With a little knowledge and some understanding of your beans, anyone can make a perfect, frothy, and indulgent cappuccino.
Our recommendation would be Cafely’s SaiGon OG blend — it combines beans similarly to Italian espresso culture and creates a wonderful flavor.
Let's go through some of the best coffee beans for cappuccinos and then do a deep dive into the history and skills required to make this drink.
Roundup: The Top 3 Coffee Choices for Your Cappuccino
We’ve selected our top beans for their delicate and complex flavors, premium quality, and smooth, rich drinkability.
We’ve ranked these three coffees in order of how well they would serve a cappuccino, but the truth is all are great choices. While SaiGon OG is darker and earthier, and DaLat is more aromatic, cappuccinos come in all shapes and sizes.
When picking from these offerings, you can’t make a wrong move!
1. SaiGon OG (Robusta x Arabica x Peaberry)
This beautiful combination of different beans has been prepared as an homage to the complex, ancient, and vibrant city of Sai Gon. From the growing to the blending and the roasting, every element has been approached with love and care, and the aim is to create a bold and balanced cup.
The robusta beans create an earthy note that serves as a strong base, while the arabica beans add complex and floral notes for a more smooth mouthfeel. Finally, the peaberries themselves are considered additions so that their concentrated flavor can be perfectly felt but not overwhelm the other ingredients.
Traditional espresso brewers will use around 10% robusta beans in any given shot because they believe it brings a more rounded, finished flavor. We’ve included plenty of robusta beans for that earthy, potent flavor note to combine this Italian practice with the bold versatility of Vietnamese coffee.
2. DaNang (Arabica x Robusta)
Our Da Nang coffee is another stunning arabica and robusta blend. With roughly equal weighting between robusta and arabica beans, each cup has a supremely well-balanced flavor with a medium body and earthiness. The added robusta beans in this blend create a smooth yet bold flavor with a delightful mouthfeel.
The elegant flavor profile of this coffee ranges from hazelnut to maple syrup and citrus zest. These flavors are all beautiful additions to a milky drink like a cappuccino — it makes the tasting experience a longer, more complicated affair, allowing you to absorb different tasting notes as you savor it.
For a more traditional Vietnamese coffee, consider adding a drop or two of condensed milk to your cappuccino — it will result in a supremely rich and sweet beverage, especially when combined with the thick milk foam top we all know and love.
3. DaLat (100% Vietnamese Arabica)
This final coffee that we've selected is a shining example of modern coffee culture at large and the desire for light yet complex tasting notes. Made solely with Vietnamese arabica beans that have been grown in the Da Lat region, the rich flavor is very smooth and decadent, featuring hints of caramel, blackberry, and stone fruit.
Processed to a dark roast using traditional Vietnamese roasting techniques, this brings sweetness and caramelization of the beans while still retaining the slightly more acidic flavor and complexity of arabica.
The rich caramel and berry notes make DaLat coffee particularly lovely in a cappuccino. The combination of those bright, sugary notes and the indulgence of well-steamed milk makes for a luxurious drink perfect for a mid-afternoon break.
The History of the Cappuccino
The history of cappuccino is closely intertwined with the history of espresso machines, as the pressure and mechanics needed to both brew coffee well and steam milk well took some iteration and development to get right.
So, let’s talk about the evolution of our contemporary cappuccino.
Kapuziner: the Birth of the Cappuccino
Cappuccino is a much older concept than you might think, though it’s changed a lot with time.
Generally speaking, a drink from Vienna in the late 1700s called the Kapuziner is considered to be the forerunner of the cappuccino. An 1805 dictionary described the drink as “coffee with cream and sugar,” with later variations describing the additional use of spices from the 1850s onwards.
All that said, the details of the Kapuziner are vague — not enough for us to gauge the ingredient quantities or brew preparation.
The Ottoman Method
Traditionally, in Europe, coffee culture was based on the Ottoman method of brewing and preparing. This was essentially similar to modern Turkish coffee, where the grounds and water are boiled together, and sugar is sometimes added. Historically, this would then be filtered into a cup, or the grounds would be so fine as to be left in the drink.
Viennese Coffee
With this knowledge, the Kapuziner likely varied between something resembling chai tea (with coffee, spices, sugar, and cream boiled in one pot) and the updated form of Kapuziner coffee, often referred to as Viennese coffee. This drink comprises strong black coffee in a small cup sweetened with sugar and then topped with whipped cream and spices, not dissimilar to the description given in those 19th-century texts.
The cappuccino evolved out of this traditional drink into something closer to what we know today in the 1800s with the advent of the espresso machine.
Early Espresso Technology
When espresso machines were first introduced to cafes in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they largely worked through the inherent heat and pressure of steam.
However, a steam-driven espresso machine uses either direct steam or steam pressure to force water through the bed of ground coffee. This is both too hot and too low-pressure to produce good crema, considered the hallmark of espresso at the time.
This led to the development of espresso hardware that used pressurized water instead of steam in 1933 by Francesco Illy (yes, the Illy from the famous coffee brand!) This meant there was finally a machine that could create much greater pressure, both for brewing coffee and for steaming milk. It's this technology that became widespread and forms the backbone of the espresso industry today.
The Cappuccino as We Know It Today
After the evolution that allowed espresso machines to both brew espresso and channel steam into milk, those two elements were combined. T
his drink (what we would consider a modern cappuccino) was commonly offered on the same menu as a Kapuziner.
Cappuccinos became very popular and spread throughout Europe and the world as a steamed milk drink. However, there are still some sections of Europe that serve the drink in a Kapuziner style: strong, dark coffee topped with whipped cream.
Do Cappuccinos Always Have Chocolate on Top?
