What Is A Bone Dry Cappuccino? It’s No Ordinary Cappuccino!

I get asked that question, What is a bone dry cappuccino?, from time to time. Rather than drag out the answer I’ll give you the quick and easy one straight away.

A bone dry cappuccino is different from a basic cappuccino as it is made with no steamed milk at all and consists of only of espresso and milk foam.

Keep reading for the more detailed answer.

What Is A Bone Dry Cappuccino?

As a coffee lover you will be very familiar with what a cappuccino is, but perhaps you are not so sure about or knowledgeable about the variations of this classic Italian coffee beverage.

Here is a list of the different types of cappuccino, including a bone dry cappuccino, which is also known as an extra dry cappuccino:

• Regular Italian Cappuccino: An espresso-based beverage that is made with a single or double espresso shot with steamed milk and a layer of foamed milk. The three components of espresso, steamed milk and the layer of foam are in equal amounts. May or may not have a sprinkling of cocoa on top.
• Dry Cappuccino: An espresso coffee drink that is very similar to a regular cappuccino but is made with half as much milk. Typically, a dry cappuccino is 1 oz (30 ml) of espresso, 0.5 oz (15 ml) of steamed milk, 1.5 oz (45 ml) of milk foam.
• Bone Dry Cappuccino: Very similar to a dry cappuccino but it is made with no steamed milk at all and a higher coffee to foam ratio, which is typically 1:2.
• Wet Cappuccino: A wet cappuccino is a regular cappuccino made with more milk. The typical construction of a wet cappuccino is 1 Oz (30 ml) espresso, 1.5 Oz (45 ml) of steamed milk and 0.5 Oz (15 ml) of milk foam.
• Super Wet Cappuccino: Similar to a wet cappuccino but with more milk. A super wet cappuccino is made with a shot of espresso and twice as much milk and no layer of foamed milk.

It is very common for coffee lovers to make the mistake of saying that a super wet cappuccino is the same as a latte. The tiny difference between the two drinks is a latte has a fine layer of foamed milk that is the perfect canvas for latte art.

Read: Wet cappuccino

How To Order A Bone Dry Cappuccino At Starbucks

Ordering a bone dry cappuccino at Starbucks is easy. The baristas at the world’s most popular coffee shop are highly trained and experienced and know how to make a whole range of coffee drinks. 

They, Starbucks baristas, brew from 300 to 600 drinks each per day on average, depending on the outlet and location. They absolutely know what a bone dry cappuccino is and even the rarest and most unusual coffee drink too. 

Just ask your Starbucks barista for a bone dry cappuccino. They will know to make a normal cappuccino without any milk.

Chances are they are a cappuccino drinker too and have made themselves a delicious bone dry cappuccino.

Bone Dry Cappuccino Vs Macchiato

A bone dry cappuccino, also known as an extra dry cappuccino, is very similar to a macchiato. The key difference is the presence of milk by a tiny small amount in an espresso macchiato.

Let’s see the construction of both these coffee beverages side by side so that you can get a full understanding of how different they are:

• Bone Dry Cappuccino: A cup of cappuccino that is made with no milk and only espresso shot and foamed milk.
• Espresso Macchiato: A straight espresso with a dash of milk, typically only a teaspoon of milk. May have a dollop of milk foam, but not always.

The thick foam layer in a bone dry cappuccino gives the drink a lovely airy and light texture. Coffee lovers enjoy this extra dry cappuccino due to the thick pillow of milk helps to keep the espresso shot warm for a little longer.

Read: Bone dry cappuccino meaning

How To Make A Bone Dry Cappuccino

Making a bone dry cappuccino is easy. It’s the same skill set of brewing a great shot of espresso, steaming milk and scooping in the milk foam.

The better your shot of espresso and the better the quality of your beans, the better your beverage will be.

Let’s get on with this bone dry cappuccino recipe.

Ingredients Needed For Making A Bone Dry Cappuccino

As you can imagine, dry and bone dry cappuccinos need very few ingredients, which are:

• Premium quality dark roasted coffee beans.
• Whole milk.
• Water, filtered or bottled.

The best roast to use is an Italian roast with the next best a French press.

