You may have heard the terms bone dry cappuccino and dry cappuccino thrown around amongst coffee fans. If you’re stumped as to what it means, don’t worry we’ll cover that in detail.
In short, the wetness or dryness of a cappuccino is all about the ratio of milk to foam added to espresso. The drier the cappuccino, the less steamed milk and the more foam you have, up to the point where it has only foam on top. And on the other hand the wetter the cappuccino the more steamed milk and the less foam you have, up to the point where the foam disappears almost completely.
So yes, it’s all about the ratio between steamed milk and milk foam. As a bonus; the drier the cappuccino the fewer the milk calories in your drink!
Now let’s have a look at the details.
Types of Cappuccinos
Traditionally you found one type of cappuccino – we call this the classic. As Baristas started to experiment and put their own stamp on this classic drink, new variations developed. This level of creativity has delivered a range of choices when it comes to ordering the humble cappuccino. Let’s take a look at the types of cappuccino you can find in some of your favourite coffee shops.
The Classic Cappuccino
The classic cappuccino an iconic drink we came to know and love. It’s one of the most popular drinks in coffee establishments around our beautiful planet.
In a classic cappuccino, all parts are pretty much equal; espresso, steamed milk and milk foam are added in equal amounts.
The Wet Cappuccino
A wet cappuccino contains a shot of espresso as normal. Your espresso is then followed by steamed milk, filling the cup almost to the top. Lastly, it’s finished with a thin layer of milk foam or froth over the top.
A wet cappuccino will taste quite milky but will still have a bit of frothiness to it.
The Super Wet Cappuccino
A super wet cappuccino takes the milk level to the max and has hardly any foam on top. It’s practically a flat white so you’ll probably be better off ordering a flat white to be honest. There is an ongoing debate around the super wet cappuccino so if you’d like to be controversial then I guess order a wet cappuccino, to keep things simple order a flat white.
The Dry Cappucino
As the name goes a dry cappuccino doesn’t contain less liquid overall or anything physically dry for that matter it just has a bit less steamed milk and more milk foam than a classic cappuccino. This means it deviates a little from the equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk foam rule for a cappuccino.
The exact ratio will vary between baristas as there is no hard and fast rule here. But the bottom line is you’ll get a bit less milk and a bit more foam.
The Bone Dry Cappucino
A bone dry cappuccino has no steamed milk added at all, only foamed milk. So if you think about it, it’s an espresso with milk foam. You may wonder why on earth someone may want to order an espresso with a bit of foam on top?
But alas, there is a method in this madness after all. Some people simply prefer the taste of milk foam, rather than steamed milk, which is a fair choice. The drink will have fewer calories than a milky cappuccino, so it could be better for your waistline. Some also say the foam keeps the espresso warm for longer.
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How to Make a Bone Dry Cappucino
If you’re intrigued by the idea of a bone dry cappuccino then perhaps you’re keen on making your own brew.
Let’s take a look at how it’s done.
- Hopefully, you have a good quality espresso machine and freshly ground beans, single-origin Colombian beans will work well to make a great tasting cappuccino.
- The next step will be to warm the milk. You can do this with most espresso machines. If you don’t have a steam wand on your espresso machine, you can heat the milk in a pan until it starts to bubble. Once bubbling, remove from the heat.
- Once the milk is nice and hot you can create the foam using the steam wand on your espresso machine or a handheld milk frother. For a bone dry cappuccino, you need a decent amount of foam so keep frothing the milk until it becomes light and airy. Set aside.
- Next, make your espresso shot and transfer it into your favourite mug.
- Lastly, top your espresso with the milk foam by scooping it into your mug until it is nice and full.
How to Make a Dry Cappuccino
To make a dry cappuccino we’re basically going to follow the steps outlined for a bone dry cappuccino above, but we’ll be adding a bit of steamed milk to the cup as well.
As above, the process starts with a good quality espresso machine and freshly ground beans. A nice Colombian bean or perhaps a full-bodied dark roast coffee.
- Start making your cappuccino by warming the milk either by using the steam wand on your espresso machine or in a pan. If you’re using a pan, heat the milk until it starts to bubble. Once bubbling, remove from the heat.
- Once the milk is nice and hot you can create the foam by using the steam wand on your espresso machine or a handheld milk frother. For a dry cappuccino, you need a decent amount of foam so keep frothing the milk until it becomes light and airy. You still need a bit of hot milk here not just foam, so make sure you have a bit of milk to work with. Once ready set aside.
- Next, make your espresso shot and transfer it into your favourite mug.
- Then, top your espresso with the steamed milk and milk foam by scooping it into your mug. To drain some of the milk, use a spoon to hold the foam in your milk container back slightly while you pour the milk. Add around half the volume of your espresso shot in milk. Then top with milk foam and a few chocolate sprinkles and serve.
Now you know what a bone dry and dry cappuccino is and how to make it.