What Is a Caffe Misto?

A caffe misto is brewed coffee topped with roughly the same amount of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. Misto means mixed in Italian. The drink was popularised under that name by large coffee chains, but the idea is far older than any of them.

Caffe misto vs café au lait

Brewed coffee and hot milk in equal measure is what France has drunk as a cafe au lait for a very long time. The misto is the same proportion, usually with the milk steamed and lightly foamed rather than simply heated. If a menu offers both, the difference is mostly texture and the cup it arrives in.

Caffe misto vs latte

This is the comparison people actually search for, and the difference comes down to two things.

• The coffee. A latte is built on espresso. A misto is built on filter or drip coffee, so it tastes rounder and more like a mug of coffee with milk, without espresso's concentrated edge.
• The milk. A latte is mostly milk, often two thirds or more of the cup. A misto is half. So a misto tastes more of coffee overall even though the coffee in it is less concentrated.

The texture follows from that. A latte is smooth and milky with a silky layer on top; a misto is thinner and lighter, closer to a well-made white coffee.

Caffe misto calories and caffeine

Half the milk means fewer calories than a latte of the same size, often by a good margin if the latte uses whole milk. It is one of the lightest milk drinks on a chain menu, and calories in coffee shows how much the milk and any syrup add.

Caffeine depends on the brew and the size, and brewed coffee can carry as much as two espresso shots, sometimes more, in a large cup. A misto is not the low-caffeine option it can look like.

How to make a caffe misto at home

You need no espresso machine, which is much of its appeal.

1. Brew it a little strong. The milk will halve its strength, so tighten your usual coffee to water ratio slightly. A French press, drip machine or pour over all work.
2. Heat the milk to just steaming. Use a steam wand if you have one. Otherwise warm it in a pan and whisk or froth it briefly for a light foam.
3. Pour in equal amounts, coffee first, then milk, holding back the foam and spooning a little on top.

A drip coffee maker with a carafe is the easiest route for more than one cup, and the drip coffee makers we have reviewed cover the brewers that do it well.

How to order a misto where it is not on the menu

Many independent cafes never list a misto, and some staff will not recognise the name. Ask instead for a filter coffee with the same amount of steamed milk, served in one cup. Most cafes that brew filter and own a steam wand can make it in a minute, and it usually costs less than a latte. If they only brew by the pot, ask for a little room left in the cup and the milk steamed separately.

Best milk for a caffe misto

Whole milk gives the fullest, sweetest result. Oat milk is the plant option that behaves most like dairy here, and the ways each alternative foams or splits in hot coffee are set out in milk alternatives in coffee.

Who should order a caffe misto?

Someone who likes a latte's milkiness but wants to taste the coffee more, wants something lighter, or simply prefers filter coffee to espresso. It is also the easiest way to make a cafe-style milk drink at home without buying anything. For the richer end of the same family, the breve swaps the milk for half-and-half.

Misto vs cortado vs flat white

A misto is easy to confuse with other milk drinks on a cafe menu, but it is the only one of them made with brewed coffee rather than espresso. That gives it a softer, rounder coffee taste and usually a little more caffeine than a single-shot latte of the same size, depending on how strong the brewed coffee is. A cortado is a small espresso drink with an equal amount of warm milk, much stronger and much smaller. A flat white is espresso with silky steamed milk, stronger tasting than a latte. If you like the taste of filter coffee and want it creamy, the misto is the one to order.

Iced misto

The same idea works cold: brewed coffee that has been chilled, or cold brew, poured over ice with an equal amount of cold milk. Do not pour hot coffee straight over ice unless you brew it double strength, or the melting ice will water it down. A cold brew base gives the smoothest result and keeps for several days in the fridge, so the drink takes seconds to make. Our guide to the iced latte covers the espresso version of the same drink.