The issue as to whether your cappuccino should have cocoa powder on top sparks heated debate around the globe.
To sum it up, a cappuccino ordered in Italy would typically not be served with chocolate powder on top. However, in Australia, the UK, or New Zealand, chocolate on top is extremely common, to the point of being virtually compulsory.
In the US, adding cocoa powder often varies from cafe to cafe, with cafes often asking if you’d like it and making the drink to your specifications.
Interestingly, instead of cocoa powder, some people are said to sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top of their cappuccinos. However, in our research, it’s very hard to find any firsthand accounts of this — while it’s likely done, it’s certainly not common practice.
Is There Such a Thing as a Cold Cappucino?
Essentially, cold cappuccinos can be broken down into three categories: the Italian cappuccino freddo, the Greek and Cypriot freddo cappuccino, and the “Iced Cappuccino” often served by chain stores.
This final category is more of a marketing term and typically doesn’t refer to anything resembling a traditional or modern cappuccino.
So, let’s take a further look at the cappuccino freddo and freddo cappuccino, respectively.
Cappuccino Freddo
The cappuccino freddo translates to a cold cappuccino, which typically consists of a small, strong, iced espresso topped with a small amount of cold frothed milk. In Rome, where this drink is popular in summer, coffee bars may have it premixed behind the counter and served in various sizes.
This phrase can also refer in some parts of Europe to a Freddo espresso, which has been mixed with milk foam just before serving. This is more reminiscent of a traditional hot cappuccino but isn't well-known.
Freddo Cappuccino
The freddo cappuccino is almost exclusively popular in Greece and Cyprus and is prepared very differently from a cappuccino freddo.
Frappé coffee is very popular in Greece and originated there as a cooling summer drink. Instead of traditional steamed milk, a Freddo cappuccino uses an electric frother to whip lots of bubbles into milk, creating something called "afrógala." Then, that milk is combined with fresh espresso and ice cubes to create a Freddo cappuccino.
How to Make the Best Cappuccino: Top Tips
When it comes to making cappuccino, the traditional mixture is based on ratios, not sizes, as this can vary depending on the regions in which the coffee is served, the country, or even the barista.
Get The Ratio Right
Therefore, the simple ratio to bear in mind is one part each of espresso, steamed milk, and thick milk foam. Made to an exact 1:1:1 ratio, you would expect your cappuccino to be 180 ml or 6 oz.
If you want a larger drink, you can always double, or even triple, the ratio if you feel brave enough.
Prepare The Foam & Milk Together
Another key tip to make a slightly longer and larger drink is to prepare the steamed milk and milk foam together. Then, all the contents of the steaming jug can be decanted into the mug, leading to a bigger beverage that still achieves approximately the correct ratio.
To get a stable foam, opt for milk with a higher fat content. At high temperatures, like those generated by your steamer wand, high-fat milk can produce a better foam than skim or semi-skim milk can. A richer milk also helps with the luxury factor of the cappuccino, often creating a smoother, sweeter final flavor.
FAQs: Cappuccinos
We’ve learned a lot about the cappuccino today, so let's use that knowledge to answer some rapid-fire questions.
1. How Old Is the Cappuccino?
The first appearance of the cappuccino, as we know, had to wait for the development of an espresso machine that could reliably brew good coffee and steam milk simultaneously. This came with the advent of the pump-driven machine, invented by Francesco Illy in 1933.
2. What Drink Came Before the Cappuccino?
Before the cappuccino, there was a fascinating drink called the Kapuziner. This drink, originating in Vienna, consisted of Ottoman-style brewed coffee at the bottom of a cup that had been sweetened with sugar. Then, it was topped with whipped cream and spices. This drink evolved into the modern cappuccino with the development of espresso machines; however, several European locations still serve cappuccino with whipped cream in a Kapuziner style.
3. What Milk Is Best for a Cappuccino?
Generally speaking, a high milk fat content makes the air bubbles created during steaming more stable. At high temperatures, such as in a hot cappuccino, this stability is vital to achieving the thick, sturdy foam on top.
4. What Coffee Is Best for a Cappuccino?
A cappuccino is traditionally made with an espresso, meaning that all the rules of great coffee for espresso still apply. For an interesting traditional Italian espresso, baristas have long used a mixture of arabica and robusta beans, with around 10% of the coffee being made up from the darker, stronger beans. Cafely blends like DaNang and SaiGon OG are ideal.
5. Are Cold Cappuccinos Available?
Yes, but not all cold cappuccinos are created equal. The most popular kind of cold cappuccino is the Freddo cappuccino from Greece. This is prepared with an electric frother being used to whip air into the milk, creating "afrógala.” This milk is then added to espresso and ice to create a cooling summer drink.
6. Do Cappuccinos Always Have Chocolate On Top?
This is really down to personal preference. Generally speaking, a traditional Italian cappuccino will not be served with cocoa powder on top. However, you can expect it in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. In the US, customers will typically be asked if they want it when ordering, with some places reportedly offering a cinnamon topping.
7. Can You Make a Vegan Cappuccino?
Yes, you certainly can make a vegan cappuccino! You can use almost any substitute milk for coffee drinks, but cappuccinos can be a little trickier because of the thick foam. When steaming, the protein content of milk enables the thick foam to form. Soy milk has a similar protein level to dairy milk, so it’s the best substitute that can still make that thick foam.
8. What Other Coffees Are Similar to a Cappuccino?
The three coffee options most similar to a cappuccino are the flat white, latte, and mocha. They all have relatively the same ratio of milk to coffee. However, a latte has more steamed milk than a cappuccino and little to no thick foam. A flat white has those same properties but is a smaller drink overall by volume. Finally, a mocha typically has less thick foam and is flavored with cocoa powder.
