In addition to being a manager at ESA, coffee expert Yves Houben has his own coffee business called Coffee Experiences, where he teaches workshops that educate people about coffee. “You can do so much with coffee!” For this test we zoomed in on cappuccino, a type of coffee widely available on campus and loved by students and employees alike. Caterer Appèl reports cappuccino is by far the most popular beverage on the coffee menu, outselling the traditional lungo by almost two to one.

Putting it to the test

The cappuccinos we tested were purchased at Brownies&downieS, the Student Sports Centre, De Zwarte Doos, the Appèl cafeteria in Atlas, the TU/e machine, the Starbucks machine in the Auditorium and the unnamed luxury machine in Gemini (Floor 1). We didn’t test the cappuccinos blind, but we promise we don’t own shares of any of the companies involved.

Yves Houben gives his verdict about the cappuccinos as a coffee connoisseur, Cursor editor Bridget as an average layperson and cappuccino lover. Most of the beverages received a decent score in the test, with the exception of those from the TU/e machines exploited by MAAS, which were awarded failing grades by both our panel members. Houben: “Cappuccino is basically coffee with milk foam. But often warm milk is also mixed in, which makes it more of a café au lait or even a latte, although with the latter the milk is put in before the coffee. With a cappuccino, the espresso goes in before the milk foam. This results in clearly separate layers in a cappuccino, whereas in a latte the milk and coffee are very much blended. The Starbucks machine at least gets this order right. “It is definitely not bad for a cappuccino from the machine. It has fresh milk and the foam stays in the cup if you turn it upside down. I wouldn’t try that with a TU/e cappuccino.”

“The cappuccino from the TU/e machine could be a lot better,” says Houben. “It’s too finely ground, which results in the bitter taste you don’t like. It also doesn’t dissolve properly,” he continues, while pouring the cappuccino into another cup. “You see all kinds of whitish flakes floating around in the light brown coffee mix. That’s because they used milk powder instead of real milk.”

All eyes

Our test design was simple: we ordered a cappuccino, prodded it with sticks to test the firmness of the foam and drank water to neutralize the palate afterwards. Houben was all eyes while the cappuccinos we ordered were being prepared by the baristas. “Appèl in Atlas has the same type of milk frothier as Brownies&downieS, but Appèl’s cappuccino has more bubbles because there the person preparing the coffee doesn’t tap the jug after frothing the milk.”

Equipment matters

"Good equipment can definitely help make a good cappuccino,” Houben says. “But there are more aspects: the beans or grounds, the type of milk, how well and how often the machine is cleaned and what kind of cup is used.”

Brownies&downieS has a separate milk frothing machine, which puts a smile on Houben’s face. And it shows in the cappuccino that is served, with visually appealing foam. “It’s pretty hot, but that can be a good thing if you take it outside in winter.” Houben turns over the cup after drinking and notes that the foam is good as the majority stays put. “De Zwarte Doos definitely has the best equipment.” This comes at a price: at EUR 3.20, it’s the most expensive one in the test by a mile. “But you’re left without foam after pouring it over, which is a pity.”

The Student Sports Center might not be the most obvious place to go for a coffee or cappuccino, but the cafeteria does have a wide product range. Our cappuccinos are served in earthenware cups, which is a definite plus. The taste isn’t bad either, but the foam doesn’t have the ideal consistency. Houben knows why: “They have to clean their machine more often.”

Letdown

On we go to MetaForum, to try its luxury machine, only to find out it’s broken. So we resort to Gemini, which has the same luxury machine from MAAS, which also exploits the cheaper TU/e machines. The machine displays a message saying that the filter needs replacing. We agree to try it anyway. The first attempt fails, but the second one does yield a complete cappuccino. “It’s warm enough, but too bitter. The foam does have a better consistency than at SSC,” Houben notes. “But the coffee kind of flows independently of the foam instead of blending with it, so you don’t really feel like you’re drinking a cappuccino,” Spoor adds. Houben’s advice for the Gemini cappuccino: “Stir it before you drink. Then the foam and coffee mix better and it’s also less bitter. But it’s of course not as a cappuccino should be.”

Final verdict: Houben proclaims Brownies&downieS the winner, scoring its cappuccino a 9 out of 10. Bridget awards joint first place to the Starbucks machine and Brownies&downieS, both scoring an 8. “For machine coffee it’s actually really good and its affordability for students scores it bonus points.”