Caffè Latte
The milkiest of the standard espresso drinks, and the one with the most room for latte art. A double shot under about 200 ml of milk with a thin layer of foam.
At a glance
- Espresso : milk
- 1:6
- Active time
- 3 min
- Total time
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 cup
- Serve
- In a 250 ml cup
- Kit
- Espresso machine
Ingredients
Note: If a latte tastes of nothing but warm milk, the fix is a shorter, more concentrated shot rather than more coffee.
Method
-
Pull a double into a large cup
A 250 ml cup or glass. Pull the shot directly into it so the crema is intact when the milk goes in.
25 to 30 seconds -
Aerate briefly
Two to three seconds of air at the surface, no more. A latte takes slightly less foam than a cappuccino and about the same as a flat white, spread across more milk.
Aerate 2 to 3 seconds -
Spin it to 60°C
Submerge the wand, set the milk turning, and hold it until 60 to 65°C. Then tap and swirl until the surface is glossy.
The milk should look like wet paint. If you can see individual bubbles, it will not pour art.
-
Pour the art
Start high and in the centre, filling the cup to about two thirds while the milk sinks under the crema. Then bring the spout right down to the surface so the foam floats, wiggle gently for a rosetta or hold still for a heart, and lift through the middle to finish.
Tilt the cup towards you at the start and level it as it fills.
Why this works
A latte is about six parts milk to one part coffee, which is roughly three times the milk in a cortado and half again what a flat white carries. At that ratio the milk is the body of the drink and the espresso is a flavouring, which is exactly why it is the most popular coffee in most of the world and why coffee people are sniffy about it.
It also means the shot has to be good in a specific way. A bright, acidic light roast that is lovely on its own can disappear entirely under 200 ml of milk, or worse, read as sour. Darker roasts and chocolatey, nutty coffees hold up better, which is why most cafe house blends are built for milk rather than for black.
Latte art is a byproduct of good milk, not a separate skill laid on top. The pattern appears because properly textured microfoam is dense enough to float on the crema as a distinct white layer rather than mixing in. If the milk is right, the art is mostly a matter of practice; if the milk is wrong, no amount of technique produces a clean rosetta.
A note on ordering: latte simply means milk in Italian. Ask for one in Italy and you will be brought a glass of milk. The drink is a caffè latte, and the shortening is an English-speaking habit.
Variations
- Iced latte: the same shot over ice with cold milk, no steaming.
- Mocha: add 30 ml of chocolate sauce to the shot before the milk.
- Breve: steamed half-and-half instead of milk.
- Vanilla: 15 ml of vanilla syrup in the cup first.
Made it?
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Questions
Latte vs flat white?
A latte is bigger, around 250 ml against 160 ml, with more milk against the same shot. A flat white tastes noticeably more of coffee and has a denser, thinner layer of foam.
Why is there no latte art on mine?
The milk texture, nine times out of ten. Art requires microfoam dense enough to float on the crema as a separate layer. If the surface is bubbly or thin and watery, it will mix in instead. Get the milk right before worrying about the pour.
What is the right latte ratio?
Around one part espresso to six parts milk, so a 36 g double under about 200 ml. Push to 1:8 for a very large cup, though at that point consider a third shot.