Cortado vs Latte: What is the difference and Which is the best?

Coffee lovers, how are you doing today? oqLet me guess you are sipping a cup of coffee right now. If not, go get a cup of Cortado or Latte because we are going to explore them deeply.

Caffeine is an integral part of the lifestyle, ain’t that right you addicted lovers? We need it in the morning, in the evening, or when you are sleepy, you know what to do.

Coffee has made an integral space in the drinking ecosystem. Along with iced coffee and caffè latte from the Italian subcontinent, it has become something which we offer guests and we drink in the morning too, begin the day by drinking them.

There is a variety of coffees and/or espresso and it is quite confusing what to order and what not to. It can be quite stressful at times.

If you are not a total nerd about coffee, you perhaps might not be aware what are the major or minor differences.

Well, today I am going to let you know about Cortado vs Latte.

You could be familiar with it or you might not be. But I am here to break it down for you so the next time you hear about it you don’t get puzzled.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty details about Cortado vs Latte, let’s have a look at the bigger picture of what coffee is and where it came from. Where has it been and how has it reached your cup?

Primary Difference Between Cortado and Latte

Steamed milk is used for them both. The ratio of milk to coffee is different for both of them. Cortado has its origin deep-rooted in the country of Spain while Latte has come from Italy.

Ingredients for making Cortado vs Latte are mostly similar. You need an espresso machine for both Cortado and Latte.

Both are European countries and have richness in their cuisine. There is no foam in Cortado and this is something of a unique essence of this coffee.

Usually, people prefer foam and there is 1 cm of the top layer of foam in the latte too. The milk content in the Latte is more as compared to Cortado so if you prefer more of an intense taste cortado can be for you.

But remember that cortado does not contain heavy content of foamed or frothed milk.

Cortado is more of a professional, cultural coffee while the latte is a bit fancier with its Latte art.

Additional sprinklers and flavors and sweeteners are also added to make it more delicious.

If you have not tried Cortado you should once. Aesthetically, Latte is more photogenic. Latte is large, unlike Cortado.

Cortado is a coffee that needs to be drunk slowly, sip by sip, enjoying and savoring every moment of it. While people prefer latte in their daily commute as well.

It is a well part of the hustle culture. The coffee is a hustler to make the first place.

What is a Cortado?

Cortado is not something out of the world coffee, don’t be alien to it. Cortado comes from the Spanish word cortar which means “to cut”.

This is a Spanish drink and originated in Spain itself. Many Portuguese-speaking countries know about this too. This is more of an espresso drink.

But what is an espresso? Well, for those who don’t know, espresso is not so much different from traditional coffee. More specifically this is a method of brewing coffee, a technique that originated in Italy.

Cortado is one such drink of many which can be made. Other drinks include, Caffè macchiato, cappuccino, americano, and many more.

Cortado does not have much foam, unlike other espresso drinks. Originated in Spain, coffees there usually contain less foam or cream.

According to a study conducted in 2020, 28% of people like to add coffee cream as an additive to coffee. If you are one such person then Cortado might not be for you.

The cups which are used for Cortado as serving are made up of glass or metal. The cups which are used for the creamier coffees aren’t used here.

As Cortado contains less foam, the steamed milk which is added penetrates or cuts through the top layer and blends appropriately with the rest of the ingredients.

You see it cuts, that is how the origin of the word came into usage. Adding milk brings down the acidity of the drink and makes it tastier.

The espresso shots in the Cortado can vary as per the taste of the sipper. Usually, 1 shot is the way Cortado is created, adding another shot can, in turn, make the coffee larger as the milk is added appropriately to maintain the ratio.

The essence of the drink is to make you calm, sit and sip slowly, usually in the morning, enjoy every sip of it.

Not to neglect the fact that this is one famous coffee brewing technique, but there are many other brewing techniques as well that you might’ve not heard of such as French press, Auto-drip brewer, Aeropress, etc.

In Italy, espresso is the way coffee is served until you specifically mention other ways. Similarly, other brewing techniques which originated in different parts of the world are served in their original ways. This indeed is an art in itself.

What is a Latte?

This is one of the most famous types of coffee available. So if someone orders this, you don’t get puzzled. This is a classic and many people who are not into coffee still know and heard the term Latte.

Latte is the most ordered coffee by Americans. Latte has to be the most photographed coffee ever because of the variety of patterns it has been served in.

It’s worth asking this question, how has it gained so much popularity over the years? Well, Latte is not something new and the millennials are liking it because it’s cool or sounds cool.

