Latte coffee that is already worldwide and is often found in cafes. The composition is of strong Italian espresso coffee mixed with steamed/heated milk. The price of a cup of latte in cafes is relatively expensive, but actually this recipe can be made at home in several ways, either by using a coffee maker, an AeroPress, or a regular coffee filter. Even if you really like coffee, there is also an espresso maker complete with a milk foam maker.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making a Latte with an Espresso Machine
Step 1. Grind the coffee
Espresso uses very finely ground coffee.
- If you're an espresso expert then you can experiment with your grind to get the coffee flavor you like best.
- Grind the espresso beans with a burr grinder (a grinder with a serrated knife) so that the freshness of the coffee beans is more awake and felt. With a burr grinder you can determine for yourself how fine or coarse your espresso grounds are, and the results are more consistent.
Step 2. Prepare the milk
For a glass of latte you need about 170 ml of milk. As a general comparison, try adding 170 ml of milk to every 30 ml of espresso coffee.
- Non-fat/low-fat milk is actually the easiest to make foamy (so it's beautiful when mixed into a latte), but it doesn't taste as good as regular full cream milk.
- Low-fat milk with a content of 2% can be made foamy very easily and still has a fairly creamy taste.
- Full cream milk is the hardest to make foamy but tastes the best because of its high fat content.
Step 3. Heat the milk by steaming (like steaming but the tool is in the form of a stick, sometimes a set with a coffee maker)
Pour enough milk into a metal pitcher.
- Use a towel to hold the pitcher's arm to prevent the hand from scalding once the pitcher is heated by the steam.
- Open the steam chamber cover on the espresso coffee maker. Usually there is a knob that is round and has to be turned to open.
- Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the milk, heat it with steam to around 65-70ºC. Be careful that the temperature of the milk does not exceed 75ºC because it will burn.
- Good foam is small and light (called microfoam), not large bubbles like in soapy water. The delicious foam feels light but still has a thick texture.
Step 4. Measure out the coffee for your latte
Each shot (30 ml) of espresso contains a certain level of coffee. Usually a latte uses 2 shots of espresso.
- Each shot of espresso contains 18-21 grams of coffee grounds. You can measure coffee by placing the espresso machine's portafilter (the part that is a metal filter with a thick handle) on a kitchen scale.
- Note down the weight of the portafilter when it is empty (sophisticated electronic scales have settings so that the number can be "zeroed" when there is a portafilter on the scale).
- Add 18-21 grams of coffee for one shot of espresso.
Step 5. Compact the coffee grounds
At this stage you compact the espresso powder in the portafilter using an espresso tamper. A tamper is a tool shaped like a pounder, with a handle on top.
- To solidify the coffee, hold the tamper handle with your fingers, position your hands, forearms and elbows in line over the portafilter and press down.
- Press down in a twisting motion. Approximately the ideal pressure is 13-14 kg.
- So that your pressure can be adjusted, you can put a portafilter on the scale when pressed with a tamper, so it shows on the scale how much pressure you have.
- Once solidified, the coffee will form a slab called a puck. A good puck is evenly dense, so that later the espresso blend will also be evenly and balanced.
Step 6. Make an espresso shot
Lock the portafilter to the espresso machine head. Press the brew button on the machine to make a shot.
- The perfect shot is dark brown in color with a light consistency and a little cream (creme/cream) on the surface.
- Shots are blended for 30 seconds, but this depends on the machine and powder you are using.
- If you mix espresso for too long, it will become too bitter, but if you don't mix it for too long, the results will be less strong.
Step 7. Pour the heated milk over the espresso
The foamed milk should pour smoothly and then mix with the espresso cream in the cup/glass.
- When pouring milk, use a spoon to measure the foam. Hold the foam first with a spoon, you should not pour the foam before the glass/cup is filled 3/4 of it, then remove the spoon slowly so that the foam is poured.
- The end result is a thick, brownish drink with a light foam on top.
- If you're brave, try latte art. This step is optional. For example, match the foam on top of you with a toothpick to form a beautiful pattern. There are many other techniques, experiment!
Method 2 of 3: Making a Latte Without an Espresso Machine
Step 1. Consider the Aeropress tool
This tool is a kind of funnel and filter / filter to make a strong coffee blend.
