About
Hey, look! It's Rachie's first tutorial! :-D
I'm doing this because pretty much nobody here in Israel knows what coffee actually IS (they think it's cheap grounds mixed with hot water and sipped that way), and I was brought up by coffee snobs.
No, seriously. My parents have a coffee maker, a French press, a milk frother, a cappuccino maker, and about 8-10 flavors of gourmet coffee in the fridge at any given time.
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Markee R. added How To Make A Real Latte! to Holly Golightly's Apartment Party
15 Jul 15:07
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Step 1For a traditional latte (without any additions and flavors), you will need:
A French press or coffee maker
A milk frother (mine is manual,but you can use whatever.)
Coffee
Milk (Yes, I have cream in the photo, because that's what I had available this morning, but this needs milk or soy milk to actually work.)
Salt
Coffee Cup
Teaspoon (for scraping the milk froth into the cup, and also for use while drinking)
Measuring Tablespoon
Microwave (optional, depending on how cooperative your milk is!)
*Yes, my microwave has a mirror on it. It rocks. I know.
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Step 2For one, or possibly two, lattes, put two full tablespoons of coffee grounds into your press or coffee maker. This ensures that the coffee itself will be strong enough to qualify as good coffee! ;)
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Step 3Add a pinch of salt! I know this is weird, but trust me, this is a HUUUUUGE family secret I am sharing with you right now. Everyone says that the Cotters make the best coffee--well, this is why.
Don't put too much salt in; just a pinch is perfect! *(Note: Always use "just a pinch," whether you are making a full press or just one or two cups.)
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Step 4Pour as much water into the press as you want to have coffee. I suggest filling a press 1/4 to 1/3 (at the most!) for 1-2 cups. I usually fill my press 1/4 of the way and have a little left over. If you are using a machine coffee maker, just fill it for 1 or 2 cups of coffee. Turn on your coffee maker/let the press sit.
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Step 5Now for the fun part! Put a little milk into your frother and froth away! You don't need much at all--remember, the milk is about to get very puffy.
With my hand-frother, I have noticed that the milk froths much more easily when warm, so if your milk is not frothing, try warming it in the microwave for a few seconds and then returning it to the frother.
Also, in my experience, cream does not froth when warm OR cold--but maybe that is just my experience with a hand frother. They require a little more work than the machine frothers, I think.
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Step 6(This is a hand-frother post-frothing.)
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Step 7Add the frothy milk to the coffee cup! Don't worry if there is a little non-frothed milk in the mix; this will just mix with the coffee for a milkier drink.
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Step 8the coffee should be done steeping by this time. If you are using a press, this is the time to "PRESS" (haha--bad joke) the coffee down! It might be a little stubborn, but this is good--it just means that the grounds have been mingling with the water all this time. The longer the grounds stay floating, the better the coffee. Israeli coffee, naturally, does not like to stay afloat. Go figure.
Short story long, prepare your coffee for its final destination. :-D
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Step 9Add the coffee to the frothed milk carefully. I tend to pour it in rather slowly, on the side in one area. I know baristas can do all sorts of crazy designs on top with the coffee, but I'm not good at that for the moment, so I'll post a tutorial on that once I'm good at it.
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Step 10Enjoy your latte! As you can see here, mine is a failure, even though I warmed and frothed the cream like none other. This is why you do not use cream, but instead, milk.
Your latte should look similar to this, though. the coffee will show on top of the froth a little bit. That's natural--it's coffee; it stains.
I hope you like!!! Also, don't forget that practice makes perfect. :)
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Anyway, I said thank you for the milk tips--I'm wondering how you can get the milk specifically to that temperature? I also said before that I hope those who read my tutorial read your tip. :-D
I'm also very impressed that I learned the genuine way from my coffee-snob American-Irish-German family, of all things--LOL! :-D
Your technique is perfect, I just want to add something about milk.
Tips and tricks for a real italian cappuccino from a 100% italian girl:
Milk: use whole milk, the temperature must be over 113F (45°C) and under 145F (65°C).
After frothing, remove the frother top and do some gentle rotation, this way the milk foam bubbles will blend, and you'll have a creamy shiny foam that will last till the last sip.
Enjoy!
im gunna make one for my mom and dad now!