Mocha vs Latte vs Breve

7 min read MAR 29, 2022

With all the different types of coffee drinks there are nowadays, finding the perfect comforting drink can be tricky. 

It’s not surprising if you find yourself wondering about the difference between a latte and a breve and what makes them different from a mocha. 

In this article, we look at what makes a mocha, latte, and breve unique, as well as how you can put your own personal spin on each one. 

What This Article Covers:



What’s the Difference?


All three of these drinks have something unique to offer, but their main components are the same.

All of them have the same basic components: espresso and milk.

The latte uses just espresso and milk, the mocha adds in some chocolate, and the breve is basically just an American version of the latte, but it uses half and half in place of milk.

All three of these coffee drinks start off with either a single or double espresso and then have their own form of milk or dairy added.

Main Ingredients


For all three drinks, you want to start off with some quality coffee beans and your milk of choice.

We recommend Lifeboost Dark Roast Coffee Beans as they create an intense and strong flavor that perfectly balances out your coffee drink. 

What Is a Latte?

breve vs mocha vs latte

We’re going to start off with the latte because it’s the simplest of all the drinks. 

A latte is simply a single or double shot espresso with steamed milk and a small layer of foam. 

Lattes are one of the easiest drinks you can make, which is why you can find them in most coffee shops. 

What Does it Taste Like? 

Because they are just espresso and milk, lattes are quite a strong coffee drink. 

The balance of espresso and milk makes it a great drink to kick-start your day and you can always add flavored syrups or sugar in to sweeten it.

What is a Breve?


A breve coffee drink is basically just the Americanized version of a latte. 

Starting off with your espresso, instead of adding steamed milk, you add frothed half-and-half for a more rich drink. 

What Does it Taste Like? 


A breve tastes similar to a latte in that it’s just espresso and dairy, but it tends to be a sweeter and more creamy drink due to the half-and-half. 

What Is a Mocha?

latte vs mocha vs breve

A mocha is a three-component drink: espresso, milk, and chocolate. 

You can use the base recipe of a latte but then add in either some hot chocolate powder or chocolate syrup to sweeten it.

Mocha’s, like lattes, are very common in coffee shops as they’re a great intro coffee drink due to the chocolate component. 

Each cafe is different in how they make their mochas: some add chocolate powder to the drink, some make a chocolate syrup, and others melt down chocolate pieces for a more luxurious flavor. 

Some coffee shops also like to add some whipped cream to the drink and sprinkle some chocolate powder on top. 

What Does it Taste Like? 


Because of the chocolate element, the mocha is a typically sweet drink. 

It’s often the first coffee drink that people try as the chocolate softens the intense flavor of the espresso. 

Some people like mocha’s because the chocolate can almost overpower the coffee flavor completely, so you still get the energy boost from the caffeine but don’t get the harshness of the espresso taste. 

How to Personalize Each Drink


How to Personalize a Mocha

breve vs latte vs mocha

Mochas are one of those highly versatile drinks that can easily be adjusted to your preference. 

You can make it an iced mocha by using cold milk instead of hot, or even by making your own chocolate syrup and adding it into your iced coffee. 

On super hot days, we recommend blending your cold mocha with some ice to make a slushy-type drink that quenches your thirst as well as gives you an energy boost. 

How to Personalize a Latte


One of the ways we like to personalize our coffee drinks is by using flavored beans to create a different flavor profile.

latte vs breve vs mocha

For lattes, we like to use the Gingerbread Latte roast to create a cozy, warm drink. 

If you’re someone who prefers drinking iced coffee, you can easily transform a latte into a cold latte. Simply add cold steamed milk to your espresso and you’re good to go. 

You can also level this drink up by adding some half-and-half and vanilla sweetener or syrup to make an iced vanilla breve latte. 

How to Personalize a Breve


Much like the other two drinks, breve’s are also very easily adjustable to your liking.

One of our favorite ways to enjoy a breve is by making a breve iced coffee as the half-and-half makes for a really creamy and luxurious cold drink. 

We also like to make a chai tea latte with breve, which is essentially just a chai tea latte made with half-and-half to once again add that velvet texture to the drink. 

How to Make Each Drink


Now that you know what each drink is, we’re going to briefly explain how you can make each one at home.

For all of them, you’re going to want to start off with an espresso. You can make an espresso with either an espresso machine, a pod coffee machine, a Moka pot, or an Aeropress. We don’t recommend using drip coffee or french press coffee as it will be too weak.

Like we said earlier, we enjoy making espresso-based milk drinks with a nice dark roast of coffee. The dark roast ensures there is little to no acidity, so the drink is as smooth as possible and the espresso flavor isn’t too harsh.

mocha vs breve vs latte

For people who enjoy a really intense and saturated coffee flavor, we recommend using the Double Dark Mocha roast as it is very full-bodied and robust, so it makes for a great strong espresso to balance out your drink. 

How to Make a Mocha


Once you’ve got your espresso, you’ll want to add in some form of chocolate. The easiest to add in at home is hot chocolate powder. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add some chocolate syrup to your espresso instead.

After your chocolate, you can add in your steamed, heated, or frothed milk, and then enjoy.

Something we like to do to make it seem more cafe-like is dusting some chocolate powder on top of the milk. 

How to Make a Latte


The latte is the simplest to make: Simply steam your milk and add it to your espresso. If you want or can, you can froth a small amount of milk to add on top of the steamed milk.

What’s nice about a latte is that since all you have to do is steam milk, you can add whatever milk you like, such as almond, oat, rice, or even nut milk. 

How to Make a Breve


Much like a latte, a breve is just espresso and dairy. However, instead of adding steamed milk, you can add heated or steamed half-and-half to your drink. 

Some people or cafes like to add a bit of creamer in as well, to really create that luxurious texture and flavor of the drink. 

Mocha vs Latte vs Breve FAQs


Are Mochas Good for You?


Mochas can be good for you as long as you take them in moderation. 

Because of the added sugar in the chocolate element, too many of these can be bad, but ultimately they’re a nice drink to enjoy when you feel like a bit of sweetness in your coffee. 

How Much Caffeine Is in a Latte?

What’s the Difference Between a Latte and a Breve

Lattes have a standard amount of caffeine in them as they are espresso-based. 

Like most espresso-based coffee drinks, you can either have a single or double shot, meaning that the caffeine levels are pretty much the same. 

Just because a coffee tastes strong, that doesn’t mean it’s got more caffeine in it, it’s just a more intense flavor. 

What’s the Difference Between a Latte and a Breve?


The difference between a latte and a breve is that a breve uses half-and-half whereas a latte uses milk.

Both drinks are espresso-based, but a breve has a more velvety flavor due to the higher fat content in half-and-half. 

Lattes just have milk and espresso, and depending on what milk you use the fat content can range from 100% to non-fat. The less fat content in the milk, the more prominent the espresso will taste as there is less flavor to balance out the coffee.

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