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.

A misto is a cafe au lait by another name

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.

Misto against a 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.

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.

Making one 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.

Ordering one 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.

Which milk to use

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 it is for

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.