What is the difference between regular coffee and a latte?

Regular coffee, or drip coffee, is a brew made by steeping roasted coffee in water, usually hot. A latte is a small amount of extracted coffee, called espresso, mixed with steamed or cold milk.

While there is no standard latte recipe, a typical 12-ounce serving usually includes 1 to 3 ounces of espresso and steamed or cold milk. The latte is the basis of most flavored craft espresso beverages, such as the café mocha, which is a latte with chocolate flavoring.

A general recipe for brewing medium roast coffee is 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 to 8 ounces of water. This forms the basis of other coffee beverages, such as the café au lait, which is a mixture of drip coffee and steamed milk.