Coffee is one of the most beloved drinks across the globe. Not only does it taste great, but it also comes with a huge number of benefits. Well, there are many different types of coffee drinks. Two such types are frappe and latte. If you’re a coffee enthusiast, you might have heard about the frappe vs latte dilemma. Because we certainly did. Both these drinks are often compared thinking that they are pretty much the same – very creamy, smooth, with added milk. So is there much of a difference between frappe and latte? Actually, there is!
What is Frappe?
The term ‘Frappe’ comes from France and denotes a drink that is ‘iced’. The term was used in the 19th century for the very first time. Back then, any iced drink was known as a frappe. It is only in 1957 did the word ‘café frappe’ became widely used in Greece. To prepare it, you have to take instant coffee, water, ice cubes, and sugar, and blend them well. Once done, you can add whatever flavor you want. The modern recipe is topped with ice cream or melted chocolate to make it even more delicious.
What is Latte?
This drink was first developed in Southern Europe. But the modern recipe exists since the 1980s in North America. Within a decade, latte taste drink became quite famous in the USA as well. The word derives from the Italian term ‘café latte’, which means milk coffee.
To prepare the drink, you will need 8 ounces of boiled milk, one Espresso coffee shot, water, and sugar. In making late the high-pressure water is passed through the drink to make it more caffeinated. You can also paint on the top of the drink with the pouring of milk to make it look elegant and appealing
Difference Between Latte and Frappe
So the question of the hour – what is the difference between a frappe and a latte? Let’s take a look at the most important features of latte vs frappe:
Temperature
The temperature is the main point of difference between latte and frappe. The temperature is also responsible for the texture of the drinks. Basically, a frappe is an iced drink, whereas a latte is served hot. It can also be served cold, but the hot texture is preferred more.
Espresso Shots for Latte and Instant Coffee for Frappe
When you pick a latte, you can choose the desired number of espresso shots. The minimum is one, whereas the maximum might go up to 3 or 4. The drink made of espresso shots tastes subtle with milk. With espresso, chances are there that you will not enjoy the other flavors of the drink to the fullest. However, espresso is one of the most popular ingredients used in coffee making.
Frappe, on the other hand, uses instant coffee to bring out the caffeine flavor of the drink. This drink is made by shaking instant coffee with ice cubes. So, in case you ever try the recipe with espresso coffee, you will fail to prepare a proper shake. This is a very vital point of comparison to be kept in mind for frappe vs latte.
Recipe
The basic recipe of frappe is to shake instant coffee, water, ice, and sugar. But you are free to modify this recipe as per your taste. For instance, you can add milk to it or a scoop of vanilla, whipped cream, chocolate, and so on. For latte, the recipe is pretty simple:
- Pour one espresso shot.
- Pour 60 to 8 parts of steamed milk.
- Add milk foam.
- Make art over the drink with milk if you wish to.
Caffeine Content
One shot of espresso usually contains 63mg of caffeine whereas the caffeine content of instant coffee ranges from 75 to 173mg. Therefore, in frappe vs latte, the latter is more caffeinated than the former. Make sure you do not over-consume caffeine as it might have negative impacts on your health.
Presence of Milk
Milk is essential for a latte. On the other hand, for making a frappe, whether or not to add milk entirely depends on your preference.
Texture and Taste
The texture of the frappe is creamier and thicker than the latte. Also, both drinks have ice chips in them when they’re served cold. The biggest difference is that the frappe is sweeter, whereas the latte has a stronger flavor of the coffee.
Art Features
You can show your mastery in art on the top of a latte with the help of pouring milk, but sadly, frappe doesn’t allow you to try this attractive feature.
Differences Overview
| Frappe | Latte | |
| Place of origin | Greece | Italy |
| Temperature | Iced | Either hot or cold |
| Ingredients | Instant coffee, ice, water, sugar, milk (optional) | Espresso shot, milk, sugar, cream, chocolate, foam |
| Texture | Thicker | Lighter |
| Flavor | Sweet | Strong |
| Caffeine content | Medium | High |
| Art | Not possible.= | Can be done |
Similarities Between Both the Drinks
- Similar color matching to that of light coffee.
- Both have milk and are very smooth and creamy in taste.
- Both the drinks have large servings.
- They can be topped with as many flavors as you like.
Final Word
And that’s about everything we wanted to share about frappe vs latte. As you can now see, the major difference between these 2 drinks is the fact that frappe is served cold, while latte is hot (at least the classical recipe). Also, latte has a lot higher caffeine content, and it actually tastes a lot closer to an actual coffee than frappe does.
But there is no denying that both of these drinks are extremely delicious, so choose a frappe for those hot summer days, and latte when you want to warm up during cold evenings!