The first espresso and milk duo on the table is a latte. What is a latte? This drink is a shot of espresso mixed with steamed milk and topped off with foam. Right about now, you may be wondering what is a caffé latte? Don’t let the slightly different name confuse you. A caffé latte is the same as a regular latte, it is simply a more correct way to refer to this drink.
The caffé latte originally came from Italy but quickly increased in popularity all over the world. It is said that Italy’s traditional cappuccino is where the idea for the more “Americanized” latte came from. Despite their similarities, lattes and cappuccinos are entirely different espresso drinks.
What is a cappuccino? Like a latte, a cappuccino is made with a shot of espresso, steamed milk, and a layer of foam on top. The difference between the two is that cappuccinos have a higher foam content than lattes. The good news is that the method for making both drinks is the same right up until you have to froth the milk.
For a true coffee shop experience, you will need an espresso machine for your cappuccino’s first ingredient: the espresso shot. For the milk component of your cappuccino, you can either steam manually or use a machine that does it all for you, like the Philips 3200 Series Espresso Machine with LatteGo, with a touch display that five coffee varieties with ease – espresso, latte macchiato and cappuccino included!
If you want a latte, steam the milk by occasionally bringing the steamer wand to the milk’s surface to create more foam. You can then pour the steamed milk into your cup over the espresso for a delicious, frothy latte.
And if you want a cappuccino, steam the milk by bringing the wand to the milk’s surface more often, while making a circular motion to help create more foam. Give the pitcher a good tap on the counter to get rid of any bubbles before pouring the steamed milk over the espresso. You should now have a perfectly foamy, rich cappuccino. Next up on our list of espresso and milk drinks: what is a latte macchiato and how does it vary from the basic macchiato?