Breve Coffee – A Beautiful Mess

Breve coffee, or caffe breve as it’s sometimes called, is a lesser known but common and truly delicious drink! It’s made with equal parts espresso and half and half (light cream). I think it tastes like a more creamy, indulgent version of a cortado.

At some coffee shops, if you simply ask for a breve coffee or breve, they may make you a latte with half and half instead of milk. But the traditional version is smaller and a 1:1 ratio.

Related: Love espresso drinks? Learn to make a traditional macchiato, latte, cappuccino and americano. You may also want to try an espresso martini.

Ingredients

• Espresso
• Half and half – sometimes called light cream

Half and half is different from heavy whipping cream and whole milk. For a traditional breve coffee, use half and half.

Directions

Brew a shot of fresh espresso.

Steam the half and half until hot.

Pour the cream into the espresso and enjoy.

Best Home Espresso Machines

• Cafe Automatic Espresso Machine – My current machine. It uses any whole beans, so if you use high quality beans you’ll get high quality espresso. It makes espresso shots automatically (no barista skills required) and includes a milk frothing wand to heat and froth milk. We’ve used this machine almost every day since we got it a year ago and we love it! It comes in three colors.
• Stovetop Espresso – This is the cheapest way to make espresso at home. It’s more labor intensive and you will also need a way to grind your beans for best results. But, this is a classic method that works great when done well.
• Breville Barista Touch – We bought this for a good friend as a wedding gift once and they said they love it. It’s a higher end machine that you will need some barista skills to operate, but it’s an excellent home espresso maker.
• Nespresso Vertuo – For those who want an espresso maker that uses pods, this is my favorite. Depending what pod you use, it can make espresso or coffee.