The Perfect Cappuccino Recipe

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The name cappuccino presumably stems from the order of Capuchin monks. The precise reference is either to the hoods worn by the monks (Italian: cappuccio) whose shape resembles the bonnet of milk foam in a cappuccino or the brown colour of the hoods which matches the ideal brown colour of the beverage.

Ingredients

Coffee beans - a good Italian espresso roast is recommended.
Milk of your choosing. This can be semi-skimmed, whole or skimmed, or a dairy free alternative. Our favourite alternatives are oat milk and almond milk for a lovely creamy, nutty cappuccino.
Try a flourish of chocolate or cacao powder! (To garnish)

Best If Prepared With

Espresso Cups

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Espresso Glasses

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Method

Step 1
Start with the perfect espresso, which takes around 20 to 30 seconds to extract, and uses around 7 to 8 grams of coffee beans for a single espresso.

Step 2
If using a manual espresso machine, tamp the beans beforehand. Fully automatic coffee machines will tamp the grinds for you.

Step 3
Heat your milk with the traditional steam wand, ensuring you have set the LatteCrema system to the Cappuccino setting, or if using a fully automatic coffee machine, simply press the button for a cappuccino. If your milk frothing wand has no settings, you are looking for a good amount of froth, so keep the wand near the top of the milk to get lots of air into it, and then sink the wand further into the milk to heat it. The perfect balance is one third espresso, one third steamed milk, and one third frothed milk.

Step 4
Top with a dusting of chocolate or cacao using a cocoa shaker. Using a stencil can give you some fun results!

Top Tips:

Keep trying new coffee bean roasts, even if you have a "go to" brand you love. You never know what you might discover!
Try new milks too. Almond milks give a lovely nutty finish, while oat milk is smooth and silky. Take care not to overheat your milk when using thicker dairy based milks such as Jersey full cream (gold top) as the milk can over thicken and turn to cream.
Beans go off very quickly, and this will affect the taste of your espresso. Keep them stored in an air-tight or vacuum coffee container if you are not going to use them within three weeks. Keep your unused beans away from heat, light and moisture. We do not recommend freezing your beans, as they can easily get exposed to moisture and other foods in a freezer, which again will affect the taste. If you find you are not using them quickly enough, try buying them in smaller lots.
If you are using a coffee machine, keep it maintained and descale it regularly. Your machine will last much longer and give you many more years of trouble free service as a result.
Your espresso contains mostly water. If your water is of poor quality, and you are using a compatible coffee machine - a water filter can help improve the taste of your coffee.
Always remember to clean your milk carafe or milk frother after every session. A quick shot of steam helps, followed by a wipe with a clean cloth. Milk solids, when left in the steamer, can cause blockages and damage your machine, or cause the milk frother to malfunction. If your milk carafe is not functioning as it used to, there may be milk deposits in the system. We recommend the milk cleaner to restore your LatteCrema system back to its former glory, and regular use with prevent any problems in the future.