What is a Latte? (And how to make great lattes at home)
WHAT IS A LATTE?
A latte is simply steamed and frothed milk that is mixed into hot espresso.
A latte begins with the same base — a single or double shot of espresso. This espresso is then combined with several ounces of steamed milk to create a rich, creamy beverage that has a more subtle espresso taste. The typical ratio for espresso to steamed milk is about 1-to-2.
In some coffee shops, you’ll see a latte called a caffé latte. The terms are used interchangeably so don’t worry if you see a caffé latte on a menu somewhere – they’re the same!
The difference between a latte and a cappuccino
Standing in line for coffee, I hear most people asking what is the difference between cappuccino and lettuce. Cappuccinos vs. lattes have some differences.
First, cappuccino contains less boiled milk than lettuce. This makes their taste a little stronger. Cappuccinos contain equal parts of steamed milk ranging from espresso to milk foam.
WHAT KIND OF MILK SHOULD YOU USE FOR A LATTE?
You can use any kind of milk you want:
- cow’s milk – whole, skim, 1% or 2%
- almond milk
- soy milk
- oat milk
- coconut milk
DOES A LATTE HAVE CAFFEINE?
Yes, lattes definitely have caffeine. That’s because the espresso used to make the drink has a high concentration of caffeine.
It is important to note that D-Cafe espresso also contains a small amount of caffeine. So, if you are trying to figure out your caffeine intake, make sure you consider it.
To reduce my caffeine intake, which I have been doing since I was diagnosed with heart disease years ago, I combine one shot of decaffe espresso with a regular espresso shot. That way, I get a little boost from regular espresso without the unwanted heartbeat.
And if I want to make a latte later in the day, I make it with 2 shots of De Caf espresso. Otherwise I would never sleep at night!
However, since a medium coffee contains about 12 ounces of coffee (about 168 mg caffeine) and a medium latte contains 2 shots of espresso (about 126 mg caffeine), a medium coffee is actually stronger than a latte .Who would have thought!!
HOW TO MAKE A LATTE
So after all this talk about what kind of milk to use, frothing milk, and caffeine strength in a latte, let’s get down to making one!
First step is you need espresso. You’ll need 1 shot of espresso for each 12 ounce latte you plan to make.
WAYS TO BREW ESPRESSO
It’s a fast way to make an espresso (or coffee, if that’s your thing!) and there’s no guessing game about how much water is needed because the pods have a barcode on them. The machine reads the barcode and adds the exact amount of water that each pod requires for the espresso or coffee you choose.
So if I brew an espresso and then say, the dog rings his bell to go outside or Riley is running amuck through the house and I need to wrangle her, my espresso stays hot for juuust a little bit longer. And boy, I’m always so thankful for this! Life happens, people!!
There are other ways to make espresso. An old-fashioned but still really cool stove top espresso maker works great too! I’ve used this stove top maker in the past but when we bought it 3+ years ago I switched to Nespresso as my go-to.
My mom still makes espresso (or dematas, as my family calls it Italian) on the stove and it’s really easy to use! All you need to do is grind your espresso beans or buy ground espresso, add ground espresso to the pot, add water and cook. Alternatively, you can buy ground espresso online at grocery stores or places like Amazon. Illy Ground is my favorite brand of espresso!
If you have an actual espresso machine in your kitchen, this is going to be how you make your espresso. That’s a luxury item for us since we tend to drink more coffee than espresso and I don’t want to sacrifice counter space for one either.
And of course, you can definitely stop by a coffee shop and order a shot or 2 (or however many shots you need) to bring home to make your latte. Before we had the Nespresso machine, I did this on a few occasions.
Start with a basic latte recipe and then let your imagination go wild to flavor up your latte exactly how you like! Make a vanilla latte, peppermint latte, mocha latte–you get the idea. And the best part about this recipe? You can use any type of milk you like–so dairy-free latte, non-fat latte, a rich decadent latte–the choice is yours!
I am willing to bet a large percentage of you reading this right now, will agree that a good cup of coffee is hard to beat. In fact, for most of us, myself included, that latte is not only a desire but has become most definitely a NEED to function most days.
While I would love to hit up a drive-thru of a fancy coffee shop every day, my wallet will NOT allow that, nor will my frugal nature. So I reserve visits to coffee shops for just special occasions.
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Coffee: Espresso or strongly brewed coffee is essential for a flavorful latte. Decaffeinated works just the same.
- Milk: Any variety you like. Skim milk, whole milk, reduced-fat. Or for a Dairy-Free/Vegan Latte use non-dairy milk such as almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. You can even use a flavored creamer for a rich, sweet, flavored latte.
TOOLS NEEDED
You only need one simple kitchen tool to make a perfectly frothy latte–a small kitchen whisk that fits inside your coffee mug. That’s right–no fancy equipment is necessary!
I find an aluminum whisk works better than a silicone whisk.
HOW TO MAKE A LATTE
- Brew the coffee or espresso of your choice.
- While the coffee is brewing, heat the milk of your choice for 30-45 seconds in a microwave-safe coffee mug.
- Once the milk is heated, take a small whisk and vigorously whisk back and forth for 15-30 seconds until the milk is frothy.
