Coffee Drink
Caffè Misto: Recipe, Starbucks Nutrition and Latte Differences
A Caffè Misto combines brewed coffee with steamed milk, commonly in equal proportions. Starbucks uses the name for a drink closely related to café au lait. A latte starts with espresso; Misto keeps the character of brewed coffee in a substantial milk drink.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- ~50 mg referenceGeneric reference for 120 ml (½ US cup) brewed coffeeGeneric brewed-coffee reference.
- Calories
- About 63 kcal120 ml (½ US cup) coffee + 120 ml (½ US cup) 2% milkHome ingredient estimate with all the measured milk served.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 plain home drink, 240 ml (8.1 US fl oz) before foam
- Made with
- Brewed coffee and lightly textured 2% milk, 1:1 by volume
- Sugar
- About 6 g total. Natural milk sugar; no added sugar in the home recipe.
- Preparation
- About 5 minutes with coffee already brewed
Home caffeine scales Mayo Clinic’s 96 mg per 237 ml brewed coffee to 120 ml. Calories and sugar use USDA ingredient records and their volume-to-mass portions. The separate Starbucks Grande example appears in the nutrition section. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Our home recipe uses 120 ml (½ US cup) coffee and 120 ml (½ US cup) 2% milk, measured before heating and frothing.
- 2Foam changes the height in the cup, not the measured milk portion. Leave headroom.
- 3The home recipe has about 63 kcal, 6 g total sugar and 50 mg reference caffeine.
On This Page10 Sections
How to Make a Caffè Misto at Home
Recipe
Homemade Caffè Misto
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 5 minutes with coffee already brewed
Ingredients
- 120 ml (½ US cup) hot brewed coffee
- 120 ml (½ US cup) 2% milk, measured before heating
Equipment
- Measuring jug
- small saucepan and spoon
- whisk or handheld frother
- 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz) heatproof mug
Method
- Prepare the coffee. Warm and empty a 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz) heatproof mug, then add 120 ml (½ US cup) freshly brewed coffee.
- Heat the milk. Put 120 ml (½ US cup) 2% milk in a small saucepan. Stir over gentle heat until steaming, stopping before it boils.
- Add light texture. Whisk or use a handheld frother briefly to make a thin layer of fine bubbles. Swirl to combine the milk and foam rather than building a stiff cap.
- Combine and taste. Pour all the measured milk and its foam into the coffee, leaving headroom. Stir gently, let it cool enough to drink, and taste before adding sweetener.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 63 calories; total sugar 6 g. Serving: 1 plain home drink, 240 ml (8.1 US fl oz) before foam.
Recipe notes
This saucepan-and-frother method is a home adaptation of steamed milk. Measure milk before frothing and serve the whole measured portion.
Nutrition assumes 2% milk and no sweetener. About 50 mg caffeine is the generic home-serving reference.
Starbucks at Home's recipe also offers a frother-based preparation. Drip coffee, pour-over or French press can supply the coffee portion here; measure it after brewing. Brewing time is additional.
Using a Steam Wand Instead
Use a pitcher fill suited to your machine and introduce only a little air. If the wand needs more milk than the recipe, do not pour in the whole pitcher by default. Tare the mug containing the coffee, then add about 124 g (4.4 oz) textured milk as a practical proxy for the recipe's 120 ml (½ US cup) milk portion. Steam can change water content, so this is approximate; the nutrition calculation uses the unheated ingredient's reference density.
Caffè Misto vs. Latte and Café Au Lait
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| Drink | Coffee base | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Caffè Misto | Brewed coffee | A substantial steamed-milk portion; the 1:1 mix is a useful starting point |
| Latte | Espresso | Espresso combined with a larger milk portion and fine foam |
| Café au lait | Usually brewed coffee in the home version | Hot milk; terminology and café preparation can overlap with Misto |
| Americano with milk | Espresso and added water | Diluted espresso, then milk; a different coffee base |
Starbucks' own explainer describes Misto as equal parts brewed coffee and steamed milk and links it with café au lait. A rule that one must always be French press while the other must be drip is not useful. Ask how the café makes it.
How to Order a Caffè Misto
Where the name is unfamiliar, ask for brewed coffee with roughly equal hot, steamed milk. A practical order is: “A small brewed coffee with equal steamed milk, no syrup, please.” Then specify dairy or plant milk and ask about decaf if wanted.
- Size: the amount of coffee affects potential caffeine; cup size alone is not a formula.
- Milk: say which product you want. A splash of cream gives a different balance from an equal milk portion.
- Sweetness: request plain if you do not want syrup or added sugar.
- Cold version: ask what iced brewed-coffee-and-milk options the café makes; “iced Misto” is not a universal menu item.
For brewed coffee with cream and sugar, a Canadian double-double is a different order. It specifies two portions of each; it does not mean equal parts coffee and steamed milk.
