How Many Shots In A Latte – Is a Latte Single Or Double Shot?

Is a latte a single or double shot? This article will tell you exactly how many shots in a latte leaving you with no doubts.

Of course a regular latte has a single shot and a larger latte has a double shot, but there is something Starbucks does with their latte, and you will know which size of beverage is best and most economical and why!

What is that peculiar thing about a Starbucks latte, the number of shots and their drink sizes?

Keep reading to find out!

How Many Shots In A Latte?

A regular latte at your local coffee shop is made with a single espresso shot which is 1/3rd of your beverage with the remaining 2/3rds being steamed hot milk and a fine cap of milk froth.

A latte, no matter how large or how many shots are used always follows this coffee to milk ratio of 1:2

Larger lattes, especially those from specialty coffee shops, can be ordered as a single-shot, double-shot, or triple-shot latte with the same ratio of coffee to milk.

A fine example of this is at Starbucks where the different drink sizes have different amounts of espresso as indicated:

• Short 8 oz (240 ml) has one shot.
• A Tall 12 Oz (360 ml) has one shot.
• A Grande 16 Oz (480 ml) has two shots.
• A Venti 20 Oz (600 ml) has two shots.

Given that a shot of espresso is 30 ml (1 oz) and a latte has a coffee to milk ratio of 1:2 that means that there is twice as much milk as there is coffee. This means that a short 8 oz (240 ml) and a tall 12 oz (360 ml) both have one shot of espresso, which is 1 oz (30 ml) of coffee and 60 ml of steamed milk each with the rest being milk froth.

The result means that the only difference between an 8 oz and 12 oz latte is 4 oz of microfoam more, not more milk or more coffee. It also means that at least half of your beverage is foam, in some cases more.

Here is an example,

A short 8 oz, 240 ml, latte at Starbucks 1 oz (30 ml) espresso, 3 oz (60 ml) of milk totalling 4 ounces (120 ml) with the rest of the remaining 4 oz (120 ml) being milk foam. The sharp-eyed will notice that this means that there is 4 oz of beverage and 8 oz of foam in a tall 12 oz (360 ml) latte from Starbucks.

Even more shocking, a venti 20 Oz (600 ml) has 14 oz of foam and only 6 oz of liquid beverage.

Read: Does macchiato have caffeine?

Is A Latte Single Or Double Shot?

A proper latte as made at a coffee shop has only a single shot of espresso. The espresso shot is brewed with a dark roasted coffee to help the flavor of the coffee to cut through the creaminess of the milk.

An espresso is made in the following way.

• 1 Oz (30 ml) single shot of dark roasted coffee.
• 2 Oz (60 ml) of whole fat steamed milk.
• 1 cm cap of milk foam.
• Latte art (optional).

How Much Milk In A Latte ml

The amount of milk in a well-made latte is twice as much, double the amount of coffee used, in milliliters this is 30 ml espresso and 60 ml milk. For a latte made with a double shot, 60 ml of espresso, 120 ml of steamed milk is used.

If you love a large triple hot latte to warm you up in the winter, there will be 90 ml of espresso and 180 ml of steamed milk.

What Is The Latte Ratio

The latte ratio refers to the coffee to milk ratio and is not to be confused with the coffee to water ratio when making the shot of espresso for the beautiful latte that you want to make or drink.

A latte consists of 1/3rd espresso and 2/3rd milk with a 1 cm cap of microfoam. This means that the latte ratio is 1:2 – 1 part coffee and 2 parts milk.

I’ve see this ratio incorrectly expressed as 1:3 as some coffee bloggers have expressed the fractions as a ratio incorrectly. When there is one third espresso and two thirds milk, it means there is twice as much milk as there is espresso and this is expressed as a ratio of 1:2

Read: What is the difference between a cappuccino and a latte?

Single Shot Latte Caffeine Content

A single shot of latte has on average 65 mg of caffeine from a regular local coffee shop while a double shot latte has 130 mg of the stimulant.

A triple shot latte from your local coffee shop will have a whopping 195 mg of caffeine.

At Starbucks they use a slightly stronger coffee, their signature espresso roast, Pike Place. A single shot latte which can be their short 8 oz (240 ml) or tall 12 oz (360 ml) and has 75 mg of caffeine in both a short and tall latte.

At Starbucks, a double shot latte, their 16 oz (480 ml) and 20 oz (600 ml) has 150 milligrams of caffeine. If you were to request a triple shot latte at the world’s most popular coffee shop you would be getting a 225 milligram caffeine kick.

It is important to note that this is the amount of caffeine that is in all coffee beverages that have a single, double or triple shot of espresso and not just a latte. 

Examples of beverages with a single shot or double shot of espresso include:

• Latte Macchiato.
• A Classic Macchiato.
• Caffe Americano.
• Cappuccino.
• Cortado.
• Mocha.
• And more.

