Lattes (also known as caffe lattes) are espresso beverages made with a lot of steamed milk. Although a cappuccino is made with equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam, a latte is made with far more milk than coffee.
Lattes are made with at least one shot of espresso and two ounces of steamed milk and are topped with a thin layer of foam. Lattes are milkier than cappuccinos, because since steamed cream is used instead of foamed milk, the milk in a latte melts into the espresso, while cappuccinos have three separate layers.
For the espresso, you'll need the following ingredients:
For Expresso:
- 1 ounce of water
- 1 tablespoon coffee, field (dark espresso or French roast)
- Additional information is optional. 1 1/2 oz. liquid (or 1 shot) quick syrup with flavor
For foamed milk :
- 3 ounces milk for the foamed milk (or more)
Steps:
For Expresso:
- Gather the required ingredients.
- Fill the boiler of your espresso machine with water.
- Fill the portafilter halfway with coffee.
- Using a tamper, press the coffee down. Repeat 2–3 times more to ensure the grounds are densely lined.
- Place the portafilter in the group head of your espresso machine and lock in place by turning it right.
- Put a latte cup or a glass carafe that came with your espresso under the group head and pull the shot for 25-30 seconds. Typically, this mechanism may be started by a lever, click, or button.
- Once the shot is pulled, add the flavored syrup, if using.
For foamed milk:
- Fill a glass measuring cup or a small metal pitcher halfway with milk and set aside.
- Place the steam wand just under the surface of the milk in the bottle.
- Switch on the espresso machine's steam wand. Because each espresso machine is a little different, you can need to consult the manual for this.
- Make sure the wand's tip is pointing away from the jar. With the milk, this will produce a vortex.
- Move the container higher, lower, closer, and farther away from the steam wand to allow the air to be incorporated into the milk, resulting in foam. When you do this, the bubbles can shrink in size.
- Switch off the steam wand when the milk has foamed up to its full height.
Preparing the latte:
- Pour the bottom 2/3 of the steamed milk into the latte cup, using a spoon to hold the microbubbles on top of the steamed milk.
- Top up the latte by pouring or spooning the remainder of the bubbles.
- Serve and have fun.