- Heat water (mineral water or ready-to-drink). You will need approximately 1-2 cups of water.
- Let it cool slightly for a minute.
- The good thing is that the temperature is around 80-90ºC, not at a boiling temperature (then it needs boiled water).
- Measure the coffee with an Aeropress spoon (usually packaged as a set with the utensil), 2 spoons is enough. Grind the coffee with an electric grinder.
- For espresso-based drinks such as lattes, the ground powder must be very fine (fine as table salt). The milled powder is a little sticky and clumps when ground finely. This is what you should pay attention to when grinding coffee.
- Attach the filter to the bottom of the Aeropress funnel (this funnel looks like a glass, but the bottom is a filter). Wet the filter so that the coffee you make later doesn't taste like paper.
- Place the cup on the bottom shelf of the Aeropress, while the funnel is on the top shelf (fits above the cup).
- Prepare coffee. Put the coffee grounds into the Aeropress funnel.
- Add hot water up to the mark on the Aeropress funnel.
- Use a stirring stick or spoon to stir the coffee and hot water (the coffee mixture is still stuck in the funnel).
- Insert the plunger of the Aeropress and press it down until you hear a long hissing sound. The coffee blend will be pushed down through the filter and drip into the cup.
- Taste your brewed coffee. If it's too strong, add hot water.
Step 2. How to make strong coffee with a regular coffee maker
If you don't have an Aeropress, a regular coffee maker can do that too.
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of coffee for each cup. For a latte, the coffee must be very strong.
- It's a good idea to grind the coffee beans yourself so that the powder is finely ground (so the coffee taste is strong too).
- Prepare about 1-2 cups of coffee to mix latte.
Step 3. Foam the milk
To make foam in milk, you don't have to always use a steamer. You can also froth milk in the microwave.
- Use 2% low-fat milk for best results.
- Pour cold milk into jars with lids. Do not fill more than half of the jar.
- Close the jar tightly.
- Beat the milk in the jar vigorously for 30-60 seconds, so that it doubles in volume.
- Open the jar cover.
- Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- The foam will rise to the top.
Step 4. Pour 30-60 ml of the strong coffee mixture into the cup
Add frothy milk.
- Use a spoon to hold the foam first so it doesn't pour directly into the milk.
- If the milk is almost all poured then add a spoonful of foam on top.
- Enjoy your homemade latte!
Method 3 of 3: Making Other Types of Latte
Step 1. Make a vanilla latte
Ingredients: espresso, milk, vanilla syrup.
Step 2. Mix espresso coffee
Can be with an espresso machine, Aeropress, or with ordinary tools.
- For this recipe you will need about 45 ml of espresso.
- If you're using an espresso machine, foaming one and a half cups of 2% milk or full cream milk is even better. Milk temperature should be 65-70ºC.
- Or you can also foam the milk in a jar and then heat it in the microwave as above. Shake vigorously in the jar for 30-60 seconds then heat in the microwave for 30 seconds without the lid on.
- Measure out 2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup, pour into a cup.
- Add the espresso to the cup.
- Pour in the milk, but first hold the foam with a spoon. When the milk is well poured then add the foam on top of your latte.
Step 3. Make a caramel latte
Ingredients: strong blended coffee, caramel flavored syrup, heated milk, whipped cream (optional), caramel sauce (which is the usual topping for ice cream - this is optional).
- Pour half a cup of milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for one to one and a half minutes.
- Beat warm milk until foamy.
- Pour 3-4 tablespoons of caramel syrup into a coffee cup.
- Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Add a quarter cup of hot coffee to the first cup and stir.
- Add the milk that has been warmed and frothed.
- Add a little whipped cream and garnish with caramel sauce over the coffee if you like.
Step 4. Make an iced latte
For this recipe you can use espresso or regular coffee. Also prepare enough milk and ice.
- Prepare 2 cups of espresso if you want to make an espresso-based latte.
- If you don't have an espresso maker or an Aeropress, just mix up regular, strong coffee.
- For a strong coffee, strain one-third cup of ground coffee and add two cups of cold water.
- Mix hot espresso (or coffee blend if you don't have espresso) with 3 cups of milk. Stir or shake until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour into a glass that has been filled with ice to taste.
- You can also add syrup to your desired taste so that there is additional flavor.
