Coffee Latte' Recipe

Prepare espresso

Weigh 18 g of freshly ground coffee (fine espresso grind). Tamp evenly into the portafilter and lock into the espresso machine. Brew roughly 36 ml of espresso directly into your latte cup. Aim for a 25–30 second extraction. If you don't have an espresso machine, brew 60–90 ml of very strong coffee (stovetop Moka) and proceed the same.

Steam and texture milk

Pour 8 oz (about 240 ml) of whole milk into a stainless-steel steaming pitcher. Purge the steam wand, then place the tip just below the surface of the milk and steam to create a silky microfoam: stretch for a few seconds until the milk increases slightly in volume, then submerge the tip to heat. Target a final milk temperature of 60–65°C (140–149°F). Stop steaming when pitcher is slightly too hot to hold for more than a few seconds.

Tap and swirl

Tap the pitcher gently on the counter to remove large bubbles and swirl to polish the texture. If you want an extra thin layer of foam, spoon off about 1 oz of foam into a separate small container (optional 'milk foam' ingredient).

No-steam alternative

If you don't have a steam wand, heat 8 oz milk on the stovetop until hot but not boiling (about 60–65°C), then froth with a handheld frother or by shaking vigorously in a sealed jar. Let larger bubbles settle, then swirl to integrate foam.

Combine espresso and milk

Pour the freshly brewed espresso into a warmed 12 oz (360–360+ ml) latte cup. Immediately pour the steamed milk into the cup, starting from about 3–4 inches (7–10 cm) above to allow milk to sink under the espresso, then move closer and pour more slowly to bring the microfoam to the surface. Aim for a final drink of roughly 1 part espresso to 3 parts milk with a thin 0.5–1 cm layer of foam on top.

Optional sweeten and garnish

Stir in sugar or sweetener to taste (use about 1 tsp as a starting point). Lightly dust the foam with cinnamon or cocoa powder for garnish if desired.