Mornings are bearable only due to the presence of a magical drink like coffee, there is a popular saying ‘A bad day with coffee is better than a good day without a cup of coffee’ which perfectly describes the love that people have towards coffee.
But with umpteen choices especially in the case of drinks and beverages, it is normal to get baffled between many choices, while looking at a menu anyone can get confused between Frappuccino and Cappuccino, although both sound similar, they differ in taste, nature, etc.
Key Takeaways
- Frappuccinos are blended, iced coffee drinks with various flavors and toppings, while cappuccinos are hot espresso-based drinks with steamed milk and foam.
- Frappuccinos are sweeter and more dessert-like than cappuccinos.
- Cappuccinos originated in Italy, while Frappuccinos are a Starbucks invention and trademarked product.
Frappuccino vs Cappuccino
Frappuccino is a trademarked blended beverage made by Starbucks that includes coffee, milk, ice, and various syrups or flavorings. A cappuccino is a traditional Italian coffee drink which is made with espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. A cappuccino is served hot.
Frappuccino is a drink that was introduced by Starbucks as a cold version of coffee that consisted of cream, sugar, condensed milk, syrup, flavor, etc., and is one of the heaviest drinks on the Starbucks menu.
Frappuccino is not specific; it can be modified into various versions but altering the ingredients.
On the other hand, Cappuccino is a steaming hot drink and is prepared using a good hot shot of espresso, milk, milk foam and is served in the cafes with their latte art.
Cappuccino gives the perfect caffeine kick required in the morning. Cappuccino is highly specific, if the shot of espresso is replaced with anything else then it is not a Cappuccino.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Frappuccino | Cappuccino |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Iced Drink | Steaming Hot Drink |
| Origin | Starbucks (American Coffee-House) | Italy |
| Ingredients | Condensed Milk, Cream, Sugar (Optional), Flavor- Syrup, Crushed Ice, etc. | Steamed Milk, Milk Foam, Espresso, Sugar |
| Distinguishing Feature | Sweetened Drink | Good shot of Caffeine/ Espresso |
| Specificity | Not specific | Highly specific |
What is Frappuccino?
Aforementioned, Frappuccino is an iced coffee drink that is made up of cream, condensed milk, sugar, etc., and is not at all specific and can be modified into various versions by altering the number of ingredients or by adding a new ingredient.
The sweet flavor comes out perfectly with the crunchy ice. It is listed as a high-calorie drink on the Starbucks menu due to the amount of sugar and cream involved.
Frappuccino is not at all specific, that is the reason many cafes prefer adding a special syrup to enhance the taste. The word Frappuccino is derived from two words Frappe (French word- a combination of milkshake and ice-cream) and cappuccino- the coffee part.
Although, Frappuccino was introduced by Coffee Connection, when Starbucks eventually took over Coffee Connection, they modified the drink and copyrighted it as their own.
Frappuccino can also be prepared without using caffeine, for instance, the Matcha Frappuccino does not contain any caffeine, instead contains Match Powder, any fruit-based Frappuccino does not contain caffeine- for instance, the strawberry flavored Frappuccino.
Owing to its flexible nature, Frappuccino can be altered as per the café’s choice and still be referred to as a Frappuccino, according to the customer’s choice, the cafés now add whipped cream, or syrup to enhance the taste.
Whipped cream and crushed ice are the constant part of a Frappuccino. But all these ingredients put Frappuccino on the unhealthier side, thus Frappuccino is not preferred by diet enthusiasts, but can be used as a cheat meal once in a while.
Even though it is included in the high-calorie drink, Frappuccino is always served in a huge cup as compared to other drinks as it has many ingredients, and owing to the cold nature it needs to be brewed stronger than other hot drinks.
With increasing demand, many cafés have now introduced decaffeinated, Choco-Chips, soy-milk, and many other versions of Frappuccino.
What is a Cappuccino?
As mentioned above, Cappuccino is a steaming hot drink with an espresso shot, sugar, milk, milk foam as the main ingredients. It is highly specific as adding even one ingredient other than the regular ingredient can cause its name to change from Cappuccino.
The espresso shot is a vital ingredient and it cannot be modified into any other ingredient in a Cappuccino.
Although Cappuccino originated in Italy, it is widely accepted as the morning drink in every part of the world as it provides the working professional the caffeine kick that is required when the day starts.
It is prepared in an Espresso coffee machine with one shot of espresso in every cup unless someone asks for a stronger Cappuccino with a double shot espresso, the people steering away from caffeine can ask for a decaf Cappuccino as many cafés provide decaffeinated espresso shot.
Cappuccino is the only drink after latte, that is actively used by the restaurants to show off their artistic abilities, that is latte art. It is presented beautifully in almost every restaurant with a magnificent texture art with their milk, although the latte art Cappuccino is served in a smaller cup, it visually looks gorgeous and delicious.
Another way of presenting a Cappuccino is through the traditional way with no art, this is served in a bigger cup in most of the restaurants.
Owing to the number of ingredients, Cappuccino falls on the lighter side as it does not contain too many calories and is highly preferred by diet enthusiasts.
It is served in a smaller cup as compared to other beverages but is a perfect drink that goes with breakfast, lunch, or dinner for that matter.
Main Differences Between Frappuccino and Cappuccino
- Frappuccino is an ice-cold drink with crushed ice as the main ingredient, whereas Cappuccino is a steaming hot drink with espresso shot as the main ingredient.
- The ingredients of Frappuccino are Condensed Milk, Whipped Cream, Crushed Ice, Syrup, Sugar, etc., while the main ingredients of Cappuccino are Espresso shot, Sugar, Milk, Milk Foam, etc.
- Frappuccino is not specific and can be modified into numerous versions, on the other hand, Cappuccino is highly specific.
- Frappuccino has an enormous number of calories, in contrast, Cappuccino has a smaller number of calories and is healthier.
- Frappuccino can be made without the use of caffeine, whereas Cappuccino strictly needs caffeine to be made.
- Almost all the cafés serve Frappuccino in a huge cup, whereas Cappuccino is served in a comparatively smaller cup.
References
- http://sk.sagepub.com/cases/the-starbucks-unicorn-frappuccino-and-the-concept-of-stunt-food
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joss.12159
Last Updated : 16 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
