Cappuccino recipe: set espresso, milk, and foam

Start with espresso and a foam-forward cup

For a home cappuccino, pull an espresso, then add steamed milk and a clear layer of foam. Breville's cappuccino recipe starts with one espresso shot and cold milk. Starbucks Coffee at Home gives a different published example: its final cup has equal parts milk and froth. Treat both as source examples. Cafes and machines can use a different cup, shot count, or foam level.

Source example	Espresso	Milk and foam	Temperature or pour note
Breville cappuccino recipe	1 espresso shot	Cold milk, textured into microfoam	Breville gives 140 to 150 F for dairy milk and says to pour textured milk into the espresso
Starbucks Coffee at Home classic cappuccino	Espresso	50% milk and 50% froth in the final cup	Pour frothed milk until the mug is almost full, then add remaining foam

The published examples do not set one universal ratio. Start with a cup that leaves room for the milk and foam you want. A foam layer that reaches the rim before the milk does is a small kitchen traffic jam.

Make a source-labeled starting cappuccino

1. Pull the espresso into your cup.
2. Start with cold milk. Breville says to texture it, and gives 140 to 150 F as its dairy-milk example.
3. Pour the textured milk into the espresso, then add foam until the cup reaches the level you want.
4. Write down the cup size, espresso amount, and milk amount. Change one thing at a time on the next drink.

Try one foam adjustment

Keep the cup, espresso amount, and milk amount the same. On the next drink, leave a little more foam for the top instead of pouring it all in with the milk. Taste both drinks before you decide which texture you prefer. Stop when the cup feels balanced to you, then write down the foam level that got you there.

For the espresso base, use how to make espresso at home. The espresso ratio calculator helps you keep the dose and drink weight clear. Cappuccino versus latte explains how a thicker foam layer changes the drink.

Keep the recipe honest

The coffee, cup, and milk are all adjustable. Breville and Starbucks publish different cappuccino examples, so use the table as a starting point rather than a rule for every cup. If your machine manual gives a milk-temperature limit or steam-wand procedure, use it over any general recipe.

We read Breville's cappuccino recipe and Starbucks Coffee at Home's classic cappuccino recipe on September 21, 2026. We did not physically test, own, prepare, taste, or measure this drink.