Caffè Mocha
Espresso, chocolate and steamed milk: where coffee meets cocoa.
A caffè mocha is a chocolate-flavored latte: espresso, chocolate and steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream. The cocoa adds its own bitterness and body, giving dark chocolate and cocoa powder under sweet steamed milk.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 95 mg in one serving (12 oz (355 ml), single shot plus cocoa), a concentration of 26.8 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Espresso Machine |
|---|---|
| Coffee-to-water ratio | 1 part espresso to about 12 parts milk |
| Base & finished drink | 18g → 268g |
| Grind size | Fine (espresso) |
| Water temperature | 199°F / 93°C |
| Target brew time | 0:25-0:30 extraction |
| Serving | 12 oz (355 ml), single shot plus cocoa |
What you need
- 9 g freshly roasted coffee, ground fine for espresso
- 30 g chocolate syrup, chocolate sauce or finely chopped dark chocolate
- About 220 ml whole milk, or an oat milk made for steaming
- Whipped cream, optional
Required gear
- Espresso machine with a steam wand
- Burr grinder with fine adjustment
- Portafilter with the right basket
- Tamper
- Scale accurate to 0.1 g
- Small milk jug
- Thermometer (optional)
- Warm cup or glass
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Put 30 g of chocolate syrup, sauce or chopped dark chocolate into a warm cup of about 355 ml.
- 0:20Dose 9 g of ground coffee into a single basket and tamp flat and even.
- 0:40Pull a single shot onto the chocolate: 9 g of coffee into about 18 g, in 25 to 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is completely dissolved.
- 1:10Steam about 220 ml of cold milk to 55 to 65°C until it is smooth and glossy, and pour it into the cup, holding back a little foam.
- 1:50Top with the foam, or with whipped cream if you like. Serve at once.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
Caffeine, in numbers
We list about 95 mg for a 12 oz mocha made with a single shot plus chocolate, which carries a little caffeine of its own. A typical 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg.
Mix the chocolate in first
Stirring the chocolate into the hot espresso before adding the milk helps it dissolve completely and avoids a gritty layer at the bottom of the cup.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much is right for you.
A caffè mocha is a chocolate-flavored latte: espresso, chocolate and steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream. The cocoa adds its own bitterness and body, giving dark chocolate and cocoa powder under sweet steamed milk.
Origin & Story
The mocha takes its name from Mokha, a port on the Red Sea coast of Yemen that was famous for its coffee trade from the 15th to the 17th century. Europeans called Arabian coffee mocha, and some Yemeni beans were said to taste faintly of chocolate, which may be how the name came to mean coffee with chocolate.
The drink has older relatives. In 17th-century Turin, chocolate was mixed with coffee and cream, a drink called bavareisa that grew into the bicerin, served in a small clear glass so that you can see its three layers. Around 1900 the word mocha had come to mean a mix of coffee and chocolate, and a chilled mocha recipe with milk, coffee and cocoa was in print by 1920.
A modern mocha is a caffè latte with chocolate: espresso, hot milk and chocolate, usually cocoa powder with sugar or a chocolate syrup, topped with milk froth or whipped cream. Variations include a white mocha, made with white chocolate, and a mochaccino, with steamed milk and cocoa.
The chocolate does more than sweeten. Cocoa solids add their own bitterness and body, so a good mocha has depth and does not taste simply sweet. Here it is dark chocolate and cocoa powder with steamed milk.
Put 30 g of chocolate syrup, sauce or chopped dark chocolate in a 355 ml cup and pull a single shot onto it (9 g of coffee into about 18 g), stirring until it is smooth. Steam about 220 ml of milk to 55 to 65°C and pour it in. Top with whipped cream if you like.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 84/100 |
| Acidity | 30/100 |
| Bitterness | 46/100 |
| Body | 82/100 |
| Aroma | 70/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Caffè Mocha?
One serving, 12 oz (355 ml), single shot plus cocoa, contains approximately 95 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Caffè Mocha?
Heat the milk until it steams, around 93°C (199°F), then whisk the chopped chocolate in until it melts. Boiling scorches milk and flattens the chocolate, and past about 70°C milk tastes scalded.
How long should Caffè Mocha be extracted?
Timing: 0:25-0:30 extraction. Method: Espresso Machine. Ratio: 9g in, 18g out, 30g chocolate, 220ml milk. Grind or leaf format: Fine (espresso).
Why does my Caffè Mocha taste bitter?
Bitterness in hot chocolate comes from the chocolate itself or from scorched milk. A bar with a lower cocoa percentage tastes less bitter, a little sugar rounds it off, and heating the milk gently, only until it steams, avoids a scorched edge.
Why is it called a mocha?
It is named for Mokha, a Yemeni port famous for its coffee trade from the 15th to the 17th century. Europeans called Arabian coffee mocha, and some of it tasted faintly of chocolate.
What is the difference between a mocha and a hot chocolate?
A mocha has espresso in it, so it is a coffee drink with chocolate. A hot chocolate is chocolate and milk without coffee.
Who should avoid Caffè Mocha?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much is right for you. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Breville Bambino Plus Compact Espresso
In this recipe: Espresso machine with a steam wand
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