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Home / Brewing Guides/ Italian milk coffee|What is Dirty coffee and what are the differences between iced latte? What is the difference between drinking dirty and iced latte?

Italian milk coffee|What is Dirty coffee and what are the differences between iced latte? What is the difference between drinking dirty and iced latte?

2026.10.20 FrontStreet Coffee 704
Since the materials used to make Dirty and Iced Latte are the same, both are iced milk and concentrate, and their appearance is similar, and they both have a layered structure created by milk and concentrate. Therefore, I am often asked by customers and friends drinking iced latte on Qian Street: "It's all iced milk and condensed milk.DirtyWhat is the difference between it and iced latte? "

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Although the two are very similar and use the same materials, their production processes and drinking experiences are quite different. especially forFor Dirty, there are things that need special attention when making and drinking! So today Front Street will share this question that everyone is very curious about: What is the difference between dirty and iced latte? So first of all, let’s briefly understand what an iced latte is and whatDirty~
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iced latte andDirty
The so-called iced latte is the cold version of latte coffee. Like a hot latte, it's made with lots of milk and espresso. It's just that the refrigerated milk no longer needs to be frothed, it can be poured directly into the cup and wait for it to blend with the concentrate. In order to maintain the low temperature of the latte for a long time, we usually add some ice cubes to keep it cold when making iced latte. Then, before drinking, you will stir it evenly with a straw, and then start tasting.

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Dirty is also made with iced milk and espresso, and the order of pouring it into the cup is the same: first pour the iced milk into the iced cup, and then slowly pour the espresso on the surface of the milk. Because the espresso floating on the surface of the iced milk will slowly penetrate downwards and "stain" the milk, making the milk look dirty, so this cup of coffee was named "Dirty".DirtyTranslated it means dirty. while drinkingWhen it’s dirty, you don’t need to stir it, just take it in big gulps~

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In fact, from these two short introductions, we can see that iced latte andDirty has many similarities and many differences in its production. Then let Front Street analyze it in detail, iced latte andDirtyWhat are the differences~

1. Different cup sizes:The first is the difference in cup size. Generally speaking, the cup size of Dirty is smaller than that of iced latte. The cup size of Dirty is generally between 180~220ml, while the cup size of iced latte is generally between 280~320ml.

2. The presence or absence of ice cubes:The reason for the difference in cup size is the presence or absence of ice cubes. As mentioned before, in order to keep the iced latte cold for a long time, ice cubes are added to the iced latte to keep it cold.Dirty is not required as this will reduceDirtydrinking experience. So this leads to the cup size of iced latte being larger thanDirty is bigger, andDirty is also often referred to as "the iced latte".

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What you need to know is that ice cubes are not a hard requirement. When we don’t want ice cubes in our coffee, we can ask the barista for ice cubes.(remove ice)Need to remove ice cubes from iced latte~

3. The temperature of the cup:due toDirtyFor a better drinking experience, ice cubes are not added to keep it cold, so it needs to use other methods to obtain the same effect. For example: a cooler cup!
By refrigerating the cup, it has a certain cold-keeping effect. Compared with cups stored at room temperature, refrigerated ice cups can not only keep the milk colder, but also enhance the layering effect of milk and espresso, because when the temperature of the milk is lower, the density is higher, and the layering effect is therefore better. Iced latte does not have too high requirements on the temperature of the cup. It can be refrigerated or at room temperature.

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4. Layered manufacturing:The layered structure of concentrate on top and milk on the bottom exists in both iced latte andIt is produced by Dirty. Because of this, many novices who are new to coffee cannot tell the difference between the two. But in fact, the layered nature of the two is very different.
The layers of iced latte are made for good looks. Compared with the monotonous color of coffee and milk, the clear black and white appearance will be more pleasing to the eye. So when making an iced latte, people will deliberately pour the espresso onto the ice, so that the punch of the espresso disappears and it floats on the milk to create a layered effect. But since it will be stirred at the end, it doesn’t really matter whether it is separated into layers or not.

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The reason why Dirty is layered is to give coffee a unique drinking taste and experience. This layering isThe main selling point of Dirty can also be said to be its soul, so we are makingWhen dirty, you need to control various details to separate the concentrate and milk more thoroughly. For example, the use of ice cups, the temperature of the milk, or shortening the distance between the concentrated extraction and the milk.

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And ifDirty does not create a layered effect, so there will be no layered taste and experience. Now it can really be called an iced latte without the ice cubes.
The above is the difference in production between the two. What Front Street wants to share next is the difference in drinking method and taste between the two.

The difference between drinking dirty and iced latte
As Front Street has mentioned throughout, the key and soul of Dirty comes from the deliberate layering of concentrate and milk. Since milk and concentrate are separated, their temperatures and flavors are not completely integrated. If we drink the two together in one sip, our mouths and taste buds will receive a great contrast from the layers: the coldness of the milk, the heat of the concentration,The sweetness of lactose and the bitterness of coffee will collide and intertwine in the mouth, and the layers are very rich.
And to experience this effect, we are drinkingWhen you are dirty, you need to take a big sip, so that you can drink the concentrate floating on the surface and the milk at the bottom at the same time. But if you just sip it in small sips, you will most likely only be able to drink the superficial concentration. If you are not intolerant of bitterness, this can be considered a kind of "torture".

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The iced latte is not so particular, because just like Qian Street YuWhy is latte the “Top 1” sales item in almost all coffee shops?As mentioned in this tweet, latte is more focused on making the coffee taste less bitter. For this reason, a large amount of milk needs to be added to balance the bitter taste of the coffee!
So the way to drink iced latte is very simple. We only need to use a straw to stir the milk and concentrate evenly before drinking, and then we can startEnjoy the balanced taste of coffee and milk~


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