Cappuccino Essentials, Espresso and Recipes
The Cappuccino is the Grand daddy of all coffee drink's and it's primary ingredient, espresso, is the basis of all great coffee drinks available today at most coffee shops. You can have a Latte, Espresso, Macchiato, Americano, half cap, half mocha cap whip, Mocha or any combination imaginable, but every great coffee drink is based on the premise of good espresso coffee, properly steamed milk & just the right amount of foam.
The question is, how do you replicate all the great coffee's you get at your local coffee house or favorite restaurant?
Answer; It's Easy, just follow these simple steps and you will be the barista of your block and the envy of all the $3 - $5 a day coffee drinkers out there. Imagine saving all that money and still being able to enjoy your morning cup of comfort.
Choosing the right espresso
The first thing you will need is coffee. Not just any coffee, but a great espresso bean. You can get them in several varieties and you are encouraged to experiment to find your favorites. There is fresh whole bean, Freeze dried (A great choice if you don't use very often. Do Not Discount freeze dried as it will last and can be relatively inexpensive) & Pre Ground coffee. You can use regular coffee but to get the true flavor, richness & texture, only a great whole espresso bean will do. A great espresso bean can run you up to $50.00LB, but I would only go this route if you have exquisite taste buds or money to burn, or both! A great resource to understand the stringent requirements some coffee Roasters go through is the Cup of Excellence Program..If you're a coffee aficionado, then this is for you
Types of Espresso Machines
Next you will need an Espresso machine. There are several options when you get down to it. There is brewed (traditional) where you boil the water and press the espresso to get the acquired result. Delicious, but a little time consuming. It is worth the wait though.
Personal Espresso Machines - They are a lot faster than brewed but still need some personal attention. You can get an espresso machine from $75.00 -$2000.00. Some of these machines come with all the bells and whistles you may need with automatic grinders, drip coffee brew stations & automatic milk steaming.
All these machines are great, but spend what you can afford and only get what you'll realistically use. You would be surprised though at how often you wish you had some of these features. A true coffee lover will need many of the features that these machines offer. We recommend buying your Coffee bean grinder separately as it is easier to replace and a whole lot cheaper than having your machine serviced professionally.
Industrial Espresso Machines - If you inclined to have the creme de la creme then we recommend a restaurant grade espresso machine. (All these machines will need proper plumbing, a dedicated water source and a dedicated power source, see manufacturers requirements to see if these Espresso machines are right for you) There is a wide variety of manual and automatic espresso coffee machines. Automatic espresso machines are a do it all type of technology, they are self cleaning, grind their own espresso beans and they portion all espresso shots and can even heat and foam the milk. While this may be useful they are very expensive and require regular maintenance. If one component goes, usually it means your espresso machine will not work. If you have the money and not the time, they produce a great espresso. Many restaurants now use automated Espresso Machines to help control labor and facilitate a quicker turn around time for coffee drinks. (A Properly made cappuccino can take upwards of 3-5 minutes on a manual Espresso Machine)
Large Coffee houses, chains, European cafes and Fine Dining Restaurants all use manual Espresso machines, but they are pretty high tech. They set the Espresso coffee portion (Short or Long) manually, they press the grind portion (by pressing the grinds into the coffee valve, you effectively condense the water to coffee ratio) this water to coffee ratio through the espresso press is what gives every great espresso the nice Crema layer on top of the coffee. If you were to try and give a straight espresso shot to a discerning coffee drinker without this Crema you'll be in big trouble and making a new coffee real quick. These Espresso machines can customize and manipulate the espresso bean in ways that an automatic espresso machine can only dream about. All milk is manually steamed and can make upwards of 3-5 different Espresso coffee drinks at one time. (Very efficient if used properly) When used with the proper accessories such as a stainless Steel milk Steamer, a great mixing spoon, and thermometer. With a great espresso bean, it is possible to make the best cappuccino in the world.
What type of milk makes the best espresso?
The great debate looms over this next part of a great cappuccino and that is, What is the best milk for a cappuccino or latte? Some say Homogenized milk is best as the fat separates easier from the milk when heated. Some say Skim milk is better, keeping the fat content out of the milk makes the cappuccino lighter and releases the flavors better (But less foam) and finally 2% or 1% milk, the happy medium. Well to give you a definitive answer I say yes, they are all the best, because I don't believe it really matters. For health reasons maybe choose Non Fat milk (Lower fat count but releases sugars faster into body giving you that crashing feeling early). For Flavor, definitely go with Homogenized milk, big Fat means big foam, if you like cream in your coffee, you had better go Homogenized.
2% or 1% will give you the best of both worlds. I say it doesn't matter because great cappuccino milk is about 2 things, Temperature & Time.
