The Perfect Latte - Herbivore Cucina

How often do you end up at Starbucks or other cafes just because you think the coffee at home is not as great as the one you get there? We used to do that so often, till we collected a few things to make the perfect coffee at home! The few things you need are: a simple coffee bean grinder, a coffee filter, milk frothing pitcher and a tiny milk frother. Before we get to the method, here is a short introduction to the coffees we all love and enjoy.

Espresso, that dark brewed liquid that we get out of a brewer is common to all the coffees. Have the brew as is without any milk and you are enjoying an Americano. Add steamed milk and milk foam, it becomes a latte. When there is lesser milk and more foam, you can term it a cappuccino. Espresso topped with just foamed milk is a macchiato. So again we see that except Americano, all the coffees need some amount of foamed milk.

Here are the steps you need to follow to make that perfect coffee at home:

Using a manual coffee grinder and some good quality beans, get the coffee powder ready for the coffee. Once the powder is ready, the next step is filtering. While you can use paper filters, having a permanent steel filter is a good idea. There is a class of filters that can be placed over the mug and filtered coffee goes directly into the cup. No extra devices needed when you use this Willow and Everett coffee dripper. It comes in a size that is perfect for all mugs and glasses. The pores are nice and does not allow any coffee powder to pass through. The filter is made from good quality steel and is pretty sturdy in construction. I totally recommend this product.

The next step is foaming the milk and pouring it over the coffee. The simplest way to make foam at home is by using a hand-held electric foam maker. The operation is straightforward. Heat milk in a microwave or on the gas. Transfer it to a milk frothing pitcher. For this operation, I used this MLVOC frother. The frother needs two AA batteries. Just put the batteries, foam the milk using the foamer and to clean the device, just place the lower end under running water. That is enough to clean the base completely. While this frother is good, it makes a lot of bubbles instead of a smooth froth.

Now the steamed milk has to be added to the brewed coffee in a way that that it does not drip out or cause a mess. If you are looking to do so at home, here is some good news! I tried this milk frothing pitcher from X-Chef, and found it amazing. The steel is strong and thick, the spout is just right to easily separate the milk and the foam. It comes in a 20 ounce capacity, just right for your morning cuppa. I am sure it is going to last in the kitchen forever. And guess what, they actually provided me a code I could share with all my readers. So rush to Amazon, and order your pitcher from here. Use LPNL8GSH at checkout and you will get 30% off! Cool isn't it? So order yours today, but do read the rest of the post to learn to make your cup of coffee right!

Ingredients

Coffee beans

Milk ⅔ cup

Water ⅓ cup

Sugar

Chocolate powder to garnish

Method

Crush the coffee beans using a hand-held crusher. Place the coffee filter over the mug or glass. Add one tablespoon of coffee powder to the filter. Take ⅓ cup hot water, and pour it on the coffee. Let the coffee concentrate filter and reach the base of the glass. Heat the milk in a microwave or on the stove and add sugar as per taste. Transfer milk to the frothing pitcher and froth it using a hand-held frother.

Gently tap the frother to separate the milk and the froth. Pour the hot milk over the brewed coffee. Slowly tilt the frothing pitcher to transfer the froth on top of the milk. Most of it will come out on its own, but if some of the froth is left behind, use a spoon to remove it. Add some chocolate powder on top and enjoy hot!