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Espresso Enthusiasts

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Made a nice latte this morning. My layering technique is coming along nicely I think. I'm still using whole milk (lactose free) for the frothing, but I will be getting either 2% or fat free just for making latte's as I understand they froth much better.

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SandboxGeneral said:
Made a nice latte this morning. My layering technique is coming along nicely I think. I'm still using whole milk (lactose free) for the frothing, but I will be getting either 2% or fat free just for making latte's as I understand they froth much better.

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By Jove, I think he's got it!!!:D

I know diddley about making cappuccino or latte, but the one thing I have read, as SandboxGeneral said, is that 2% or fat free foams better than whole milk. I also recall reading that chilling the foaming pitcher in the fridge (or freezer?) also improves foaming.

Nice going, Mate!
 
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SandboxGeneral said:
This was done with an $80 espresso machine. Well, really $200, but with Amazon Prime I got it at $120 off. Plus a few accessories, 10oz frothing pitcher, latte specific thermometer, stainless steel canister, and double-wall insulated glass cafe latte.

So my total espresso cost to date is $182.09 not including the cost of the coffee itself.
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I did some looking, and it is recommended that the pitcher be chilled in the fridge. I also found the link below for an in depth discussion.:p
http://www.gimmecoffee.com/Assets/pdf/gimme_learn_milk_prep.pdf
 
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Shrink said:
I did some looking, and it is recommended that the pitcher be chilled in the fridge. I also found the link below for an in depth discussion.:p
http://www.gimmecoffee.com/Assets/pdf/gimme_learn_milk_prep.pdf
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Cool (pun intended)! I'll check it out. That makes sense since I am a bit of a weirdo and put ice cubes in a glass of milk because I like milk really cold.

Kind of odd putting the two extremes together, hot and cold. We pre-heat the mug with hot water to keep the espresso hot longer, then want to pre-chill the milk to keep it colder and then mix them both in the same mug.
 
SandboxGeneral said:
Cool (pun intended)! I'll check it out. That makes sense since I am a bit of a weirdo and put ice cubes in a glass of milk because I like milk really cold.

Kind of odd putting the two extremes together, hot and cold. We pre-heat the mug with hot water to keep the espresso hot longer, then want to pre-chill the milk to keep it colder and then mix them both in the same mug.
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In the article linked, which I quickly skimmed (pun intended) it said something about chilling the pitcher means the only heat entering the milk is from the steam wand, and it allows a slightly longer steaming time, which I guess is good.

Also, by the time the milk is steamed and put in the cup, it is then hot.
 
for cappuccinos, i find that parmalat's works best, by a surprisingly large margin
416GVEM12DL._SY445_.jpg

we usually keep two kind in the fridge, regular for the kids and parmalat for cappuccino. it helps that it is ultra-pasteurazed so it has a long shelf life at room temperature when unopened

and i recently moved to the Aeroccino (by nespresso) to froth.
consistently froths to perfection, with no mess

also, some of you might be interested in this article from a scientific american about a decade ago

the complexity of coffee
 
some people think an espresso addiction is worse than getting involved with heroin :p
 
eric/ said:
I really want to make lattes and stuff more than just straight espresso
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maybe you don't need espresso? maybe steamed milk and coffee, brewed, or french press, would do the trick for you.......a cafe au lait
 
eric/ said:
I really want to make lattes and stuff more than just straight espresso
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Just remember that lattes, cappuccinos, and other drinks of that kind START with straight espresso. All those other drinks are espresso with other things added. So first you must learn to makes espresso, and then how to steam milk, or foam milk,or add flavors, or whatever.

You just can't get away from learning to make good espresso!:D ;)
 
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Shrink said:
Just remember that lattes, cappuccinos, and other drinks of that kind START with straight espresso. All those other drinks are espresso with other things added. So first you must learn to makes espresso, and then how to steam milk, or foam milk,or add flavors, or whatever.

You just can't get away from learning to make good espresso!:D ;)
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Oh, yes, indeed. A profound, heartfelt amen to that observation.
 
Macky-Mac said:
maybe you don't need espresso? maybe steamed milk and coffee, brewed, or french press, would do the trick for you.......a cafe au lait
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That's certainly an good alternative. A different drink from what sandboxgeneral pictured starting this round of comments, but terrific coffee drinks nonetheless.

And a lot simpler, less messy, and less expensive, too.
 
Shrink said:
Just remember that lattes, cappuccinos, and other drinks of that kind START with straight espresso. All those other drinks are espresso with other things added. So first you must learn to makes espresso, and then how to steam milk, or foam milk,or add flavors, or whatever.

