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Breve Coffee: Italian, Hand-picked & Roasted Perfectly for Joe

Dave Carter

Published: January 11, 2021

Last updated: September 4, 2024

If you love coffee and love the taste of cream and milk, then a Breve should be your new favorite coffee drink. Breve coffee is redefining the way coffee lovers drink their everyday coffee by creating a delicious, balanced, non-acidic, low-acidity, hot and cold press. Breve coffees are made from single-origin beans that are slowly extracted over several hours in cold filtered water. This method creates a medium-bodied, well-balanced cup with a very low level of acidity, meaning the array of flavors will be much more pronounced than with other brew methods.

Breve coffee sources only high-grade, single-origin green coffee beans from some of the best coffee-producing regions in the world. These beans are meticulously roasted in small batches for an exceptional flavor and aroma. A Breve is very similar to a Cappuccino or a Latte but is made with half-and-half instead of milk. This results in a much creamier mouthfeel than regular coffee.

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What is a Breve Coffee?

Find out more about What is a Breve Coffee Made of

Most people often ask, what is a Breve? Well, Breve is a style of coffee and not necessarily a type of coffee or the flavor of the coffee. This coffee beverage originated in Italy, and the word "Breve" is Italian for "short." It is usually brewed using an espresso machine (and not a small coffee machine). Traditionally, it is made with half and half parts, but many prefer to substitute heavy whipping cream. The "Breve" is like an Italian version of the American Latte that uses half-and-half instead of milk for even more creaminess. So it is just a creamy latte with lots of foam on top. The barista may use one or two shots of espresso. It is also thicker than other coffees because of the added fat. The other closest drink in terms of ingredients to Breve coffee is Café au lait, which uses milk instead of half-and-half. Like most espresso drinks, Breve starts with freshly pulled espresso shots. Once the shots are pulled, the barista slowly adds steamed half-and-half to the demitasse cup until it's full, unlike certain other coffees that pack on loads of calories and fat.

While the name Breve sounds complicated, making it is easy. It only requires two ingredients: espresso and half-and-half. You can top it with cocoa powder or cinnamon if you want to be fancy. However, making a good Breve requires some extra attention to technique. The foam needs to be dense when it's poured into the espresso, but it still has to be thin enough to let the dark color of the expresso show through. The trick is in getting the fat molecules in the half-and-half to align with each other, so they trap air bubbles in tiny pockets. The easiest way to do this is with a steam wand set to medium heat, but if you use this method, don't leave your half-and-half in the pitcher for too long after steaming, or it will get too hot and separate. The result is an ultra-indulgent drink that's perfect for holiday parties or special occasions when you want to pamper your guests.

How to Make Breve Coffee Using French press

A French press is an easy and inexpensive way to brew coffee at home. It is a full immersion method, which means the grinds are fully submerged in hot water for the entire brew time. This makes for a very bold and rich cup. Grind your beans to a coarse grind. You want a grind larger than what you would use for a regular cup of coffee but not quite as coarse as an espresso grind. If you don’t have a grinder, you can use pre-ground coffee for brewing. Just select a coarse grind that is best suited for a French press. This is the basis of your Breve coffee, so make sure to use high-grade espresso beans and brew them at the right temperature. If you want a stronger coffee flavor, add an extra shot of espresso. 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup espresso
  • 3/4 cup half-and-half (heated)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Directions:

  1. Place the espresso in a mug.
  2. Froth the heated half-and-half. Careful not to heat it too much, or the creamer will separate. 
  3. Use your French press and gently push it down on the plunger until you get foam. 
  4. If you don't have a French press then use a jar and shake it up until you get foam. 
  5. The consistency should be similar to shaving cream.
  6. Pour into your mug with the espresso and enjoy the coffee’s flavor and taste!

Factors that Set apart Breve Coffee from Latte

Expaining What is a Breve Coffee

It’s easy to assume that a Breve is the same as a Latte no matter where you go, but this is actually far from the truth. With every cup of coffee prepared differently by a host of different coffee enthusiasts, there is plenty of scope for variation and differences. The most confusing part about ordering a Breve’s coffee drink is that baristas have different ideas about what it should be. Some use steamed half and a half while others use steamed heavy cream. Some baristas use both and do not see any difference between the two drinks. Some even put flavoring in their version of this beverage, making it a flavored Latte rather than a Breve drink. There are many factors that set apart a Breve Latte as we shall discuss below.

  • Texture
    A Breve is made with half and half, which is smooth and silky. This is because half and half is mostly composed of fat, which gives it its unique texture. Whereas, a Latte uses steamed milk, which has an airy, light texture. This is due to the microfoam making up the bulk of the drink and water creating air bubbles that float on top of your drink.
  • Preparation
    A breve coffee is prepared as you prepare a café latte, except you use half-and-half instead of milk. When using half-and-half, about one ounce of espresso and about six ounces of half-and-half will yield a cup of coffee Breve with a rich and creamy texture.
  • Taste
    Breve coffee and latte have different tastes due to a difference in preparation, which results in a difference in taste between the two coffees. Coffee Breve coffee is richer than Café latte because of its higher fat content, which gives it a creamy texture and enhances its flavor. You may notice that if you drink Breve coffee often, your body will retain more water than if you drink Caffe Latte coffee because the dairy fat makes your body absorb more water.
  • Calorie Count
    Breve’s calories are more than Latte cafe’s calories because half-and-half has more calories than milk. A 12-ounce latte made with whole milk has around 190 calories and 8 grams of fat, while a 12-ounce breve has around 300 calories and 20 grams of fat.

Can you use Scalded Milk in Making Breve Coffee?

Scalding is a process by which the milk protein is denatured and the lactose (milk sugar) caramelized. It's similar to browning butter, but it produces a more pronounced flavor change in the case of milk. What does that mean for coffee? Well, this process will help your Cafe Breve taste better. If you're making an Americano or other drink that uses hot water and espresso, scalded milk will bring out more of the sweet notes in your coffee and make it taste less bitter. This is especially true if you're using a darker roast with more roasted flavors. Scalded milk can also be used for cold brew coffee. You should use scalded milk for cold brew because it has more body and flavor than regular milk. Scalding the milk first removes some of the water content, so there's less dilution when adding it to your cold brew coffee.

When scalding milk, it is heated to about 82 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Fahrenheit), which destroys microorganisms. This can be done either on the stovetop in a por in the microwave. The process is called "scalding" because the milk is heated to just below the boiling point, at which point small bubbles will form on the bottom of the container and move to the surface. Scalding is often used for safety reasons, to kill any bacteria present in raw milk. However, it's also done for other reasons, including improving flavor and emulsifying fats. So while scalding may not be necessary in all cases like when you're making a Latte, it will make your coffee taste better!

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The Best Coffee Machines that You Can Buy Online.
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Conclusion​

Breve coffee is an exceptional coffee that offers a pure yet satisfying taste not unlike an espresso or an Americano. This can become your go-to coffee when you're craving something stronger than a drip, but don't have time for a whole cup. It is vegan, sugar-free, and additive-free, which is just the cherry on top. If you can get your hands on some, give it a try, it will be worth the effort!

Dave Carter

As a coffee enthusiastic I share with you my latest and greatest coffee news and insights. I always interested in trying out new things about the best bean of the world which I sahre to you all as I want you to also enjoy the cup of coffee as much as I do. Due to my experience I will collect newest information for you I find around the globe, buy machines to help you understand and rate them correctly which may help you to decide better which one to buy. I´m always open to your feedback, so don´t hesitate to contact me anytime :-)

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