattes. Foam can be added later as well.
There are flavored lattes also – from hazelnut to caramel – they can be made in a range of flavors. There is no specific size for a latte and everyone will have their own preferred size of the hot or cold drink.
The Bean Factor
Another thing that will affect the latte taste is the type of beans used for the espresso. For example, if Arabica beans or light roasted beans are used – the latte will be less bitter. But if the beans used are Robusta or dark roast – then the latte will taste bitter and strong.
Difference Between Breve and Latte
As mentioned above, both breves and lattes are similar coffee types. They both are made with the basic ingredient espresso. Other ingredients are also identical – milk, sugar and foam.
The main difference is the amounts of steamed milk and cream used.
In breve, there is steamed half milk and half cream. Whereas in a latte, there is a lot more hot milk and just a little foam is added in the end. Sugar can be added in both coffees as per taste requirements. In the case of lattes, flavours can be added as well.
Another fact is that only lattes can be served both hot and cold. This makes lattes a hit in hot places like the Middle East where it is hot almost all year round. Breves are only taken hot with or without sugar. Breves are sort of like cappuccinos with foam. Lattes are a lot fluffier in texture.
Our Final Word on Latte VS Breve
The type of coffee a person likes is something that matters a lot to people. It is a very personal thing to most – as they start their days with it. A perfect cup of coffee is something that everyone craves for and will be delighted when they get it.
Hence, the right type of coffee making is quite important. Unless you know this, you will always need to buy those expensive coffee drinks from coffee shops. We hope that now you do have a good idea about the basic difference between a Latte vs Breve.
The above coffee making techniques for breves and lattes are quite simple yet they make the drinks very different with the same ingredients. This is an art. By simply changing the amounts and ways of coffee making, you can get entirely different experiences!
Both coffee types described above can also be made using basic coffee makers. Nowadays, most mid-range machines even feature separate buttons from lattes to espressos. So simply get your desired coffee from the touch of a button!