How To Make The Perfect Latte At Home

Making a perfect latte is very easy. Very few specialist ingredients or equipment are needed. It is preferred that you have a home espresso machine to get a perfect espresso shot and use medium-dark roasted, better is dark roasted specialty coffee beans for a top quality espresso shot.

Pulling The Perfect Espresso Shot For Your Latte

The best ingredients and the best equipment make the best drinks. This means that a home espresso machine or a professional one will make a much better espresso shots than an Aeropress or moka pot.

The better your beans, the better your cup of coffee.

The Method

Weigh 20 grams of whole freshly roasted coffee beans using your digital coffee scale. When you have weighed your beans, grind them to a fine 200 micron powder-like grind size.

Tamp your coffee grounds and ensure that you are using a good, even pressure. Around 30 kg of pressure is enough.

Pull your shot and time it.

Your shot should take around 25 seconds with a variance of plus or minus 5 seconds.  If it is pulled too quickly or too slow and is outside of this 25 second time frame, your shot is less than perfect.

If it is too quick, the shot will taste sour or slightly sour. The remedy, assuming water temperature and water pressure are in the perfect range of 92C to 96C (195F to 205F) and 130 PSI (9 bars of pressure), is likely to be reducing your grind size slightly.

When you reduce the grind size, you are encouraging greater impedance, a larger surface area and more contact with the hot water and the coffee grounds.

If your shot is too slow, it will taste overtly bitter. The most likely cause is a grind size that is too small and too great an impedance and too long a contact time between the coffee and the water.

If the brew time is perfect, and you have pulled a 30 gram (30 ml) shot of espresso, start to steam your milk.

Read: What is the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?

Steaming Your Milk Perfectly

Steaming milk perfectly is an easy skill to learn.

Using whole fat milk as this type of milk produces a far better quality of steamed milk and milk foam.

Half fill your milk jug and tilt it at a slight angle and start steaming the milk. Dip the tip of your milk steaming wand about an inch below the surface of the milk and watch out for a whirlpool effect.

Move your wand up and down through the milk and steam it well. Listen out for a sound that is like the ripping and tearing of magazines. When you hear that sound, your milk is ready to foam.

To make the microfoam dip the nozzle of the steaming wand just below the surface, about 1 cm below to force air and steam into the milk and create the foam.

After about 30 seconds to a minute, if even that long your milk should be perfectly foamed.

To create the silky texture, use your steaming wand to turn some milk foam into your milk.

Once this has been achieved, carefully pour twice as much milk into the espresso shot as there is espresso and spoon on a fine 1 cm layer of milk foam.

Drink and enjoy your perfectly made latte.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Many Shots In A Latte?

How Many Shots Are In A 16 oz Latte?

In a Starbucks Grande 16 Oz (480 ml) latte there are two shots of espresso. This is double shot of espresso is the same be it a classic latte or one of the many flavored lattes.

How Many Shots Does Starbucks Latte Have?

A short 8 oz (240 ml)and a tall 12 oz (360 ml) latte at Starbucks has a single shot of espresso. There is an extra shot in the larger 16 oz (480 ml) latte and the venti 20 oz (600 ml) latte.

How Many Shots Are In A 20oz Latte?

At Starbucks, there is an extra espresso shot in their 20 oz (600 ml) latte beverage.

How Many Shots Of Espresso Are In A Latte At Dunkin Donuts?

At Dunkin’ there number of shots of espresso in their latte beverages are as follows:

• A single espresso shot in their small latte.
• A double shot of espresso in a medium latte.
• A triple shot of espresso in a large latte.

Should I Add Sugar To Latte?

Some latte lovers and espresso enthusiasts may suggest that you enjoy your latte as it is with no sugar, no flavoring and no simple syrup added.

Coffee is a personal thing and how you enjoy it comes down to your own personal taste. I encourage experimentation with a variety of sweeteners. What you sweeten your latte with and the type of milk that you use will dramatically change how your coffee drink will taste.

If you have a flavored latte, the coffee syrup used will add sufficient sweetness to the beverage. I strongly advise the use of a simple syrup be it a plain simple syrup or a brown sugar simple syrup as these provide a more even distribution of sweetness than sugar.

Also, with a simple syrup you will not get any residue in the bottom of your cup.

What Makes A Good Latte?

Great beans, particularly dark-roasted espresso beans of specialty grade and whole fat steamed milk and above all a skilled barista that knows how to make the perfect espresso shot, steam milk and make the layer of milk foam perfectly and, well, eye-catching latte art helps.

Final Thoughts – How Many Shots In A Latte 

If you have read this far, you know how many shots are in a latte, and which drinks size at Starbucks have a single, and which have a double shot.

Do you love a great latte? Flavored or unflavored? And how many shots in your latte do you enjoy? 

Tell us on our active online coffee community on Facebook/Meta and share your single or double shot latte selfies and latte creations. 

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location