You understand all these: coffee, latte, mocha, espresso, but what is a Cafe au Lait? Isn't it just a different way to state latte?
What is Coffee au Lait?
Coffee au lait is coffee with milk. In that respect, Cafe au Lait is similar to a latte. It differs in that a latte is an Italian drink made with espresso, while a Cafe au Lait is a French beverage made with coffee.
In reality, many European countries have their version of coffee and milk. Germany has milchkaffee or milk coffee. And depending on the type of coffee, how it's ready, the milk, its quantity, and how it's prepared, we can identify even more detailed names like cappuccino, meia de leite, and more.
You may see Cafe au Lait served in colored, ribbed bowls in standard French dining establishments or coffee shops, contrasting to the rounded, smooth, white bowls you see lattes served in. When visiting New Orleans, your Cafe au Lait will likely have chicory and be made with scalded milk instead of steamed. The distinction between them is that scalded milk is heated in a pan before boiling, whereas steamed milk is heated with a cleaner wand.
Making a Cafe au Lait in your home
You can easily make your own Cafe au lait at home. It is up to you whether you select to be a "purist" and use a French press to make your coffee as you can just as readily brew it with your drip coffee machine. The coffee you utilize should be a dark roast with a strong flavor. Our Sumatra Black Satin and our After Dinner Blend are 2 of the best options.
Next, utilize a steam wand to steam your milk. If you do not have a steam wand, that's alright! In the United States, it is traditional to make a Cafe au Lait with scalded milk instead. Heat your milk in a bit of pan up until just before it boils. Or, use your microwave to warm your milk; that's fine. The best milk to utilize is whole milk with 2% a close second. If vegan or lactose intolerant, soy milk is your finest choice.
When combining the coffee and milk, you will want equal parts. You can add foam to your beverage if you like, but that is not the tradition. But it's your drink, and you make it however you want to.
When it comes to sweetening your Cafe au lait, you can improve to taste after including the milk in the coffee. Sugar is refined. However, vanilla sugar is better. You can purchase vanilla sugar, make your own, or merely include a drop or two of vanilla extract in your cup.
To make your vanilla sugar:
2 cups of granulated
Vanilla pods
Place the sugar and vanilla beans in an airtight container for two weeks.
Enjoy your Cafe au Lait!
FAQs
The Café au Lait is made using brewed coffee and steamed milk, in a typical ratio of one part coffee to one part steamed milk with no froth or foam on top (sometimes certain coffee shops will add it though). The coffee base is usually made with a French press or a drip and the milk must always be steamed.
What's the difference between a latte and a café au lait? ›
A cafe au lait, originating from France and literally meaning "coffee with milk" in French, is a drink made with brewed coffee and steamed milk, typically in equal proportions. A latte, on the other hand, hails from Italy and is composed of espresso, steamed milk, and milk froth (thick, foamy, aerated milk).
What coffee beans are best for café au lait? ›
Now, here's the secret: The type of coffee beans, roast profile and type of milk make all the difference. Traditionally, a café au lait uses a dark-roasted French roast or espresso blend. This gives it a bold flavor and punch that regular drip coffee can't match. And as for the steamed milk, it's gotta be whole milk.
What is the difference between café au lait and white coffee? ›
Cafe au lait and flat white are different types of coffee with distinct tastes. Cafe au lait is more creamy, milky, and suitable for homemaking as it does not require an espresso machine. Flat white has a rich bitter taste of coffee with a thin microfoam. It is an espresso base drink.
Is a café au lait healthy? ›
Your bones are thanking you: Healthy bones need calcium, and milk is one of the best food sources of calcium. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends three servings of calcium-rich foods per day for those aged 9 and older. Your morning cup of Café Au Lait checks one of those boxes.
What is Starbucks equivalent to café au lait? ›
Caffè Misto (aka Café au Lait)
A step above your average coffee with milk, a caffè misto is made of equal parts brewed coffee and steamed milk, pouring a cup full of versatile yet balanced flavor.
What is a café au lait called at Starbucks? ›
It's a Starbucks® staple, but we call it a Café Misto.
Do French people drink café au lait? ›
Typically, the French have their café au lait at home, with breakfast, in a bowl.
How do you drink café au lait? ›
Pour the brewed coffee into a mug. Next, carefully pour the steamed milk into the mug, making sure to hold back the foam with a spoon. Once the cup is mostly filled, spoon the remaining foam on top of the café au lait. Serve hot and enjoy your homemade café au lait.
What coffee beans make the smoothest coffee? ›
Arabica is arguably the smoothest type of coffee bean on the market. It's generally less acidic and has more complex, balanced flavours. Blends also tend to be smoother than singles as the characteristics of various origins balance each other out.
Caffe Misto and Cafe Au Lait share similarities, both consisting of coffee combined with hot milk. The primary difference lies in the coffee used; a Caffe Misto comprises brewed coffee, and in contrast, Cafe Au Lait typically utilizes stronger, dark roasted coffee.
What is the whitest coffee? ›
White Coffee is coffee roasted half of the way through and to a lower temperature. By roasting it to this much lower temperature, you get a whitish colored bean that is higher in caffeine because you roast out less caffeine. This results in a very nutty and sweet taste profile much different from traditional coffee.
Which is stronger, café au lait or latte? ›
Flavor Profiles and Strength
Café au lait is made with strong brewed coffee, typically using double the amount of coffee, and less milk compared to a latte, resulting in a stronger coffee taste. Lattes, on the other hand, use a bold shot of espresso and a higher milk-to-espresso ratio, making them mellow in flavor.
What is the difference between a café au lait and a misto? ›
Caffe Misto and Cafe Au Lait share similarities, both consisting of coffee combined with hot milk. The primary difference lies in the coffee used; a Caffe Misto comprises brewed coffee, and in contrast, Cafe Au Lait typically utilizes stronger, dark roasted coffee.
What is the difference between drip coffee and café au lait? ›
It's commonly made with a combination of drip coffee and steamed milk. This is what sets a café au lait apart from a café latte, which is made of espresso and steamed milk, and a “white” or “light and sweet” coffee which is made with drip coffee and cold milk.
What does café au lait mean in French? ›
The term cafe au lait simply means coffee with milk in French, but in New Orleans it means so much more.
