Cappuccino Recipe

Inspired by Eva

Time8m

Serves1

Make Cappuccino Recipe in just 8m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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1
Preheat and dose
Turn on and warm your espresso machine and portafilter. Grind 18 g of fresh coffee to a fine espresso grind directly into a dry portafilter basket.
2
Tamp and lock in
Distribute the grounds evenly and tamp with 30–40 lbs (13–18 kg) of pressure to create a flat, level puck. Wipe any grounds from the rim and lock the portafilter into the group head.
3
Brew
Start extraction and brew approximately 40 ml of espresso into a pre-warmed 150–180 ml cup. Aim for a total extraction time of 25–30 seconds. Adjust grind size if extraction is too fast or slow.

4
Purge and prepare wand
Purge the steam wand for 1–2 seconds to expel condensation. Wipe the wand with a clean damp cloth.
5
Pour milk
Pour 150 ml of cold whole milk into a chilled stainless-steel steaming pitcher. Use a slightly larger pitcher than the volume to allow room for foam expansion.
6
Steam milk
Submerge the tip of the steam wand just below the milk surface and start steaming. Lower the pitcher slightly to introduce air for the first 3–6 seconds to create microfoam (you should hear a gentle hissing). Then raise the pitcher so the wand tip is deeper to heat the milk to 60–65°C (140–149°F) while smoothing the foam. Aim for a silky microfoam with small, glossy bubbles and about 1–1.5 cm of foam thickness for a cappuccino.
7
Clean wand
Purge the steam wand again and wipe it with a clean cloth immediately after steaming to remove milk residue.
8
Polish milk
Give the pitcher a couple of gentle taps on the counter and swirl the milk to integrate foam and liquid milk, producing a velvety texture suitable for pouring.
9
Combine
Pour the espresso into a pre-warmed 150–180 ml cup if not already brewed into one. Begin pouring the steamed milk from a slightly higher position to sink the liquid milk beneath the crema, then lower the pitcher and pour more steadily to let roughly equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam form (classic cappuccino ratio: ~1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foam). Finish with a short wiggle if you want a simple latte-art rosette.

10
Lightly dust the foam with cocoa powder or ground cinnamon (about 1 tsp) or stir in sugar/simple syrup to taste. Serve immediately while the crema and foam are fresh.