France & Switzerland
A café crème is French espresso with hot milk and a light foam, between a cappuccino and a latte. In Swiss German cafés the name means a long black coffee.
A café crème is espresso with hot milk, served in a 150 to 200 ml (5 to 7 oz) cup. Despite the name there is no cream in it — crème here describes the color and the texture.
Between an Italian cappuccino and a latte. More milk than a noisette, less than a latte, with a light foam rather than a thick cap.
It is the standard French order for anyone who wants milk in their coffee and does not want a tiny cup. In Paris it is usually just called un crème.
In German-speaking Switzerland, Kaffee Crème means something different again: a long black coffee, closer to a lungo or an americano, with no milk at all. Cream may be offered alongside.
The same words, two unrelated drinks, about 250 miles apart.
A double espresso in a 180 ml (6 oz) cup, topped with around 100 ml (3.4 oz) of steamed milk with a light foam. Less foam than a cappuccino, less milk than a latte.
Un café is an espresso. Un allongé is lengthened with water. Un noisette is an espresso with a dash of milk. Un déca is decaf.
Ordering “a coffee” in France gets you a small strong espresso, which surprises a lot of visitors.
The equipment this actually requires — not a shopping list, the shortest route to doing it properly.
54 mm (2.13 in) · automatic milk texturing · 3 s heat-up
Ready in three seconds, 7.5 inches wide, and it textures milk automatically to a temperature you choose. The one espresso machine that suits a small kitchen without pretending grind does not matter.
Best for: Someone who already owns a grinder, or is buying one, and has no space.
18/10 stainless · 500 ml · sharp spout
The pitcher many baristas actually use. The sharp, low spout is what puts a pattern on the surface rather than a blob — and it costs less than most people spend on beans in a month.
Best for: Anyone with a steam wand who has been wondering why their pours look like blobs.
The cup shape professionals pour into: a wide, round bowl and a tight base that concentrates the crema and gives a pattern room to form. Thick porcelain holds heat properly.
Best for: Cappuccino and flat white, poured by hand from a pitcher.
