Wet versus dry cappuccino: what’s the difference?

The Cappuccino is a creamy, balanced ratio of espresso, steamed milk and microfoam. Let’s look at a couple ways you can tailor your next cappuccino to your particular tastes.

The wet Cappuccino

If you tell the barista you want a ‘wet Cappuccino’, you’re effectively saying you’d like a Cappuccino with less foam since ‘wet’ implies more liquid.

The size of the drink doesn’t change—just the ingredient ratios. You’ll end up with a drink containing more steamed milk than foam.

This variation has a slightly sweeter and smoother flavour since more steamed milk than normal dilutes the Espresso. It’s still a tasty Cappuccino, just with a milkier flavour and mouthfeel and a thinner layer of microfoam.

The dry Cappuccino

Tell the barista you want a ‘dry Cappuccino’, and you’re effectively saying you want more foam since the foam is considered ‘dry’ compared to the liquid steamed milk.

Once again, the size of the beverage stays the same. What changes is the ratio of steamed milk to foam. In this scenario, you get a far greater portion of microfoam than steamed milk.

This variation features a thick, dense microfoam that floats on top of the shot of espresso. Since there’s less liquid milk poured into the drink, the Espresso has a richer, more pronounced taste. It’s still a cappuccino, just with a punchy flavour and dense layer of foam.

‘Bone Dry’ And ‘Super Wet’

While ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ are where most people stop with their Cappuccino customisation, some prefer to explore the boundaries of Cappuccino milk ratios.

• Bone Dry — Generally means you want zero steamed milk; just a big dollop of foam right on top of the shot. The experience will be akin to a macchiato, but with a little more foam.
• Super Wet — Typically means you want zero foam and all steamed milk. This extra-liquid beverage starts to resemble a Flat White more than a Cappuccino.

We’re comfortable with all variations of the standard Cappuccino and our teams will happily tailor your experience to your preference, no matter how wet or dry you prefer.

You let us know how you like it—we’ll do the rest.