Does a latte cool faster than a cappuccino?

One New Scientist reader has done the maths and settled this debate about coffee – and another has volunteered to join the testing team

7 December 2022

Milk coffee is a combination of equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk froth. — BOY_ANUPONG/Getty Images

Please help settle a friendly argument about coffee. Does a latte cool faster than a cappuccino, all else being equal (initial temperature, volume, etc.)? My friend thinks the foam on a cappuccino will insulate it better, but I reckon this effect is offset by the cappuccino having a smaller volume of hot milk.

@MsAMOne77
via Twitter

Happy to be in the testing team!

Graham Smith
Melbourne, Australia

The heat loss from any surface is proportional to its contact area, multiplied by the temperature difference and also multiplied by a variable called the heat transfer coefficient.

For a cup of coffee,…