How to make a perfect latte at home (with an espresso machine)?

Is a latte also your favorite coffee? Then you're probably very curious about how to make a latte perfectly, just at home with your own espresso machine. This instruction is therefore aimed at making the perfect latte using an espresso machine.

First of all, we have a doubt to clear up about a latte. Because can you no longer see the wood for the trees with all those different coffee names? That may be right, because you have, among other things, a latte and a latte macchiato. You can both prepare a latte and a latte macchiato perfectly at home with an espresso machine, but there is indeed a difference.

Both types of latte have the same ingredients, namely milk and coffee. Duh! The difference is mainly in the taste experience and the preparation method. For example, a latte with an espresso machine is made by adding the milk to the coffee for a homogeneous taste.

But with a latte macchiato, the coffee is added to the milk, which gives you the well-known layers! This way you experience the flavors more separately from each other. What is your favorite coffee at home from your espresso machine?

Read also: All coffee types in one overview.

What do you need to get started?

First of all, it is of course important to focus on a good espresso shot, nice and fresh from your espresso machine. You can of course make the most delicious espresso with a (semi-automatic) espresso machine, read the step-by-step plan here again on how to do it, but if you don't have an espresso machine at home but a latte is your favorite coffee, you can of course also do it with a fully automatic espresso machine or a Nespresso machine.

If a latte is really your favorite coffee, you obviously also need good milk. Tastes differ, but we love fresh fat milk. Not skimmed or semi-skimmed, Jersey milk, for example, is wonderfully creamy, but for the perfect latte at home you can of course choose your own favorite milk! If you don't know it all, shelf-stable whole milk will of course also suffice.

As a final step, you will of course also need a tool at home to froth your milk, such as the steam pipe of your espresso machine if you really want to do it perfectly! But maybe you have another creative solution for frothing your milk for your latte!

Preparing the latte

As mentioned, the coffee, or the perfect espresso from your home espresso machine, is the most important part. If you are new to the world of coffee and you have recently purchased a new home espresso machine, I would advise you to focus first on getting the hang of getting your fresh shots from your espresso machine perfect with a nice fresh coffee bean . . Here you can possibly read a step-by-step plan to achieve this at home.

Once you've mastered the previous part, you can focus on frothing your milk the perfect way for a latte. If you have chosen the right milk and you want to froth it with your espresso machine, it is best to have it cooled beforehand. When the milk is cold, you can froth in a more controlled way for a perfect result, this has to do with the temperature difference, which slows down the process.

The milk for a latte is mainly heated to a maximum of 70 degrees and steamed, with a minimal amount of foam on top. So that will be some practice with your own espresso machine at home to see how you can achieve that. Some Sage espresso machines can mimic this perfectly through a setting: more or less foam. But if you manually use a semi-automatic espresso machine, it is best to lower your steam tip a little deeper into the milk for less foam creation, this will taste perfect in your latte!

Making latte with an espresso machine

Now that you've practiced preparing the perfect espresso shot from your espresso machine at home and perfectly frothing the milk of your choice for your favorite coffee creation, it's time to move on to putting these steps together.

The ratio commonly used is about 1/3 coffee and 2/3 milk. I always recommend making a double espresso with your espresso machine, but to use it in one (preheated) cup or glass (about 200 ml size). Then the latte will be a bit fuller in taste, because you use relatively little foam, it will soon be a bit more watery. But if a latte is your coffee of choice, you may have your own perfect ratio preference. Go for this preference in this case :-).

Depending on your milk jug, fill it with the required amount of milk and froth it perfectly for a latte. So little foam, lots of steamed milk. Then it's time to pour the milk on top of the espresso. You can do this fairly quickly so that the flavors of the latte mix well. If you prefer a little more foam and have prepared with your espresso machine, you may want to throw in a latte art as well. But watch out; these are the most common beginner mistakes made while making latte art.

Always serve a latte with a spoon, so you can stir your perfect latte at home before tasting!

Conclusion

In this blog I explained how to prepare a perfect latte, also known as caffè latte, at home in your own espresso machine. If this is your favorite coffee, I would really recommend that you follow this step-by-step plan, so that you can also drink the perfect latte at home. Let me briefly summarize the above steps:

First of all, it is important to know the difference between the different types of coffee; a latte or a latte macchiato in this case. So you can be sure that you are indeed preparing your favorite coffee. A latte is more mixed with steamed milk and has a more homogeneous taste, a latte macchiato has more foam and the well-known layers!

If you are going to prepare, I would focus on being able to make a perfect shot with your espresso machine and the perfect frothing of your favorite milk for your latte. A latte traditionally has little foam and more steamed milk.

If you master the steps you can start with a double espresso shot in a nice preheated cup of about 200 ml. Then pour the perfectly frothed milk directly from the espresso machine onto the brewed espresso. If you prefer a little more foam, you can make a nice latte art, but of course you don't have to. Serve with a spoon and enjoy your favorite coffee at home!