Latte
intro
A smooth, creamy hot coffee drink balancing bold espresso with velvety steamed milk, easy to make at home for cozy, cafe-quality sipping.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and measure ingredients
Weigh 18 grams of medium-dark espresso roast coffee beans, and measure 180 ml (3/4 cup) of cold whole milk straight from the refrigerator (cold milk foams far more evenly than room-temperature milk). Pre-warm a 240 ml (8 oz) ceramic latte mug by rinsing it with hot tap water for 10 seconds, then dump out all excess water before brewing.
Grind coffee to fine texture
Grind the 18 grams of coffee beans to a fine, table-salt consistency using a burr grinder, which takes roughly 10 seconds. Test the grind by pinching a small amount: it should clump slightly between your fingers; overly coarse grinds produce weak espresso, while overly fine grinds create bitter, astringent coffee.
Brew double espresso shot
Tamp the ground coffee evenly in the portafilter with firm, even pressure (approx. 30 pounds of force) to create a level, compact bed of grounds. Lock the portafilter into your espresso machine, set the pre-warmed mug under the spout, and brew a 60 ml (2 fl oz) double shot of espresso over 25-30 seconds using 93°C (200°F) water. The finished espresso will have a thick, golden-brown crema layer floating on top.
Steam milk to microfoam
Pour the cold 180 ml whole milk into a 350 ml (12 oz) stainless steel steaming pitcher. Purge the espresso machine’s steam wand for 2 seconds to clear trapped condensed water, then submerge the wand tip 1 cm below the milk surface, positioned off-center in the pitcher. Turn the steam to full power, stretch the milk for 3-5 seconds until its volume increases by 30% (avoid creating large, bubbly foam), then sink the wand 2 cm deeper into the milk to heat it to 60-65°C (140-150°F) over roughly 20 seconds. Never heat milk above 70°C (160°F), as this scalds the milk and creates a burnt, unpleasant flavor.
Polish steamed milk texture
Turn off the steam wand, wipe it clean with a damp cloth, then firmly tap the bottom of the milk pitcher on the countertop 3-4 times to pop any remaining large air bubbles. Swirl the pitcher continuously in small circular motions for 10 seconds until the milk develops a silky, paint-like microfoam consistency with a glossy, wet sheen.
Pour and combine latte
Hold the milk pitcher 5-7 cm above the mug, and pour steamed milk steadily into the center of the espresso to fully mix the milk and coffee into a uniform light brown base. When the mug is 3/4 full, lower the pitcher to 1 cm above the drink surface to pour a thin, 5 mm thick layer of smooth microfoam across the top, filling the mug to the rim. Serve immediately.
Tips
2.Whole milk creates the creamiest, most stable microfoam; skim milk or plant-based alternatives (oat, almond, soy) will work but produce a thinner, less velvety final texture.
3.For a sweetened latte, stir 1 teaspoon of vanilla, caramel, or hazelnut syrup into the finished espresso before pouring steamed milk, adjusting sweetness to match your preference.
OMG this is SO good! I’ve been wasting $6 a day at my local coffee shop for years and this tastes identical. Took me literally 5 minutes first try, no fancy espresso machine needed because I used my cheap moka pot! Game changer for my morning routine.
Made this for my kids before early soccer practice this morning and they BEGGED me to make it again tomorrow! I added a little vanilla syrup and a dash of cinnamon on top, even my husband who swears he only likes black coffee had a second cup. 10/10 for busy school mornings!
Super easy, no frills recipe that gets the job done. I will say I heated my oat milk a little too long the first go around so it got scalded, but second try was perfect. Great base recipe to tweak with different syrups for meal prep lattes for the work week.
Took this to my office potluck last week alongside some chocolate chip cookies and everyone was asking for the recipe! Frothed my milk with a little handheld frother I got for $10 on Amazon and it came out so creamy, just like the stuff I used to get when I worked at a campus coffee shop in college.
I was so intimidated to make lattes at home because I thought I needed a super expensive machine, but this was so straightforward! Only thing is I wish it had a note about how much foam to aim for? I ended up with way too much at first, like 90% foam 10% coffee oops.
SO good! I made a caramel version this weekend for my girls’ brunch and everyone raved. The 5 minute cook time is no joke – I was able to make 4 lattes in the time it took our breakfast casserole to finish resting. Will be making this every weekend from now on.
Made this before my early morning hike up Mount Evans last weekend and it kept me fueled the whole way up. Used whole milk for extra creaminess and a shot of hazelnut syrup, perfect pick-me-up that didn’t leave me jittery like the gas station coffee I usually grab. Will be a pre-hike staple from now on.
As a broke college student surviving on dining hall coffee, this is a total game changer. I don’t have a milk frother so I just shook my warm milk up in a mason jar for 30 seconds and it worked perfectly! Cost me like 50 cents a latte instead of the $5 at the campus cafe.
I’ve been making lattes at home for 20 years and this recipe is exactly the no-fuss classic I come back to. No weird trendy add-ins, just simple, perfectly balanced coffee and milk. My granddaughter helped me make a batch when she visited last weekend and she said it was better than the fancy latte she got on her last trip to LA.
Meal prepped a big batch of espresso shots on Sunday so I can just heat up milk and throw these together in 2 minutes flat on work mornings. I’ve cut my weekly coffee run budget by 75% already and I don’t even miss the coffee shop versions. 10/10, super easy even for someone who burns toast half the time.
Perfect cozy latte for a rainy Pacific Northwest day! I curled up with a book and a lavender vanilla version of this this afternoon and it was pure bliss. The easy difficulty rating is totally accurate, I’m a total novice when it comes to coffee drinks and I nailed it first try.
Used oat milk instead of dairy for this and it came out so creamy and delicious! I was worried plant-based milk wouldn’t froth as well but I used barista blend oat milk and it worked like a charm. Great vegan-friendly base recipe that’s easy to adjust for different dietary needs.
I used to stop at the drive-thru coffee spot every single morning on my way to the Loop, wasting 15 minutes in line and way too much money. This recipe lets me make my latte while my toast is toasting, I’m out the door faster and my wallet is way happier. Only regret is not trying this sooner!