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Café Latte Recipe

Name: Nana's Green Teas Café Latte Recipe
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Coffee
Ingredients: 18 g freshly ground espresso coffee (dark roast); 40 ml filtered water (for espresso machine); 8 oz whole milk; 1 oz milk (for steaming, extra if needed); 1 tsp optional sugar or sweetener; 1 to taste espresso machine with portafilter and steam wand (or moka/pleasure alternative); 1 to taste milk pitcher (stainless steel, 12–20 oz); 1 to taste thermometer (optional); 1 to taste 8–10 oz latte cup or glass

Inspired by Nana's Green Tea

Time10m

Serves1

Coffee espresso with milk

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Ingredients

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Espresso

5/8 oz (18 g) freshly ground espresso coffee (dark roast)2.71 tbsp (40 ml) filtered water (for espresso machine)

Milk

8 oz whole milk1 oz milk (for steaming, extra if needed)1 tsp optional sugar or sweetener

Tools / Garnish

1 to taste espresso machine with portafilter and steam wand (or moka/pleasure alternative)1 to taste milk pitcher (stainless steel, 12–20 oz)1 to taste thermometer (optional)1 to taste 8–10 oz latte cup or glass

Method

Espresso

Preheat and dose

Turn on the espresso machine and allow it to fully heat (about 15–20 minutes). While the machine heats, weigh 18 g of freshly roasted coffee beans and grind them to a fine espresso grind (slightly finer than table salt).

Tamp and brew

Distribute the ground coffee evenly in the portafilter basket, tamp with steady pressure to create a level puck, and lock the portafilter into the group head. Place a pre-warmed cup under the spout. Start the shot and aim for 25–30 seconds of extraction to yield roughly 36–40 ml of espresso (single or double depending on your basket). Stop the shot when extraction is complete. If using a stovetop moka or other method, brew an equivalent strong coffee (approx. 40 ml).

Milk

Prepare milk pitcher

Pour 8 oz (about 240 ml) of cold whole milk into a chilled milk pitcher. If you prefer sweeter, add up to 1 tsp sugar to the cold milk and swirl to dissolve slightly before heating.

Purge and position steam wand

Purge the steam wand for 1 second to remove condensation. Submerge the tip just below the surface of the milk and position the pitcher so the wand is just off-center to create a whirlpool.

Texturing milk

Turn on the steam to full. Keep the tip near the surface for the first 3–6 seconds to incorporate air (you should hear a gentle paper-tearing sound). Then submerge the tip slightly deeper to heat and create a smooth vortex. Heat until the pitcher side feels hot to the touch (between 60–65°C / 140–149°F). Aim for glossy, microfoam texture with small, velvety bubbles. Stop steaming and wipe the wand immediately, then purge briefly.

Polish milk

Gently tap the pitcher on the counter and swirl to remove large bubbles and integrate foam into a silky consistency. If milk texture is too frothy, let it settle a few seconds; if too flat, re-steam a small portion of cold milk (use the extra ounce).

Assemble & Serve

Pour the espresso into your warmed 8–10 oz cup if you haven't already brewed into the cup.

Hold the milk pitcher about 2–3 inches above the cup and begin pouring steadily into the center of the espresso. After the cup is about half full, lower the pitcher closer to the surface and pour with a bit more speed to allow the microfoam to come forward and create a thin layer of foam (about 1 cm). For a simple latte art heart, when the cup is nearly full, raise the pitcher slightly and draw a line through the center of the foam.

Serve immediately. Taste and add extra sugar or sweetener if desired. Enjoy while hot (optimal temperature ~60–65°C / 140–149°F).