Sipping a hot mug of cappuccino at a coffee shop is certainly a wonderful way to start your day. There is nothing like fresh coffee in the morning to prepare you for the day. If only you could have a café-like cappuccino at home. Fortunately, you can!
It is certainly possible to make your favourite cappuccino right at home and that too without the need of any coffee machine.
What Exactly is a Cappuccino?
A cappuccino is a coffee drink that is made up of espresso, milk foam, and hot milk. Often people get cappuccino confused with latte. While there are some similarities, both coffee drinks are different. Here is what differentiates these drinks:
- As mentioned earlier, cappuccino has equal parts foam, hot milk, and espresso.
- A latte includes 2/3 hot milk, 1/3 espresso, and a very thin layer of foam.
While the differences between these coffees are very subtle, the flavours are different. The best thing is that cappuccino is easy to make in your house as compared to latte. A latte requires microfoam and steam milk with a texture that is mostly possible with only an espresso machine.
Of course, you can experiment around with the flavour of cappuccino by adding more foam and milk for a milder taste or more espresso for a stronger taste. Not everyone knows that there actually two types of cappuccinos:
- Wet Cappuccino: Mild flavour with more milk and less espresso
- Dry Cappuccino: Stronger flavour with less milk, more espresso and more foam at the top
Quick Tips to Make the Perfect Cup
Before we get started, here are a few things to keep in mind to make delicious cappuccino right in the comforts of your home:
- Always use fresh roasted beans to enhance the taste. You can easily get roasted coffee beans delivered directly to your door
- Brew a shot of espresso per cup of cappuccino
- Use around 4 to 5 oz of milk in the pitcher and steam it
- Add in a sprinkle of cacao for added taste
The quality of coffee beans can have a major impact on the flavour of cappuccino. The right coffee beans can make a major difference. Therefore, it is best to invest in high-quality coffee beans to get you the flavour you are looking for.
How To Make Cappuccino At Home
Here is how you can make a perfect cup of cappuccino:
Ingredients:
- Espresso shot – 1 (or more if you prefer a stronger coffee)
- Fresh whole milk – ½ cup
- Warm mug – 1
Directions:
- Start by brewing the espresso shot using good quality roasted beans.
- While the espresso is brewing, add in the milk in a pitcher. Make sure that the milk is cold. It is best to use full-fat milk to get the right taste.
- Next you need to start steaming or frothing the milk. If you have a machine, you can steam the milk using the wand but if not then you can easily froth the milk.
- When frothing the milk, start by heating the milk until it is hot to touch. You can use a whisk, French press, or a milk frother to froth the milk. Make sure you have a good amount of forth as it should be very foamy. You should aim for 1/3 froth, 1/3 hot milk, and 1/3 espresso. Remember, if you are using French press to froth the milk, make sure you have at least once cup of milk.
- Once the espresso shot is done, pour it in the warm mug.
- Next, start pouring in the frothed milk in circles. Make slow movements and don’t worry about making coffee art. Mix the milk and coffee well and at the end, lower the pitcher and pour the last remaining thick foam across the top. This will leave behind a brownish rim on the outside of the large white foam.
- Sprinkle in some cacao powder on top and you are done!
The taste of cappuccino is warming, rich, and bold, which makes it one of the most favourites for many around the globe. The steamed milk adds a bit of the sweet flavour and the froth on top gives it an airy and indulgent texture.
While traditionally, cappuccino is only made up of espresso, milk froth, and hot milk, you can further customize it by adding flavoured syrups, sweeteners, sugar, and other add-ins. Sometimes it takes several attempts to get the technique right so don’t lose hope if your first cup doesn’t turn out as great as you thought it might.