Properly steamed milk will reach a temperature between 130 & 140 degrees. You can achieve this temperature in a few ways. You can use a thermometer to regulate the milk during steaming or you can use your ears and hear the milk heat up. The latter technique takes some skill as the milk starts out like a high whine until you bring the steam head to just below the liquid line. When you do this you will begin creating foam quickly and will need to make sure you move the steamer up and down in the milk, being careful to not remove the nozzle. As the noise subsides you will start to hear a nice rumble from the milk and when you feel you have enough foam (always have too much) place the nozzle 1/2 of the way into the milk to finish. It will start to slowly whine again but with much more base, when it starts to do that you have made the perfect milk for your Espresso coffee drink. A few things to consider before you do this. It takes practice, if you can do it right the first time, you are a magician. Within 2 - 3 attempts should do it. Be sure to not scold the milk. I am sure you have had a coffee you haven't finished because of milk that was too hot and became stringy. This is from scolding the milk, I advise you to start over and do it right. If the milk is not hot enough, steam it some more, an easy fix. Make sure you are using a stainless steel container with a handle. You can get seriously burnt if you do not hold the container properly. Should you not have a handle, please use a solid dish towel or oven mitt. (Very Serious burns can happen)
Many Large coffee houses use the thermometer technique because of many reasons I've stated above. Merely place the milk into your stainless steel steam mixer (Always, always cold milk. An Absolute) keep the steam nozzle just below the liquid line. As foam starts merely insert the nozzle ¾ into the milk and watch the thermometer up to temperature. When it hits 130 - 140 degrees, presto, steamed milk. Pretty easy! (Do not use your hand to check the temperature ever!)
Now let's talk about time. After you have steamed your milk you should let your milk sit for a minimum of 30-45 seconds. This helps the foam solidify and gives you the cloud like effect that only the professionals seem to do. If you are in a big rush you can place the heated milk into a fridge and it will solidify real fast. If you don't have a fridge (maybe you don't!) you can also tap the side of the canister with your stir spoon to help the milk settle (Do not use your hand to tap the canister or check temperature ever)
How to make an espresso/Cappuccino
The absolute first thing to do is ensure your Espresso bean is ground properly. Too thick and chunky and you will not release the flavors properly. Too thin and the coffee will be runny with no Crema layer. (An Absolute) So be sure to give the grind some attention. A proper Bean grinder will always pay off for those who need it done right.
Start by packing your ground espresso beans into your coffee press. Make sure you pack it properly for your desired portion size. There is a single and double shot press. No matter your desired portion, press your coffee to the line and make sure to use a press of some sort.
Next, lock your coffee press into your machine, make sure it's tight. You have a good fit when you need to use some force to lock it in, but do not lose any grounds when you do lock it in. if you can do this you've got it right.
Now it's time to steam your milk. It doesn't really matter what milk you choose to go with. Just make sure it is the milk you want. Remember to steam it until you have enough foam (always make more than you need) Remember to use cold milk and a proper stainless steel steamer canister. Heat your milk to the desired temperature, between 130 - 140 degrees. (Only go this hot if you like really hot coffee. It thins the milk and in my opinion makes for a very workmanlike experience in drinking an otherwise soothing drink). When you have finished your steaming, put the milk to the side and get your heated cappuccino cup ready. (This must be done right to get the proper results)
Now working quickly, press the desired portion on your espresso machine (Long, Short, Single or Double) it should produce a smooth flowing stream of coffee. When this process is complete, you should be left with a nice creamy, tan colored coffee. If you have gotten this far you can not only make a great cappuccino but a world class espresso as well.
The final act is relatively easy. Take your Espresso coffee which should be about 1/3 of your cup, pour heated milk into the cup, bringing it to 2/3 full. (Use your mixing spoon to separate the foam from the milk when doing this) and finally scoop out the desired amount of foam filling the final 1/3 of the cup. Having the foam rise above the cup is perfect.
1/3 coffee 1/3 foam & 1/3 milk will give you world class results every time.
Follow these steps, add a few of your own touches, mix it with some flavors, sprinkle some chocolate or cinnamon, the skies the limit. I have included some easy recipes below for you to try at home. Remember to always experiment and enjoy the process.
Latte (Café au lait)
¼ espresso coffee
½ steamed milk
¼ foam
To properly layer a latte, pour the steam milk first, then add foam. Ensure the coffee is poured immediately after brewing, use the back of a spoon and press it against the edge of the glass, slowly pour the espresso over the spoon and it will layer itself beautifully.
Espresso
Single or Double shot
Simply press the ground coffee firmly and brew. You can pour single shots or doubles (remember to use the proper amounts of coffee) If you want a short espresso, merely use a single shot. If you want a long Espresso, pour more water through the brew process
Americano
1 full shot of espresso
Hot water
Pour the espresso shot into a cappuccino cup and then add 2 parts hot water. You should have a little cloud of Crema on the top of your coffee. This was a favorite with American troops in Europe during World War II as a substitute for American brewed coffee.
Macchiato
1 Shot Espresso (Single or Double)
Heated Milk foam
Heat some milk and keep the foam, add some foam to your espresso. This is a stronger substitute to the cappuccino without the steamed milk.
Mocha
Using the standard latte recipe, add hot chocolate in place of the steamed milk. If this is too sweet for you, try half and half. Top with steamed milk or Whipped cream.
Flat White
This is a basic cappuccino recipe, except you add the foam first and then pour in the steamed milk. This will give it a flat surface without the foamy top, a favorite of our Australian friends.