You just can't get away from learning to make good espresso!:D ;)
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Yeah that's correct, I want to learn to how to make straight espresso, when I'm good at that I'll be making lattes and stuff more than straight espresso. That's all I wanted to say.
 
eric/ said:
Yeah that's correct, I want to learn to how to make straight espresso, when I'm good at that I'll be making lattes and stuff more than straight espresso. That's all I wanted to say.
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I'm sorry if I gave offense in any way.:eek:

I undoubtedly wrote my post poorly...nothing new there!:eek: :D
 
Shrink said:
That's certainly an good alternative. A different drink from what sandboxgeneral pictured starting this round of comments, but terrific coffee drinks nonetheless.

And a lot simpler, less messy, and less expensive, too.
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one of my favorite coffee moments involves a café com leite (well, a series of them actually) that I had while staying at a hotel in Rio. At breakfast a waiter would come around carrying two pots, one with hot milk and the other with some of the finest coffee.
 
SandboxGeneral said:
Made a nice latte this morning. My layering technique is coming along nicely I think. I'm still using whole milk (lactose free) for the frothing, but I will be getting either 2% or fat free just for making latte's as I understand they froth much better.

Image
Click to expand...

Nice job, but that's an Espresso Macchiato. :) If you fill the cup completely up with milk and have it dilute the coffee, it's a Cappuccino. Then you pour it into a larger glass and fill that one to the top with warm frothed milk, and you have a Latte (Macchiato). If you were then to add another shot of Espresso, you'd have a Caffe Latte.

The whole milk thing an it's associated nomenclature is so complicated that I prefer double-shots without sugar or Splenda.

I can recommend Zicaffè Crema in Tazza Superiore btw, I'd prefer it over Illy anytime. You can order it online directly from Zicaffè, they ship only recently roasted coffee and it arrives within 3 days in the US.
 
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Giuly said:
Nice job, but that's an Espresso Macchiato. :) If you fill the cup completely up with milk and have it dilute the coffee, it's a Cappuccino. Then you pour it into a larger glass and fill that one to the top with warm frothed milk, and you have a Latte (Macchiato). If you were then to add another shot of Espresso, you'd have a Caffe Latte.

The whole milk thing an it's associated nomenclature is so complicated that I prefer double-shots without sugar or Splenda.

I can recommend Zicaffè Crema in Tazza Superiore btw, I'd prefer it over Illy anytime. You can order it online directly from Zicaffè, they ship only recently roasted coffee and it arrives within 3 days in the US.
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Very interesting distinctions on milk drinks.

But sugar/Splenda!!!:eek:

OMG!!!:eek:

Blasphemy!!!:eek:

:rolleyes: :D
 
Giuly said:
Nice job, but that's an Espresso Macchiato. :) If you fill the cup completely up with milk and have it dilute the coffee, it's a Cappuccino. Then you pour it into a larger glass and fill that one to the top with warm frothed milk, and you have a Latte (Macchiato). If you were then to add another shot of Espresso, you'd have a Caffe Latte.

The whole milk thing an it's associated nomenclature is so complicated that I prefer double-shots without sugar or Splenda.

I can recommend Zicaffè Crema in Tazza Superiore btw, I'd prefer it over Illy anytime. You can order it online directly from Zicaffè, they ship only recently roasted coffee and it arrives within 3 days in the US.
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Hmmm.... well here is the process of what I did and you tell me what it's called.

  • Pre-heat mug with hot water
  • Froth milk
  • Dump out hot water from mug
  • Pour in milk, keeping the froth back with a spoon until the milk is all in.
  • Then allow the froth to top off the milk
  • Pull a double-shot of espresso into the mug with milk and milk froth
  • Enjoy

That's what I've been doing. Is that a latte or something else?
 
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traditionally
espresso macchiato = espresso with a little bit of milk (macchia=spot), milk can be cold or warm. usually not frothed
cappuccino = espresso and ~ 1-3 times amount of frothed milk, with a little actual milk
'latte' = this has come to indicate a larger version of a cappuccino with a higher milk-to-coffee ratio
caffe latte = larger portion of coffee with milk (typically warm or steamed, not frothed, in a large cup. same as cafe au lait
latte macchiato = milk (warm or steamed or frothed) with some coffee added to it. mostly milk.

then there are all sorts of in between and it is pretty much up to the barista how to prepare any of them. in many cases the only difference between a latte and a cappuccino is the size
 
You really should sign up to somewhere like coffee geek for detailed advice on equipment.

Also I'm not sure if you know quite what your getting yourself into or not. If your happy with making drinks like most cafes do (frothy, overly milky, average espresso) then you'll be able to mange that easily with a $500 budget and a few weeks practice. If your aiming for high quality drinks with silky smooth micro foam and rich tasty espresso then you have to be prepared for this to be a hobby, not just a way to make drinks. Good espresso and espresso based drinks are not easy to make at all. Not trying to put you off, just a warning that it takes time and effort.

The Gaggia classic is a good machine. I'm not sure if theres something better at the same price now tho as I haven't shopped for a machine for a few years.

I have no experience with the grinder you posted but it looks more suitable for brewed coffee than espresso. Id recommend looking at something like the Iberital MC2 or the Ascaso I/2 instead.
 
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