La Colombe Cappucino, Latte, Machiato Recipe

Dose and grind

Weigh 18 g of freshly roasted espresso beans. Grind to a fine espresso grind (similar to table salt) immediately before brewing to preserve aroma.

Tamping and brew

Distribute the ground coffee evenly in a 58 mm (or appropriate size) portafilter basket. Tamp with 30 lbs (13–15 kg) of pressure to create a level puck. Lock the portafilter into a preheated espresso machine. Brew a double shot (approx. 36 ml) aiming for a 25–30 second extraction. Adjust grind finer if extraction is too fast, coarser if too slow.

Milk quantity guidance

Use different milk amounts depending on drink: cappuccino ~120 ml milk (to produce ~90 ml steamed milk + foam), latte ~200–220 ml milk (more steamed milk, thin microfoam), macchiato ~30–60 ml milk/foam (just a dollop). The ingredient list above uses 200 ml as a base; adjust per drink below.

Steam technique

Purge steam wand for 1–2 seconds. Submerge the steam tip just below the surface of 200 ml cold whole milk in a chilled metal pitcher. Turn on steam and position tip to introduce air for just 2–3 seconds (for cappuccino) or 1–2 seconds (for latte) to create microfoam. After introducing air, lower the pitcher slightly to fully submerge tip and heat milk to 60–65°C (140–149°F). Aim for glossy, velvety microfoam with small bubbles. For macchiato, create a small dense dollop of foam (textured milk) rather than large volume.

Texture differences

Cappuccino: more aeration up front to create thicker foam (about 1/3 cup foam). Latte: minimal aeration, more integrated microfoam. Macchiato: mostly espresso with a small spoonful of foam or a 1–2 tbsp mark of steamed milk.

Cappuccino assembly

Pour the double shot espresso into a preheated 150–180 ml cup. Swirl the milk pitcher to integrate foam and milk. Hold back foam with a spoon and pour steamed milk into the espresso until cup is about 2/3 full, then spoon or pour the foam to fill the rest, creating a roughly 1:1:1 ratio espresso:steamed milk:foam. Dust with a light sprinkle of cocoa or cinnamon if desired.

Latte assembly

Pour the double shot into a warmed 240–350 ml cup or glass. Swirl the milk to integrate and pour steamed milk steadily into the espresso from a slightly higher distance to create a creamy body, lowering the pitcher near the end to allow microfoam to form a thin layer on top. Latte size typically fills a 240–350 ml cup with about 1–1.5 cm of microfoam. Add sugar to taste if desired.

Macchiato assembly

Pull a single or short double espresso (18 g dose as above). Using a spoon, place a small dollop (about 1–2 tbsp) of milk foam onto the espresso (traditional espresso macchiato). For a 'latte macchiato' style, pour steamed milk into a glass first and then add the espresso shot to create layered effect. Dust lightly if desired.

Taste and adjust sweetness with sugar or simple syrup. Serve immediately while espresso crema and milk texture are optimal. Clean the steam wand and tools right away.