It seems like Latte art is something which people are liking and making this coffee more photogenic and popular. The person who creates such amazing Latte art is indeed an artist.

Don’t try to create Latte art, you’ll mess it up, leave it to the experts. Latte is creamier than Cortado. The top layer of the Latte contains froth which many like served in that way.

But where did Latte originate from and how did it take such shape?

Well, Latte has its origin in Italy and is centuries old. The actual name of the coffee is caffè latte, where caffè stands for coffee and latte stands for milk.

We dropped the caffè part and used only the word Latte. Don’t you go ask for caffè latte by saying only Latte in Italy, you’ll end up getting a cup of warm milk instead of a Caffè Latte.

This coffee and milk have been an integral part of European cuisine since the 17th century. There are many popular foods from European cuisine which have spread across the world.

Latte has spread across European countries and Britain and slowly to other parts of the world. William Dean Howells used the term caffè e latte in 1867 in his essay “Italian Journeys”.

At this point, there were no such brewing techniques as espresso or any other. The espresso machines didn’t even exist back then. Latte has slowly and gradually evolved into the modern ecosystem and made its place at the top.

Latte is one such drink that can take a lot of different shapes. Latte can be available in many flavors and this makes it the most versatile coffee.

One such popular flavor of latte is chocolate Mocha. Cafè mocha uses espresso and hot milk along with chocolate-flavored sweetener.

There’s another variant known as white cafè mocha which uses white chocolate as a sweetener in the coffee.

Using either can make the coffee look darker or lighter in color. Mochaccino is another variant which is a double espresso shot with whipped cream and some chocolate sprinklers at the top as a part of additional toppings for the aesthetics.

How is Cortado made?

Alright, we have got the background up and ready. Know all the fundamental questions but now it’s time to drink. So how should you make it?

It is not that difficult and you can easily learn how to make it. You will need an espresso machine for this.

This is the brewing technique and hence this makes this machine an important part of creating Cortado. We need to make espresso so a French press or auto-drip brewer won’t work.

To get the real feel, try to use a glass cup or a metal cup because this is what is used in Cortado. Brew required shots into the cup. It can vary as per your requirement.

You can usually start with 1 shot as well. As your espresso is brewing, meanwhile, steam your milk. You can use lightly foamed milk as well.

Don’t over steam your milk but make it light. Once the brewing is done and your steamed milk is ready, pour the steamed milk into the espresso slowly making sure to maintain the ratio of 1:1.

Guess what? Your Cortado is ready.

How is Latte made?

Alright, are you convinced to drink Latte? Let’s make it. Usually, the coffee-making process is similar except for some minor changes which make the coffee special in certain ways.

In this, we would need an espresso machine for brewing espresso and steamed milk.

Get your double shots of espresso ready. While your espresso is brewing, steam the milk lightly. This will make the acidic content of the espresso more neutral.

Once you have your steamed milk ready, pour it on top of your espresso. The ratio of milk and espresso is usually ⅓ amount of espresso and ⅔ amount of steamed milk is added.

Many similar drinks use the same process of creation like cappuccino and macchiato. At the top layer foamed milk or frothed milk is added.

This will make the coffee look creamier and more delicious. Later, everyone’s favorite Latte art is created.

These amazing patterns formed when the milk is poured onto the top later and it blends with the ingredients which create awesome golden brown-ish hues which might just take away all your stress.

Additionally, you can add toppings or some sweeteners if you like and that’s your taste. Try out different things and see what your taste buds prefer.

But How does Espresso Shot Made?

The water is boiled at boiling temperature and pressurized at 9-10 bars. Along with the coffee beans which are very fine, a small concentrated shot is made.

This espresso shot is dependent on two variables, size and the length of the shot. These are the terms that are used while creating coffees with espresso as their brewing technique.

Espressos are a bit strong as they contain a higher percentage of caffeine in them. And this is also well known for another thing, which you might’ve guessed, the top layer of the coffee, foam, which is also termed as crema.

This is an outcome caused by the high-pressure process of creation. Served along with milk or water and the drinks are ready. Espresso and Milk are usually added with a ratio of 1:1.

Health Benefits of Coffee

Those who are new to the coffee world might think that there are so many types of coffee and are overwhelmed by the variety of coffees.

Newbies might even question the health factor and their effects on the human body. But, according to clinical trials reviewed in 2017, drinking coffee is not bad for health until some unusual intake of caffeine.

On top of that, coffee might likely be beneficial to your health in some ways. But it could not be for someone else.

Everyone’s body is different and what it can sustain can vary from genetics to their eating habits.

