CoffeeForums Coffee Facts

Q: I have recently bought a machine for home, and I have followed the instructions, but I need someone else's advice. I need some pointers and a good ratio of coffee and milk, and anything else that I could use that you might know of. Thanks!

A: Practice by just working with the milk first, so that you don't have to worry about timing your shot(s). I usually use about a third of the drink's final volume in milk to begin with. Make sure you steam your milk gently. Do your initial aeration but then, after that, you should have the milk wands lightly kissing the milk. You should barely hear the foaming noise. You should be able to free pour the perfect foam right into your Cappuccino, but if not, don't worry! Just err on the 'wet' or heavy side, and scoop the rest of your foam. Practice makes perfect. To make Cappuccino, you start with 1 or 2 (or more if you prefer) shots of Espresso and you steam milk to be half foam, half milk, and immediately pour it on the Espresso. Timing is important with this drink. Remember that you do not want to let the shots sit more then about 10 seconds after you pull them, but you don't want the milk to sit after steaming or it will separate, so it might take a bit of practice to figure out how to finish them at about the same time.