We love coffee

My husband and I absolutely love coffee. We’ve probably owned every machine you could make coffee in, from French press to drip to cold brew. When he bought me the espresso machine for my birthday a few years ago, he was hesitant because they’re pretty intimidating. I was excited to use it though and honestly it wasn’t that hard to grasp. We have our morning latte recipe down in under 5 minutes!

What’s a latte?

There’s a lot of different types of espresso drinks out there; latte, flat white, cappuccino, etc. The ratio of espresso to milk is what differentiates the drinks from one another. A flat white is espresso with strictly steamed milk, making it creamier and smoother. So what is a latte? Lattes are one or two shots of espresso with steamed milk and a thin layer of foam on top. Cappuccino’s have even more milk. They consist of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam with a ratio of 1:1:1.

The long and short of it is, less milk = flat white, more milk = latte, the most milk = cappuccino.

Our espresso machine

Espresso machines can get high in price. Since we weren’t experts in espresso, he opted to go with a middle of the line machine. He bought a Calphalon and I love it! You can make one or two shots of espresso and it has a steamer to froth milk. 

Whenever espresso comes up in conversation people are ALWAYS surprised that we make a latte every morning. But truly, once you make the move, there’s no going back. I wouldn’t steer you wrong! 

Espresso 101

Here’s a breakdown of the espresso machine parts:

Portafilter – the big handle sticking out of the machine. It holds the coffee/espresso

Tamper – a device used to compact the grounds into the portafilter 

Filter/puck screen – it sits on top of the ground beans, improves the flavor and evenly distributes the water flowing through it. 

I didn’t realize that an espresso is essentially the specific way coffee is poured. You can use regular coffee grounds if you don’t enjoy the flavor of espresso or run out! 

Latte Recipe

Ingredients:

2 shots espresso

1/4 cup Trader Joe’s oat beverage (milk) – it’s low carb, no sugar, and delicious 

1 tbsp Trader Joe’s oat cinnamon bun creamer (to be honest I measure with my heart) it’s that good 

Instructions:

• Grind the beans into the portafilter
• Use the tamper to compact the grounds 
• Place the filter on top
• Attach the portafilter to the machine
• Set to pour for two shots 
• Pour milk and creamer into the milk pitcher
• Steam the milk with the steamer nozzle for about 30 seconds
  • The key to steaming milk in a latte is the angle of the nozzle
  • To make it frothy, keep the nozzle on the top of the milk, slowly raising it as the milk gets higher
  • After 30 seconds, submerge the nozzle to heat the milk and attain the creamy consistency
• Pour the steamed milk on top! 

I recently started putting collagen into my lattes. I was afraid it would affect the flavor because the scoops are pretty big but I don’t notice it at all and my hair is definitely feeling the benefits. Try it in yours!