You just woke up on a cozy Sunday morning. You're craving a freshly brewed hot latte but you don't feel like getting dressed and venturing out to the cafe. You ask yourself WWACLD (what would a coffee lover do?!)
If this scenario sounds all too familiar, we have the solution – make a delicious latte right in your own home. No espresso machine? No problem. These lattes can be made with a standard drip coffee maker.
Our Homemade Latte Recipe
An important first step, before brewing can begin, is to make sure your brewer is clean. A dirty drip coffee machine will affect the taste of your latte and put a damper on your upcoming pleasurable coffee experience. Use our coffee machine cleaning and descaling kit once per month to ensure leftover oily residue and mineral buildup (limescale) are removed from your machine.
For those without access to espresso or an espresso machine, the following procedure works great.
Equipment:
- Drip coffee maker
- Small saucepan
- Milk frother or microwavable jar
- Coffee mug
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 tablespoons of Dark Roast Coffee
Directions:
- Start by preparing the milk. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. Be sure not to let it boil. Allow it to simmer until you see bubbles form on the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and immediately set it aside. Or, even easier, stick it in the microwave for a few minutes.
- To make the milk frothy, whip the steamed milk with an electric hand held milk frother. As the milk begins to thicken, increase the speed. Keep mixing until you get the desired volume of froth. If you don’t have a frother, you can use the jar/microwave method. Pour milk into a jar, fill about halfway with milk and close with lid. Shake for 30-60 seconds until it doubles in volume. Microwave for about 30 seconds, foam will rise to the top.
- Brew 2 tablespoons of dark roast coffee for each 5 or 6 ounces of water.
- When your coffee is done brewing, it’s time to make the latte magic happen. Pour the strongly brewed coffee into a cup, leaving room at the top and add the cup of steamed milk that you made.
- If you’re feeling motivated and want to go outside for a walk, grab an insulated mug and enjoy your delicious homemade latte on the go.
For More Adventurous Coffee Flavor Seekers
If you want to spice up your latte, give these ideas a try:
- Flavored syrups can give your latte a bolder flavor. Coffee pro tip: if you are going to use flavored syrup, you should heat it up in the microwave before adding it to your latte. This is especially true if it was in the refrigerator. These can be found in the coffee aisle at your supermarket in flavors such as vanilla, hazelnut, and caramel.
- Whipped cream can add some sweetness to your coffee.
- You can top off your latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon or cocoa. Sprinkling adds flavor to the latte and it makes your drink look pretty enough for a quick Instagram picture.
In addition to going to your favorite corner cafe, knowing how to make delicious hot lattes right in your own home will open up your coffee experiences to new possibilities. If you do try this recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below.
