Bone Dry Cappuccino – What’s Making it Mainstream?

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Poulami Ganguly

How to make Dry Cappuccino

Looking for detailed info about the trending Bone Dry Cappuccino? The bizarre popularity of this new-age drink has grabbed the attention of coffee aficionados, which is fueling its increasing demand, making it more mainstream in the coffee verse. This post looks into every little secret associated with a dry or Bone Dry Cappuccino!

The trend of caffeinating conversations has been in existence for centuries. In fact, the phrase, “let’s have some coffee,” is almost toned down to the essence – “let’s get into a discussion,” making coffee an inevitable element of day-to-day life. Probably, this crazy utility of cuppa joe has seeded the notion of coffee favoritism which eventually has paved the way for the popularity of experimental coffee. 

When you visit a coffee shop or conduct curious research about different coffee preparatory methods, you may come across the term ‘dry cappuccino’ or ‘bone dry cappuccino.’ While the humble cappuccino is quite a well-known coffee-infused beverage, the buzz around its variation’ dry cappuccino’ is – comparatively up to the minute. 

Recently, the #drycappuccino trend on Instagram has left many coffee connoisseurs with a curiosity to explore more about this brand new coffee variation, and our today’s post is dedicated to all those home baristas who are au fait with this all-new cappuccino brewing method. Keep reading and get to know about all that’s involved! 

What Exactly is a Bone Dry or Dry Cappuccino?

Come on… don’t take its name that seriously! A bone dry cappuccino never contains any dry bone; hence you are not going to sip a cup that renders the feeling that your coffee love has turned you into a real-life zombie. It’s the pretty interesting method of brewing cappuccino that gives birth to this offbeat name. 

Simply put, the term ‘bone dry’ refers to zero use of steamed milk and a topping of a foam pillow over espresso. Before we delve deeper into the bone dry matters, it’s imperative to clarify a few things – coffee comes first, then comes espresso. 

While coffee is prepared using hot water and ground coffee, espresso is the brewing method that is used for brewing strong cups by forcing a steam jet through ground coffee beans. So the difference between coffee and espresso is simply like the difference between apple essence and apple juice.

Cappuccino has many Colors

The enthusiasm for making their favorite coffee-infused beverage even more attractive has added different colors to it, creating a number of variations in the cappuccino recipe. Let’s take a glance at them!

Wet Cappuccino 

It’s the most known variant of cappuccino. A cup of wet cappuccino includes the usual shot of espresso with generously added steamed milk and topping of a thin foam layer. The name wet cappuccino has been sourced from the extra milk content of the drink. Its flavor is more like a latte – a subtle nuance of espresso and the dominance of chocolaty and milky mouthfeel. 

Dry Cappuccino

The formula looks like this –

A shot of espresso + a little amount of milk (lesser than a classic cappuccino) + a thick layer of foamed milk = Dry Cappuccino. 

When you feel that your local coffee shops serve cappuccinos that are almost similar to lattes in terms of flavors and tasting notes, you can try ordering the dry one. It’s expected that you will be able to retain the flavors and tasting notes which are pretty close to the ideal cappuccino. 

Bone Dry Cappuccino

So, after wet and dry, here comes the bone dry version. When a shot of espresso is topped by a thick layer of milk foam, it’s Bone Dry Cappuccino. Now you can ask, why don’t you grab a straight espresso if you don’t want a milk-infused cup? Well, there are a few reasons behind like – 

  • The taste and texture of foam win over the hearts of many 
  • It’s said that foam helps keep the coffee hot for hours
  • A thick foam is indeed the perfect canvas for the ultimate latte art

Apart from the ones mentioned above, the zeal for trying out something trendy and quirky also contributes to the fame of bone dry cappuccino. 

Bone Dry Cappuccino Recipe – A straight dive in

Ingredients

  • Ground dark roast beans for making ½ cup espresso
  • Milk (32 ounces)
  • Sugar
  • Chocolate shavings (optional)

Preparation time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Serving: 1

Energy: 46 cal

Step 1: Creating foam 

To create milk foam (microfoam, in the words of a snobby barista), you literally need loads of milk. For example, for a cup of 8 ounces bone dry, you may need up to 12-14 ounces of milk. However, it also depends on the equipment you are using to create foam. 

If you are counting on the milk frothers that come with contemporary espresso machines, they are pretty efficient. These built-in frothers can make amazing foams in minutes. On the other hand, if you are using the old-school method of warming the milk on the stovetop and creating foam by whisking it, you will have to keep more patience and invest more labor and time. 

Whatever it is, the first thing that you need to do to make bone dry cappuccino at home is frothing the milk. 

#Note: Always use whole and fresh milk for frothing as whole milk nicely captures air bubbles, allowing you to retain a satisfactory amount of froth. 

Step 2: Brewing the espresso

Once you are done with frothing, it’s time to wrap up the job of brewing the espresso. Pull a shot of espresso and pour it into your cappuccino cup, and make sure it’s piping hot.

Step 3: Topping the espresso

Top your espresso with the foam you have created. Remember, the amount of foam should be double that of espresso. If you are passionate about decorating your cup beautifully, you can use chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup. If you are good at latte art, bone dry cappuccino is one the best canvases to flaunt your skills. To mask the intense bitterness of your bone dry cappuccino, you can add sweeteners unhesitatingly. 

And you are one with a bone-dry cappuccino – serve it hot! 

In case you want to make a dry cappuccino, follow all the steps given above. In addition, just add a little steamed milk before topping your cup with foam. 

Wrapping up

The wettish discussion of dry/bone dry cappuccino ends here! Hope your curious mind has found it’s bone dry-related answers now. Go ahead and try out the shared at-home bone dry cappuccino recipe today. However, don’t forget to freshly ground, dark roast coffee beans, and fresh and cold milk to ensure the best results. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you drink a dry cappuccino?

Well, literally like any other beverage, you can simply sip your cuppa dry cappuccino. However, the secret to a perfect cup of dry cappuccino is 2/3rd coffee and 1/3rd foam with little to no steamed milk. 

What does a dry or bone dry cappuccino taste like?

When it comes to taste, dry or bone dry cappuccino just carries the name of cappuccino, not the characteristics. A cup of bone dry or dry cappuccino is essentially less milky, notably espresso forward, bolder, and bitter. 

How many calories are in a bone dry cappuccino?

In a serving of 8 ounces bone dry or dry cappuccino, there is 40 cal with calories from a fat ratio of 45%, making the drink’s calorie content moderate. 

What do you mean by dry foam?

To keep it simple, you can say that dry foam refers to a big dollop of foam that has zero steamed milk. 

Which one is stronger – bone dry cappuccino or macchiato?

Both macchiato and bone dry cappuccino contain similar levels of caffeine. Typically, a medium 16 ounces bone dry cappuccino or macchiato has 120-173 mg of caffeine. 

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