A Guide to Frappe and Frappe Base Powder
Frappe and frappe base powders are used in cafes and coffee shops to produce a very smooth ice blended drink. No matter the flavor or add-on syrups, these frappes never lost their signature silky texture. However, not many know the differences between this powder
The Difference between Frappe and Frappe Base Powder
| FRAPPE POWDER | FRAPPE BASE POWDER |
| Contains emulsifiers, sweetener, and Flavors. | Does not contain sweetness and/or cream. |
| Made for convenience. | Specially formulated for customized drinks. |
Despite their differences, these powders both contain emulsifiers. An emulsifier main function is to make sure the drink and crushed ice do not separate. If you blend ice with flavored drink powders without a binding agent (emulsifiers), the drink will not have the frappe-like smooth texture. In other words, the liquid and ice will be separated. When consumed, the liquid will finish faster and leave behind ice chips residue which is not something we want to happen in frappes.
Why the difference ?
But why are frappe powders fully prepped with flavoring and sweetener while frappe base powders lacked it?
The answer lies on the users.
If a user or business is fast paced with high employee overturn, that business will opt for frappe powders. Frappe powder may not offer as much room for creativity as a frappe base powder would, however, a frappe powder can cut preparation time without tainting the drink’s quality. In other words, baristas can prepare drink while maintaining a good service even in rush hours with less staff.
On the contrary with frappe powders, frappe base powder is not suitable for fast paced situations. Frappe base powder is not flavored and sweetened, allowing baristas to be creative with their mixes and beverages. Apart from that, a frappe base powder can help highlight a flavor as the barista intended. For instance, certain coffee shops want to showcase their choice of coffee blend. A frappe powder may contaminate that coffee’s flavor since it already contains flavoring. But a frappe base powder is a blank canvas, meaning the coffee flavor has a chance to shine.
Long story short, the frappe and frappe base powders are tailored to match certain conditions. Depending on a business environment, these powders will help baristas to produce the best textured frappe or ice blended drinks for their customers.
