Breve coffee is an exciting alternative to lattes and cappuccinos. It makes your daily coffee much richer and fluffier.
What is a breve?
A breve, sometimes called a caffè breve, is an espresso drink that’s made in the same way as a cappuccino but it contains steamed half-and-half instead of milk so that it’s creamier and has more foam.
It’s called a breve because in Italian breve means short or brief. If you’re wondering how that relates to the way a breve is made, here’s everything you need to know about breve coffee. It might just become your new favorite indulgence!
Contents
What Should You Know About Breve Coffee?
Breve coffee is an American version of the Italian café latte, which is based on milk. It’s very fluffy and creamy thanks to how half-and-half is used instead of regular milk – it’s all about having more foam!
What Does Half-And-Half Mean?
In case you’re not sure what half-and-half means, it’s basically just that the coffee is made with half whole milk and half light cream.
While half-and-half can’t be whipped, it will make your coffee much richer and creamier, but still not as heavy as if you had to use cream on its own. It’s therefore also a good compromise if you’re watching your calorie intake.
However, it’s important to note that a breve coffee will have more cholesterol and fat than other types of coffee such as lattes.
This is because it’s so rich, and if you add sweetener to your coffee then this will obviously bump up its richness and calories even more. Due to its fat content, a breve coffee can also be served as dessert.
How To Make Your Own Breve Coffee
While you can enjoy breve coffee at a variety of places, such as Starbucks, you can also make it at home. Here’s how.
- Put one cup of half-and-half cream in the microwave for one minute. You want to see that it starts to form bubbles of foam around its edges.
- When it does that, remove it and put a metal whisk in the cup. You want to whisk it vigorously for about 30 seconds.
- Prepare your espresso coffee grounds. It’s good to use fine grounds, and you should aim for about two scoops of it, but you can adjust this if it’s too weak or strong.
- Make the espresso in the regular way that you would.
- While your coffee is being made, remove the foam from the cup into another container. You want to continue whisking this foam so that you have about a third of a cup of foam.
- Then, pour your espresso into a cup, followed by the rest of the hot cream.
- Finally, pour the foam on top.
Extra Tips For Making Delicious Breve Coffee
- Make sure that your milk is cold as this will ensure that it foams.
- Ideally, you should use a milk frother as this will make it easier for you to achieve the right texture.
Some Tips To Create A Breve With A Twist!
You can make some changes to your breve coffee by using full-fat coconut milk instead of half-and-half.
Just make sure you don’t use low-fat coconut milk as it won’t foam in the way that you want it to. You can also add sweetener to your cup of coffee if it’s too strong or bitter, such as syrup.
Differences Between Breve Coffee And Other Types Of Coffee
You might be wondering how breve coffee is different to cappuccinos and lattes. Here’s what you need to know.
Breve Vs. Cappuccino
A cappuccino is usually made with one-third espresso, one-third foam, and one-third milk, but there’s also a dry cappuccino alternative that’s made with foam and espresso. In Italian, cappuccino means “little cap” and this refers to the little “cap” of foam that’s on top of the milk.
Breve Vs. Latte
It’s easy to confuse a cappuccino with a latte because they’re quite similar. What makes them different is that a latte makes use of more steamed milk than foam.
A latte is basically an espresso that contains a large quantity of steamed milk and a small quantity of milk foam. This blend results in a creamy taste and texture. A latte is milkier than a cappuccino.
You’ve probably also heard about all the latte variations, such as pumpkin spice latte, because the latte is such a fun and versatile drink. You can add different flavors of whipped cream on top if you like.
A latte usually is consumed hot but you can also get cold lattes that make use of espresso that’s poured over ice. These are great to enjoy when the weather’s hot.
Other Types Of Espresso-Based Coffees
Breve is just one type of espresso drink – there are many other types of coffees that have espresso coffee as their base. Besides for cappuccinos and lattes, here’s a rundown of some of the most popular espresso-based coffees.
- Americano coffee: this consists of half espresso and half water, so it’s pretty much like what you’d find in a standard coffee except that regular coffee is made by hot water dripping through the coffee grounds while Americano coffee begins as a shot of espresso.
- Mocha coffee: this is made with espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate for a nice treat. Mocha coffees usually have whipped cream on top.
- Romano coffee: this coffee contains a shot of espresso and a spritz of lemon for extra bite.
- Macchiato coffee: this also contains a shot of espresso, but it has some milk foam added to it. The meaning of the Italian word “macchiato” is interesting because it means “stained” or “marked,” so it refers to how the coffee has a little bit of foamed milk in it.
What About Caffeine Content?
Naturally, you probably want to know how much of a caffeine hit is in your breve coffee. Let’s take a look at how much caffeine it contains as well as how much caffeine you can expect in other popular types of coffee.
- Espresso: one shot of espresso has 40mg of caffeine.
- Americano, cappuccino, mocha, latte, and breve: these all contain the same amount of caffeine. A small or medium cup has 80mg of caffeine, while a large one contains 120mg.
Extra Recipe: White Chocolate Breve
We just can’t resist trying this white chocolate version of the breve coffee (via Monin). It’s sort of like a mocha and breve in one, and it’s an excellent alternative to the regular breve if you like chocolate. It’s so easy and a great dessert idea for guests.
Here’s what you need to make it:
- 1 shot espresso
- Steamed half-and-half
- ¼ oz macadamia nut syrup
- ¼ oz white chocolate sauce
- ¼ oz caramel syrup
- Whipped cream
How to make delicious white chocolate breve
- You want to keep your milk aside and combine all the other ingredients in a serving glass, cup, or mug.
- Stir it well and then put it aside.
- Take your milk and steam it in a pitcher.
- Then, pour the steamed milk into your serving cup. You want to stir it slowly and gently.
- Garnish with whipped cream on top.
That’s it! It couldn’t be easier to make a white chocolate breve. If you’re not a fan of white chocolate, you can use brown or dark chocolate instead. There are many ways in which you can tweak this recipe according to your preferences. Enjoy!
Related Questions
What temperature should you keep your foam when making a breve?
The ideal temperature should be between 145 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. To get it right, make use of a milk thermometer. You don’t want to go higher than 160 degrees as that will cause the half-and-half to burn.
Should you allow the foam to set before using it in your breve coffee?
This is a good tip because when set the foam will give the coffee an even more dessert-like and indulgent quality, so keep it aside for a while before you enjoy it in your coffee.
How do you pronounce breve?
When you order breve at a coffee shop, don’t pronounce it “breev” as this is a common error. Breve is actually pronounced “breh veh.”
Conclusion
If you’re tired of drinking your usual espresso, you might want to shake it up with a breve coffee. In this article, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about breve coffees as well as how you can make your own at home.
After reading this guide, it’s clear to see why breve means short and concise in Italian: breve coffee can be made really quickly and easily!
Last Updated on May 15, 2021
