Spec me a morning Latte!

Phal

Phal

Phal

Soldato
Joined
19 Jul 2004
Posts
4,087
Location
Shoreham by Sea
I seem to have picked up a bit of a coffee habit and currently I keep buying them every morning which isn't particularly cheap so...

What do I need to make my own? :P
 
I've never really looked into exactly how the Latte is made :D I had a guess that it was something espresso shots into hot milk but who knows!

If it's just that then I'll have a read through that thread :)
 
the simple explination is its normally a double espresso shot with steamed milk with microfoam incorporated into it poured over.

when you get into volumes of both foam/milk/coffee the drink changes even adding the espresso to the milk instead of the milk to the espresso is the difference between a latte and a latte macchiato.

personally i class most of what i drink as a latte but milk volumes vary by how much the coffee cuts through as its pointless adding 10oz of milk to a mild espresso and i dont always enjoy a drink of strong espresso with only 4oz of milk.

if you get into espresso its great the variations available and is very enjoyable... i rarely drink alcohol due to work, having children and the overdoing it when younger so this is sort of my alternative but far more enjoyable as i can have good coffee before work when im working late which is somthing i would never do with alcohol

edit: i will add just like ales/wines/spirits etc... there are some that are just unpleasant to my taste but thats half the fun as i didnt realise before starting that espresso with tastes of forest fruits and citrus existed but i now do... and i dont like them! (i prefer the caramel/chocolate/sweet beans)
 
Last edited:
I assume that some kind of espresso machine is the only real way of making something that tastes like a latte? Was just wondering if this was something I could do whilst at work if there was kit that was a bit more portable or something :)
 
Phal said:
I assume that some kind of espresso machine is the only real way of making something that tastes like a latte? Was just wondering if this was something I could do whilst at work if there was kit that was a bit more portable or something :)
Click to expand...

I think you'd be happy with a nespresso machine or the like. The coffee snobs on here (me included) will shudder at the thought but for making latte-like drinks at work the convenience of those machines is hard to argue with.
 
The quickest, cheapest way would be with one of these and one of these. I have a six-cup version of the stove pot and at the weekends have taken to making all six cups, pouring them into a pint mug and just adding a splash of milk. :o

Edit: I say 'quickest'. A machine will of course do it quicker. But, the trade-off on price is pretty huge!
 
Belmit said:
The quickest, cheapest way would be with one of these and one of these. I have a six-cup version of the stove pot and at the weekends have taken to making all six cups, pouring them into a pint mug and just adding a splash of milk. :o

Edit: I say 'quickest'. A machine will of course do it quicker. But, the trade-off on price is pretty huge!
Click to expand...

this would be a good setup for a start (may not be practical for work depending on how long you get for a coffee break though)

main benefit would be the choice of beans available, Tassimo and Nespresso should both produce drinks that you would be more then happy with (Nespresso actually have some very nice ones) but with both you are limited with what is available for the machine.

with the quoted setup you have 100's of different bean variaties available... i would also add a porlex hand grinder to the setup for about £30 but that will work as a fine hand grinder should you wish to move to an espresso machine
 
Last edited:
I'm a morning coffee rush addict. I have no other traits like smoking, or betting so I allow myself and don't feel to guilty about it.

It is expensive and I've tried to limit it as a treat once a week but it doesn't work. I won't get cash out to pay for one nor would I pay for one on the card. THis helps as i only buy if i have the cash.

I think you're allowed to spoil yourself. |I have a Nescafe Dolce-Gusto. It's ok but It doesn't taste the same when you make it yourself.

https://www.dolce-gusto.co.uk/EN/Pages/dolcegusto-home.aspx


Costa / Pret for me.
 
Belmit said:
The quickest, cheapest way would be with one of these and one of these. I have a six-cup version of the stove pot and at the weekends have taken to making all six cups, pouring them into a pint mug and just adding a splash of milk. :o

Edit: I say 'quickest'. A machine will of course do it quicker. But, the trade-off on price is pretty huge!
Click to expand...

Well I don't really care for the froth... Not really sure why it's there other than to annoy me and make my coffee harder to get to :P Does it serve some kind of purpose? lol

Would that hand Espresso maker thingy work with just a kettle or does it need to be heated on a stove for some reason? Just want to cover the obvious stuff ;)

If I can just use that to make the espresso shots and then add them to heated milk then that's something I can deal with. It would be good to be able to try whatever beans I choose.
 
Phal said:
Well I don't really care for the froth... Not really sure why it's there other than to annoy me and make my coffee harder to get to :P Does it serve some kind of purpose? lol

Would that hand Espresso maker thingy work with just a kettle or does it need to be heated on a stove for some reason? Just want to cover the obvious stuff ;)

If I can just use that to make the espresso shots and then add them to heated milk then that's something I can deal with. It would be good to be able to try whatever beans I choose.
Click to expand...

You've need to use the mocha pot on a stove. You can get electric ones - just a little more expensive normally.
 
the foam in supposed to be fully incorporated into the milk not sitting on top of the liquid (although that goes back to my previous comments on volumes etc..)

the foam adds texture to the milk making it smoother too drink to have a latte you really need the foam to make the drink better but i know most drinks i have had at starbucks are mainly just warmed milk with a small ammount of foam floating on top.

i will go againt Admirial Huddy as i prefer my own drink far more then any of the highstreet chain coffee shops :) although unlike many 'coffee snobs' i can still enjoy costa lattes (when made by some of the more capable staff members) and although i dont enjoy the espresso based drinks at starbucks i do enjoy their frappachinos on a warm day.
 
Well I guess this is just me dipping my toes in the Coffee world anyway so maybe I can do without the froth to start with. I've got a 3 week holiday coming up so money is being reserved for that at the mo.

Any recommendations for an electric moka pot?
 
If you're interested, then Tassimo are advertising on Facebook their T40 machine for £30 (and you get £20 voucher for pods once you register it). Seach on Facebook for Tassimo UK, fill in details and they give you a code and a link. Hurry though as it's all over hotdeals UK and I imagine stock won't last long.
 
Iced latte is ridiculously simple to make, unlike the hot version you don't need to froth the milk.

2 shots espresso
Mug of milk
Lots of ice

Done. It's that easy. I do it all the time. If I am being more adventurous, I get the hand blender out and blend the ice, now I have a frap.
 
Belmit said:
The quickest, cheapest way would be with one of these and one of these. I have a six-cup version of the stove pot and at the weekends have taken to making all six cups, pouring them into a pint mug and just adding a splash of milk. :o

Edit: I say 'quickest'. A machine will of course do it quicker. But, the trade-off on price is pretty huge!
Click to expand...

Aeropress is quicker and easier.

I get my beans from Hasbean generally, grind with a Porlex ceramic hand grinder and use an Aeropress to make double espressos. I then use an Aeroccino to heat and froth the milk. I don't drink enough coffee at home (maybe 5 a week) to warrant any further expense.
 
Bialetti moka express gets my vote.

I bung 1/2 mug of milk in the microwave for just over a minute (or heat it up in a pan if I have time), once warm I use one of those hand held frothers for the milk and add the equivalent of a double shot from the moka express.

I'm fussy with my coffee and this is perfect for me of a morning. I'm sure there are hundreds of better ways to make a nicer mug of coffee but this takes 2 mintues to setup, 3 minutes to heat up and a few minutes to drink... I don't have time to grind beans, faff about with complicated equipment and wait. Plus I don't want to spend masses of money on equipment at the moment when this £20 pot does a grand job IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom