How To Make Lattes & Cappuccinos At Home

02/01/2017 Editorial




Are you a fan of coffee who is bored or tired of the regular brew? Preparing lattes and cappuccinos at home might feel like an uphill task. You might think that there is a lot of work involved in making such delicious treats but what if we told you it was easy, and showed you how to prepare these drinks at home? What’s more, there is no special equipment required and the ingredients are readily available. But first, what’s the difference between a latte and cappuccino?

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The Difference Between A Latte & Cappuccino

To many people, a latte or cappuccino is just another sweetened coffee beverage. However, there is a huge difference between the two. Their main ingredients and the process of preparing each are different.

Cappuccino

A cappuccino is technically a mixture of an espresso shot, hot milk and steamed milk. It is common for people to add spices and flavours to match their taste preferences. Common additives to a cappuccino drink include fruits, sugar, as well as protein. After the desired ingredients, one will top their cappuccino with foam of approximately 2 centimetres.

Latte

The reason why many people confuse lattes and cappuccinos is that both can use espresso coffee and milk. However, a cappuccino must contain espresso, while lattes can have any other type of coffee or tea, matcha, cocoa and matte. The Americans serve their lattes with steamed milk and foam on top, but Italians hardly use milk foam.

Here is the procedure for making café-style lattes and cappuccinos at home.

How to Make Lattes at Home

In this recipe, we are going to use espresso coffee brew. However, if you do not have an espresso coffee maker, do not worry. A strong brew of any brand of coffee will do just fine. Other items you will require include milk, a cup, jar, and a spoon.

Procedure

  1. Prepare your espresso or any other strong brew of coffee
  2. Fill your jar with milk to the mid level
  3. Whip the milk gently for a couple of minutes. It should froth and increase its volume to almost twice its original.
  4. Put the frothed milk into the microwave and heat for about 30 minutes. The froth will collect at the top
  5. Remove the frothed milk and mix with your strong brew of coffee in a cup
  6. Use your spoon to scoop the remaining milk froth and add to the top of your drink.
  7. Enjoy!

How to Make Cappuccinos at Home

You can enjoy the silky magic of cappuccino at home prepared using this procedure;

Requirements

  • An Espresso machine with a steaming wand
  • Favourite brand of espresso coffee
  • Milk
  • Water

For a single serve cappuccino you will use approximately 25ml coffee brew, 85 ml fresh milk and the rest is milk foam

Procedure

  1. Fill a third of your steaming pitcher with the cold milk and set aside
  2. Then, get rid of any remaining water in the steaming wand by allowing steam to escape for 2 seconds
  3. Insert the steaming wand into the cold milk and turn on your machine. Watch as the milk foams, then tilt the tip of your pitcher, lower it but keep submerged in the milk as you go on steaming.
  4. At about 65 degrees, the milk should double its volume. Compress the foam by tapping the back of your pitcher against the counter
  5. Have your espresso ready in a cappuccino cup
  6. Add the frothed milk in your espresso from the center, swirling it towards the edge of your cup.

Note: When frothing milk, foam consistency will depend on the fat content of milk. You can ensure a rich, smooth, velvety cappuccino by using whole milk.

Conclusion

Get that special visitor a café-grade cappuccino or latte at home at a fraction of the cost of a similar treat bought from your favourite coffee shop. You not only make a good impression but also save your time and money.

If you’re on a budget and looking for a machine, you could go looking on Consumer Reports or some of the other many blogs.

This article was produced by Rudy Caretti who has more than 15 years of experience in the coffee industry, a passion that started in Italy within the family business and brought him to found Gimoka Coffee UK and G Coffee Pod with a group of friends, who share the same passion.
Since he roasted his first batch of coffee seeds as a teenager, he was fascinated by the many ways it can be processed to get the many different distinctive flavors we all love.
As a coffee connoisseur, Rudy has always been aware of the vital role played by coffee in most people’s social life and he is especially active through the company’s social media and blog. He loves sharing his knowledge with readers around the world, writing and posting articles that range from the coffee brewing techniques to raising awareness of the importance of responsible production to help protect the rights of farmers and protect the environment.

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