Italian coffee, made properly at home
Italy

Caffè latte

Milk-led, thin foam, big cup

Order a latte in Italy and you get a glass of milk. Say caffè latte. Roughly 1 cm of foam, the rest is silky milk.

Tall glass
Espresso
30 ml
Milk
180–220 ml
Foam
about 1 cm
Servings
1

Ingredients

  • espresso30 ml
  • whole milk200 ml

Method

1

Pull into the serving glass

Latte is usually served in glass so you can see the layers meet.

2

Stretch briefly

Only 1–2 seconds of air. A latte wants texture through the whole body, not a foam cap.

3

Roll long

Spend the time heating and folding so it comes out glossy and pours like paint.

4

Pour

High to combine, then close and slow at the end if you want to set a heart.

Notes

  • Same milk, different air: 1 s of stretch is a latte, 4 s is a cappuccino, 6 s is a bad time.

Made it? See how the pour actually looks.

Photograph this pour and Brew scores the symmetry, contrast and definition, and names the exact mistake to fix next time.

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What you need

  • Espresso machine (pump) or Lever / piston machine or Moka pot
  • Steam wand or Handheld milk frother