A cortado is espresso and steamed milk in equal parts, served around 4 oz; a latte is the same espresso under roughly four times its volume of milk at 12 oz or more. Same two ingredients, opposite priorities: the cortado is a coffee drink softened by milk, the latte is a milk drink flavored by coffee. If you keep finding lattes too milky, the cortado is almost certainly the drink you were looking for.
Side by side
| Cortado | Latte | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 1:1 espresso to steamed milk | About 1:4 |
| Size | 4 to 5 oz glass | 12 to 16 oz cup |
| Foam | Essentially none | Thin cap |
| Taste | Coffee first, rounded | Milk first, smooth |
| Calories (whole milk, typical) | Light, small milk volume | A 16 oz runs about 220; see the calorie table |
Caffeine: usually identical
Both are typically built on the same one or two shots, about 63mg per shot per USDA data, so the caffeine matches even though the cortado tastes twice as strong. The exception is chain menus that spec their own builds: Starbucks' cortado uses three ristretto Blonde shots at 230mg, which our Starbucks cortado guide breaks down against the menu.
When to order which
Order a cortado when you want to actually taste the espresso, when you are drinking quickly, or after a meal where a latte would be a dessert. Order a latte when you want volume to sip, milk sweetness, or a canvas for syrup. And if the cortado is still too strong while the latte is too milky, split the difference with a flat white, which is the drink built exactly for that complaint.
Related reading
- Cortado vs cortadito (the Cuban cousin)
- Every coffee drink, decoded by ratio
- How to make a latte at home
FAQ
Is a cortado stronger than a latte? In flavor, much: same espresso, a quarter of the milk. In caffeine, usually identical, since both ride the same shots.
Why is a cortado served in a glass? Tradition from Spain, where the drink comes in a small tumbler (often a Gibraltar glass in US shops, which is also the drink's other name).
Is a cortado just a small latte? No. A small latte keeps the milk-heavy ratio. The cortado changes the ratio itself to equal parts, which is the entire point of the drink.
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