But, if you’re starting off like I did, being totally perplexed by a menu that could very well be in another language, here is a lexicon for your next coffee order. 

Table of Contents

Cafe Latte

The American standard Latte normally consists of two shots of espresso, steamed milk, and is topped with milk foam. Most coffee shops use two shots of espresso across the board, meaning that when you’re upgrading your latte from a small to a large, you’re just paying extra for your barista to add more milk. If you like a bolder coffee-flavored latte, stick to the 12 oz, but if you want more milk, spring for the 16 oz or 20 oz.

**NOTE: Starbucks 12 oz (tall) contains only one shot of espresso, while their 16 oz (Grande) and 20 oz (Venti) contain two shots of espresso. 

Also, if you enjoy flavored drinks, it’s easy and fun to experiment with different flavors of lattes (i.e. pumpkin spice latte, vanilla latte, salted caramel latte).  

It’s not unusual for small business coffee shops to add foam decor to café lattes and cappuccinos. Foam Decor are those cool design, like flowers, hearts, and birds, that are created in the foam of espresso mixed drinks. 

Don’t get upset if your latte doesn’t have one of these designs, as it’s a very hard skill for baristas to master. Starbucks baristas are rarely trained in creating foam decor since they handle a higher volume of customers than other coffee shops and instead focus on getting their drinks out fast.    

If you’re craving a chocolate-flavored café latte, they’re called Mochas. A Mocha tastes like espresso mixed with hot chocolate. 

Cappuccino

A Cappuccino is similar to a latte, but contains less steamed milk and a much thicker coat of milk foam topping. If you prefer a frothy drink, you should try a cappuccino.