Check the local Starbucks menu for available sizes and customizations.
Caffè Misto Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
For our home recipe: about 63 kcal, 6 g total sugar and a 50 mg generic caffeine reference. Actual caffeine depends on the brew. The recipe contains no added sugar, but plain dairy milk contains lactose.
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| Which serving? | Calories | Total sugar | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home example: 120 ml (½ US cup) coffee + 120 ml (½ US cup) 2% milk | About 63 kcal | About 6 g | About 50 mg, generic reference |
| Starbucks US Grande Caffè Misto, 473 ml (16 US fl oz), standard menu recipe | 110 kcal | 10 g | 150 mg, approximate menu value |
The Starbucks row comes from its US nutrition page, checked 24 September 2026. Customization changes the numbers. These rows use different serving sizes and coffee references; do not scale the home estimate to predict the café drink.
How the Home Numbers Are Calculated
Serving calculation and ingredient sources
- Caffeine: Mayo Clinic lists 96 mg per 237 ml brewed coffee. Scaling to 120 ml gives 48.6 mg, rounded to about 50 mg.
- Calories: USDA's 2% milk record gives 50 kcal per 100 g. Its portion weight converts 120 ml to about 124 g milk: approximately 61.9 kcal, plus 1.2 kcal for the coffee, gives about 63 kcal.
- Sugar: the same milk portion supplies approximately 6.3 g total sugar, rounded to 6 g. Added syrup or sugar is separate.
Sources are Mayo Clinic's reference table, USDA FDC 171267 for 2% milk, and FDC 171890 for brewed coffee.
Whole milk at the same volume makes the home drink about 77 kcal. Plant milk needs its own label calculation; “unsweetened” alone does not identify its calories.
Flavor and Tasting Notes
Misto tastes like brewed coffee softened by a substantial milk portion, with light surface foam. The coffee can suggest cocoa, toasted nuts or fruit depending on the beans and roast. A milkier taste does not prove a lower caffeine content.
Want More Coffee Flavor? Choose What Stays Fixed
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| Home adjustment | Coffee | Milk before frothing | What changes? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting point | 120 ml (½ US cup) | 120 ml (½ US cup) | 240 ml (8.1 US fl oz) before foam |
| Smaller, less milky cup | 120 ml (½ US cup) | 90 ml (3 US fl oz) | 210 ml (7.1 US fl oz); the same coffee means the same total caffeine |
| Same liquid volume, more coffee | 144 ml (4.9 US fl oz) | 96 ml (3.2 US fl oz) | 240 ml (8.1 US fl oz); 20% more of the same brew means 20% more caffeine |
Improving a poorly brewed coffee is a separate task from changing the coffee-to-milk ratio.
Caffè Misto Troubleshooting
| Problem | Useful next step |
|---|---|
| Coffee disappears | Taste the brew on its own, then try the smaller coffee-and-milk serving in the adjustment table |
| Bitter underneath the milk | Adjust roast or brewing; avoid repeatedly reheating the coffee |
| Big bubbles or dry foam | Froth less and swirl the milk before pouring |
| Cooked-milk smell | Heat more gently and stop sooner |
| Plant milk separates | Try a different formulation and avoid excessive heat; product composition matters |
History and Culture
Starbucks uses Caffè Misto for a brewed-coffee-and-steamed-milk drink, but the coffee-with-hot-milk tradition is broader than that menu name. Our café au lait guide covers French breakfast context and Café du Monde's New Orleans coffee-and-chicory version.
Common Questions
Does a Caffè Misto Contain Espresso?
The basic drink uses brewed coffee. You can request an added espresso shot where offered, but that changes the recipe and caffeine. It does not turn the original coffee base into a latte.
Is Misto Lower in Calories or Caffeine Than a Latte?
Compare serving size, milk portion, milk type, coffee amount and additions. Milk changes the flavor without removing caffeine; decaf is an option, but is not necessarily caffeine-free.
Can You Make an Iced Misto at Home?
For a cold adaptation, mix chilled brewed coffee with cold milk and add ice in a larger glass. Do not steam milk simply to chill it again. Ice melt changes dilution.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
6 references
External links open in a new tab
Preparation and comparison
Nutrition reference
- StarbucksUS Grande nutrition exampleStarbucks US Grande, 473 ml (16 US fl oz), checked 24 September 2026.(opens in a new tab)
- Mayo ClinicGeneric caffeine reference96 mg per 237 ml brewed coffee, scaled to the home coffee portion.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData CentralMilk, FDC 171267 and 1712652% and whole milk energy, sugar and portion weights used in ingredient estimates.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData CentralBrewed coffee, FDC 171890Coffee energy input; calories count only ingredients served.(opens in a new tab)