Milk drink ratios
Updated
Pick a café drink and your cup size to get the espresso, steamed-milk, and foam split. The difference between a latte, a cappuccino, and a flat white is all in these numbers.
Drink
Espresso under equal parts steamed milk and airy foam.
Espresso
1 shot
≈ 30 ml
Steamed milk
59 ml
≈ 2 oz
Foam
59 ml
airy, spooned
These are guide ratios, not laws. The real difference between these drinks is the foam-to-milk balance and the cup size, not the number of shots. Adjust milk to taste and to your cup.
How many ounces in a shot of espresso?
A single shot is about 1 fl oz (30 ml) and a double about 2 fl oz (60 ml). That is the default on Breville's Barista Express buttons, and it is the shot size this calculator builds every drink on. Capsule machines pour more: Nespresso's Vertuo makes a 40 ml espresso and an 80 ml double.
Milk drink ratios at a glance
Each drink at the small end of its usual serving, split by the calculator above. Volumes are rounded to the nearest millilitre. Espresso macchiato leaves headroom: its small topping does not expand to fill the cup.
| Drink | Cup | Espresso | Steamed milk | Foam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso macchiato | 2 oz | 1 shot (30 ml) | 0 ml (0 oz) | 10 ml |
| Cortado | 4 oz | 1 shot (30 ml) | 79 ml (2.7 oz) | 9 ml |
| Flat white | 5 oz | 2 shots (60 ml) | 75 ml (2.5 oz) | 13 ml |
| Cappuccino | 5 oz | 1 shot (30 ml) | 59 ml (2 oz) | 59 ml |
| Latte | 8 oz | 1 shot (30 ml) | 176 ml (6 oz) | 31 ml |
| Mocha | 8 oz | 1 shot (30 ml) | 165 ml (5.6 oz) | 21 ml |
The mocha row leaves room for 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate. Shot size: Breville — Macchiato recipe: two teaspoons of textured milk on espresso; Breville Barista Express (BES870) instruction book: 1 CUP ≈ 30 ml, 2 CUP ≈ 60 ml; USDA FoodData Central — espresso, restaurant-prepared (1 fl oz portion); Nespresso FAQ — Vertuo cup sizes: Espresso 40 ml, Double Espresso 80 ml.
Make it at home
Great milk drinks come down to two things: a real espresso base and well-textured milk.
Want the full breakdown? Cappuccino vs latte vs flat white.
Common questions
How many ounces are in a shot of espresso?
About 1 fl oz (30 ml) for a single shot and 2 fl oz (60 ml) for a double. Breville's Barista Express manual sets its 1-cup button to about 30 ml and its 2-cup button to about 60 ml, and USDA's espresso entry is measured per 1 fl oz shot. Capsule machines pour more: Nespresso's Vertuo makes a 40 ml espresso and an 80 ml double espresso.
What is the ratio of milk to espresso in a latte?
In this calculator an 8 oz latte is one 30 ml shot, about 176 ml of steamed milk and a 31 ml cap of foam, roughly 1 part espresso to 6 parts milk. At 12 oz the same single shot sits under about 276 ml of milk, which is why bigger lattes taste milder unless you add a shot.
What is the cappuccino ratio?
A cappuccino is espresso under equal parts steamed milk and airy foam. In a 5 oz cup the calculator gives one 30 ml shot, about 59 ml of milk and 59 ml of foam. That high share of foam is what makes it lighter and drier than a latte of the same size.
What is the difference between a latte, cappuccino, and flat white?
It comes down to the milk-and-foam balance and the shots. A cappuccino splits its milk evenly between steamed milk and foam. A latte is mostly steamed milk with a thin foam cap in a bigger cup. A flat white uses a double shot in a small cup, 60 ml of espresso to about 75 ml of silky milk in 5 oz, so it tastes stronger than a latte.
What is a cortado?
Espresso cut with warm steamed milk and very little foam, served small. In the calculator's 4 oz cortado that is one 30 ml shot, about 79 ml of milk and 9 ml of foam. It sits between a macchiato and a flat white: milkier than a macchiato, far less foamy than a cappuccino.
What is a macchiato?
An espresso marked with a small topping of textured milk. This calculator uses one 30 ml shot and 10 ml of textured milk (about two teaspoons, following Breville's recipe). It does not fill the rest of the cup. A latte macchiato is a much milkier drink, so check which version the menu means.
What is microfoam?
Microfoam is milk steamed to a glossy, paint-like texture with tiny, barely visible bubbles, rather than the stiff, airy bubbles of old-school foam. It is what lets you pour latte art and gives flat whites and lattes their silky body. Dry, airy foam is the traditional choice for a cappuccino.
Can I make these drinks without an espresso machine?
You can get close. A moka pot or a strong AeroPress shot gives you an espresso-adjacent base, and a handheld or automatic frother can texture the milk. It will not be true café espresso, but for a home latte or cappuccino the ratios here still apply — start from the shot and build the milk to your cup.