Cappuccino glasses: Does coffee with a milk foam cap belong behind glass?

The exact origin of the coffee beans is actually unclear to one or the other, many simply don't bother with it. But they are all passionate about making their coffee. From Austrian black and brown coffees to the widespread filter coffee, French café brûlot and American flavoured coffee through to Swiss Schümli - everyone around the world has probably found their favourite coffee. Cappuccino ranks high on the popularity scale. As an espresso topped with milk foam and sometimes also with whipped cream as a cappuccino con panna, this coffee favourite is drunk either from porcelain cups or glasses.

Cappuccino is the coffee star
Espresso, also as a double or semi-frozen granita di caffé, latte macchiato, caffé americano, lungo, ristretto, coretto or caffé macchiato with fine milk droplets - the list of Italian coffee specialities is long. Cappuccino is naturally right at the top of the list: It is served with espresso topped with frothed milk. Still in true Italian style, fine cocoa powder is lightly powdered on top. Milk foam is considered the ultimate, anything else is almost sacrilegious. Nonetheless, in the absence of frothed milk, if there is a preference or simply in a banal case, only whipped cream is spooned on top from time to time - there are even said to be people who simply whizz spray cans of cream on top. While cappuccino in the USA is prepared as a wetcap with less or as a drycap with more foam, in Italy cappuccino, the epitome of individually sweetened coffee enjoyment, is enjoyed either bollente (very hot) or tiepido (warm). Cappuccino is therefore generally regarded as one of the coffee specialities with a clear Italian origin. But it doesn't actually come from Italy at all.

Cappuccino historical
The cappuccino was not invented in Italy, but in Austria. In the Alpine republic, it is called Capuchin and is indeed served with a generous portion of whipped cream. The name can be traced back to the venerable order of Capuchins, whose monks shaved tonsures on their heads. The shaved areas, surrounded only by a fringe of hair, are regarded as a sign of divine devotion. However, this also evoked associations with floating cream in espresso or mocha.
In the course of the First World War, Austrian soldiers brought the Capuchin with them to Italy. The Austrian capuchin then became the Italian cappuccino. However, the term is not a translation. Rather, cappuccino is a diminutive form of cappuccio, the Italian word for the hood - again a reminiscence of the hood-wearing monks.
Cappuccino owes its worldwide popularity less to coffee-loving holidaymakers and more to US coffee shops, which have praised it as the ultimate coffee speciality since the early 1990s. From there, the cappuccino quickly increased its popularity and the speed of its triumphal march around the world.
Nevertheless, there are certain rules for enjoying cappuccino from Bella Italia: it should not be drunk after 12 noon. Cappuccino is considered a classic coffee option for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack. From 12 noon at the latest, the unrestricted dominance of espresso - or as it is simply called in Italy - caffé begins in Italian coffee bars. If you want to make a bella figura in Italy, you should follow this basic rule. This includes the espresso topped with milk foam in a glass.

Are cappuccino glasses the ultimate?
Capuchin with cream topping was refined little by little in Italy. Thank goodness! Or so you might think. Because fat whipped cream, crunchy chocolate sprinkles and various other decorations had considerably tarnished the image of a real cappuccino. A proper cappuccino consists of no more than two ingredients: 20 to 25 millilitres of freshly brewed espresso and fine milk foam without any bubbles. The espresso is first poured into a preheated glass with a capacity of 120 to 180 millilitres. The emphasis is on "glass". If you no longer enjoyed your good cappuccino in the sometimes colourful monstrosities of cups, the frippery such as coarse milk foam or cinnamon seeping through the drink would be immediately visible. What has become the rule with latte macchiato is less common with cappuccino. Cups are often preferred. This is probably for practical reasons, as porcelain cups retain heat better and delay the drop in temperature. There is also a widespread view that thermal glasses, and even more so simple glasses, break far too quickly.

Glass or cup?
In cafés and restaurants, cappuccino is often served in oversized cups, which also blurs the boundaries with latte macchiato. The filling quantity of less than 200 millilitres seems rather too puny - after all, the price should be reasonable. However, the very individual preparation method is also often exaggerated. The cup sizes literally demand too large quantities, which then get cold all too quickly.
Appropriately sized porcelain cups are a good alternative and appear to be the better choice. In addition, porcelain cups are supposedly indispensable relics of good café culture, which also have advertising space to boot.
Glasses or cups - which is better?
The answer is based on the requirements for a good cappuccino cup: it should be suitable for the classic filling quantity of between 140 and 190 millilitres as well as for cappuccino variations with more milk or as double shots with filling quantities up to a maximum of 250 millilitres. The weight and shape are also important. After all, nothing should spill over and only a shape that widens towards the top allows for a nice crema. Whether cup or glass - the container must fit under the spout of the coffee machine or the portafilter.
While the porcelain cup doesn't get too hot despite high temperatures, has a handle and can also impress with its attractive appearance, it still loses the "beauty contest" of a well-made cappuccino or latte macchiato with the glass. However, if the glasses are not double-walled and are only made of simple borosilicate glass, hot fingers can become a problem.

Double lasts longer
Double-walled glasses made of borosilicate glass are therefore ideal for cappuccino, avoiding hot fingers as well as cold cappuccino, especially if a silicone sleeve provides additional protection against heat. Due to their better insulation, double-walled glasses are clearly superior to single-walled glasses made of borosilicate glass.
Last but not least, nobody should think of using simple drinking glasses such as cocktail glasses. They often won't be able to withstand the temperatures. With a seemingly floating look, double-walled glass cappuccino glasses are temperature-resistant, non-breakable and also particularly stylish.