Read: Bone dry cappuccino

Instructions For Making A Bone Dry Cappuccino

The very first step is to weigh and grind your coffee beans. To make a high quality espresso, weigh 15 grams of whole coffee beans.

Grind them to a very fine grind size, similar to sand. 200 microns is the ideal grind size.

Once you ground your beans, put them in your portafilter and proceed to tamping.

Pay attention to tamping your coffee as your poor tamping can lead to channeling, a poor flow rate and other problems that affect your coffee.

Tamp evenly and with a pressure of approximately 30 kg.

Once you have tamped perfectly, pull your shot.

Put your coffee weighing sale on your drip tray, put your coffee cup on it and pull your shot. Time how long it takes your shot to extract.

The extraction time should be 25 seconds with a variance of plus or minus 5 seconds and should weigh 30 grams.

If your shot is brewed in less than 20 seconds, it will be under extracted and slightly sour tasting. The most probable error is your grind size being a little too large, causing you to have too poor a contact with your hot water. Make a slightly smaller grind size and try again.

If your shot takes more than 30 seconds to pull, your shot will be over brewed, overtly bitter. The cause is too much contact between your hot water and your coffee grounds. Try again using a slightly larger grind size to encourage a greater flow rate.

Steam your milk using the steam wand attachment on your espresso machine. Pay attention to creating an abundance of milk foam.

Scoop approximately 2 oz (60 ml) of foam onto your 1 Oz (30 ml) shot of espresso.

Enjoy your bone dry espresso.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Is A Bone Dry Cappuccino?

What Does A Bone Dry Cappuccino Taste Like?

A bone dry cappuccino has a taste that is very similar to a shot of espresso. It has a strong coffee taste due to no milk being used. It is made with only espresso and a lot of milk foam, usually twice as much milk foam as there is espresso.

How Do You Make A Bone Dry Cappuccino?

A bone dry cappuccino is very easy to make. Start by making the perfect shot of espresso and adding a thick layer of milk foam. It is the lack of milk, other than the milk foam, that makes this cappuccino a bone dry cappuccino.

Is A Bone Dry Cappuccino The Same As An Espresso Macchiato?

No, a bone dry cappuccino is distinctly different from an espresso macchiato.

Let’s have a closer look at both drinks to get a clearer picture of the two drinks and their differences.

• Bone Dry Cappuccino: An espresso based drink made with a shot or two of espresso and milk froth, only milk foam. No milk is used in the drink.
• Espresso Macchiato: An espresso-based coffee drink made with a shot of espresso and a teaspoon splash of milk. Often a dollop of milk foam is used.

What Is The Difference Between A Dry Cappuccino And A Macchiato?

The difference between a dry cappuccino and a macchiato is the use of milk and the quantity used. A dry cappuccino is made with typically only half as much steamed milk as a classic cappuccino and has a little more steamed milk.

A Macchiato is made espresso and has only a splash of milk, typically only a teaspoon and a dollop of steamed milk.

Is A Macchiato Stronger Than A Cappuccino?

Yes, a macchiato has a notably stronger and more intense flavor than a regular cappuccino. A regular cappuccino is made with espresso, steamed milk and milk foam in equal proportions.

Is A Cappuccino More Fattening Than A Coffee?

Yes, a cappuccino has more calories than a regular cup of coffee as it has more milk. If you are on a diet, regular coffee and coffee drinks that have a low amount of milk or no milk at all will have a reduced calorie count.

Does A Dry Cappuccino Have Less Calories?

Yes, a dry cappuccino, particularly a bone dry cappuccino, has reduced calorie count when compared to a standard cappuccino due to having less steamed milk.

How Do You Order A Cappuccino With Less Foam?

Ordering a cappuccino with less milk foam is easy; simply ask your barista for a wet cappuccino or a super-wet cappuccino. The reference to wet is telling you barista to use a greater amount of milk and less foam.

Final Thoughts About What Is A Bone Dry Cappuccino?

Having read this far you should know exactly what is a bone dry cappuccino and how it is different from the other cappuccino types, perhaps when you make it and try it, it will become your favorite cappuccino.

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