There are many parameters and factors on which this could depend so instead one could just check and see if it is harming the body or your health reduce the consumption or stop it.

A review in a 1999 research paper found that coffee has no direct impact on indigestion. Instead, it may promote gastrointestinal reflux.

Individuals who suffered and were recovering from colorectal, abdominal, and gynecological surgery discovered that coffee consumption was indeed safe and effective for enhancing gastrointestinal functions.

Not abnormal coffee consumption is not a risk for heart disease. A meta-analysis finding shows that higher coffee consumption like 2 – 4 cups a day is associated with a reduced risk of death by disease causes.

Moderate consumption of coffee did not show any major or minor effects on hypertension according to reviews that were assessed now in the 21st century.

Drinking more cups of coffee like more than 4 has shown some reduction of risk in hypertension.

Caffeine is the major ingredient in coffee and tea which is associated as a contributor to add anxiety according to the UK National Health service.

Parkinson’s disease risk is lower if there is seen long-term coffee consumption according to meta-analyses.

The death rate of Parkinson’s disease has increased gradually over the decades a study found.

There would be 1.2 million people living with Parkinson’s disease in the united states by the year 2030 the same study predicted.

A cup of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee consumption in a day showed a reduced risk of type II diabetes by a range of 6% to 9%. Studies have also shown, and there has been increasing evidence that the consumption of coffee has not led to liver diseases.

Read More About Health Benefits of Coffee

History of Coffee

You won’t believe it, but the earliest we know the existence of coffee was around the 15th century.

Coffee production may have started centuries ago in the country of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is situated in the continent of Africa.

From there coffee has migrated to many places around the globe but the main source of which we know about is from the country Ethiopia.

It is said that from Ethiopia it could have been introduced in Yemen. The exported coffee was known as the Ethiopian Coffees.

Coffee reached the middle east in countries like Syria, Turkey, Persia, Egypt by the 16th century. It then reached the Indian Subcontinent and over many decades in the centuries, coffees started to reach places, Italy, Europe, America (Central as well as south).

Coffee drinkers eventually started to pop into a different part of the world. They started to blend coffee into their culture.

A variety of coffee started originating from these places. The history of coffee is rich.

Origination of Coffee

Two main popular types of coffees are commercially cultivated robusta and arabica.

Robusta is also known as Coffea canephora or Coffea robusta, while Arabica is also known as Coffea arabica.(Read About Robusta vs Arabica Coffee Beans)

Coffee is extracted from the berries which are produced by the shrubs out of many other species. The berries contain two seeds, but some do contain only one. These are called peaberries.

Robusta berries take nine to eleven months to ripe while Arabica berries take six to eight months to ripe.

The beans of the coffee go through production and are segregated for their size and weight. If there are any defective beans they are removed.

The Beans are also tested by tasting them to check and maintain their quality. Guess what, Starbucks uses Arabica coffee beans.

But coffee production was not that easy. Like many industries in the earlier centuries, the Coffee production industry has been through its ups and downs.

There were a lot of slaves which were used along with the destruction of the environment like deforestation.

This all has been a contributor to the organic coffee industry’s growth. Now the coffee is certified as an organic and fair trade product.

There are now more sustainable methods of coffee production. So the next time you drink coffee it’s worth remembering it has been battle-tested before reaching your cup.

Conclusion

We’ve been through a long journey of coffees from their history to their health benefits. I hope that you now know about Cortado vs Latte.

You might be consuming Latte occasionally or it is a part of your lifestyle, but I highly recommend you to give Cortado a try.

It is not found in every cafe that is what makes it rare and the rarity is expensive yet rich.

You now might be aware of how to make both beverages too. Cortado vs Latte, so go ahead and take the first step forward by buying an espresso machine and making coffees a part of your lifestyle.

Coffees are something that can be found everywhere and served during breakfast or at diners and cafeterias.

Coffees have become a part of the culture and mingled with the society. Caffeine and coffee consumers have proliferated over the years of decades.

And if we zoom out a bit we do see the growth and usage of coffee over centuries. In the year 1952, Maxwell House who worked with a behavioral psychologist named John B. Watson coined the term coffee break.

It was popularized and started to be used and evolve in the modern era and today’s culture.

Coffee started to use for spiritual reasons as well, eventually, many religions started adapting coffee into their religion as it can come from different places and travel to different countries yet people back them accepted coffees.

Even if it created environmental catastrophe coffee grew out of it into more sustainable production.

If you have not started drinking coffee give it a try. It has been through a lot of ups and downs and it has grown out of it and has evolved in many cultures and religions and you already know where it is now.