Vasileia Fanarioti
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
3 years
Hi Chandra!
Well, you basically need two things to make a coffee latte: espresso and steamed milk. There are several ways to make a latte at home depending on your equipment. Here are some I would recommend:
Use an espresso machine
This is a far superior method because it gives you control of the pressure to make your cafe latte how you like it, and there is no clean up required from doing this, unlike with a milk frother or similar device. The downside to this is that they are rather large and cost a decent amount of money.
Use a Nespresso Aeroccino
The other way I would personally do it at home if I didn’t have an espresso machine that can also froth milk would be by using something called a Nespresso Aeroccino, which works much in the same way as an espresso machine but instead uses high pressure air to froth the milk up, so you get the nice microfoam for your latte.
How it works:
The Nespresso Aeroccino is a very simple device to operate, you just fill the container with cold milk to the max line and then press either of the two buttons depending on whether you want hot or cold frothed milk for your drink, then simply position it under the spout and let it do its thing.
Within a minute or so you'll have perfect tasting froth that has wonderful consistency. It's also easy to clean after by rinsing all the parts off under some warm water. The only downside here I can think of is that this uses non-refrigerated liquid milk, which tends to curdle easier than fresh chilled liquid milk does when trying to make a latte, which means you're only really able to do this for hot drinks like cappuccino.
The Nespresso Aeroccino is quite small and compact so it's easy to store away. The device also takes up very little space so it's not taking over your kitchen counter space or anything like that. It has an internal storage compartment for the power cord as well, so everything is kept neat and tidy when not in use.
The milk steamer nozzle itself can also be removed, taken off then cleaned separately if needed, which couldn't be easier because of the way the parts are designed to fit together.
Use a Moka Pot & a French Press
If you don't have either an espresso machine or an Aeroccino then you can also go for the French Press option to froth your milk and use a moka pot to brew an espresso-like drink. This needs a bit more time and effort but it’s a cool way to do it if you are in the mood!
Regarding frothing milk with the French Press, first. heat up your milk to your desired temperature, should be warm but not boiling hot. Then put your French Press on a sturdy table or surface and place a kitchen towel over it to prevent any spills.
Fill the carafe half way with the heated milk, then plunge up and down with moderate speed for about 20-30 seconds. Remove the plunger, knock and swirl the French Press on the counter to remove any large bubbles and voila! Your frothed milk is ready!
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the above or if you want, you can tell me exactly what kind of equipment you have and I will give you specific instructions on how to make a latte!
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