How to make a latte at home

To say I love coffee is an understatement. I don’t drink it because I need to, I drink it because I truly enjoy it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day to make myself a cup and sit and enjoy it. Since becoming a mom to my sweet little guy Otis, it’s been fun to turn our home into our own personal coffee shop. We spend so much time at home and I love being able to enjoy a fancy little latte. Also Otis loves making it with me as well. It brightens my day and lately it’s so funny my friends will come over and request a latte from #CafeLapides . This just warms my heart. Since I get so many questions about our machine and tools I wanted to create a blog post so I can share all those details with you. Hope my love of coffee rubs off on you all!

AT HOME COFFEE EQUIPMENT

COFFEE MACHINE + PODS

Nespresso Coffee/Espresso Machine: I have the Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe Coffee Maker + Espresso Machine. I have previously owned this original machine but once I got the VertuoPlus Deluxe machine I put the other one in my garage. The best thing about the Vertuo is that it makes both large coffees and espressos. Before I had two machines for coffee and espresso and now this one is amazing because it makes both. You can buy all the different pods and now I save valuable counter space in our kitchen.

My Favorite Nespresso Coffee pods: I buy my pods both online on amazon or from their website and in-store since I happen to live close to a store. One of the things I love about the pods are that they are recyclable. So I either save them and mail them in with the free pre-labeled bags or I bring them into the store to be recycled. If you do live near a store, I highly suggest going in if you want to try out new flavors before buying a whole sleeve of them. I recently did this with the pumpkin flavor because I wanted to be sure I liked it before I bought them. Below are my hands down fav flavors.

Best Large Coffees:

Cafe De Cuba: By far my fav flavor of all time. It’s bold and delicious and incredible.

Melozio: My go to everyday large coffee.

Elvazio: Another great large coffee flavor that’s lighter in strength.

Decaffeinato: For when I am staying away from caffeine.

Best Espresso:

Double Espresso Chiaro: I use this one for making lattes this is one of my current go to pods for making lattes at home.

Best Specialty:

Bianco Leggero: This one is great for making lattes also and is specifically formulated for milk drinks.

MILK FROTHER + FLAVOR SYRUPS

Milk Frother: I currently use and love the Barista Recipe Maker. It’s a pretty steep price tag for a milk frother but damn is this thing cool. What I love about it is that the jug is super easy to clean which is a game changer since you don’t want it to get a funky milk smell. Another great feature is that it has a bunch of milk recipes saved into it and I use an app to add or delete recipes from it’s favorites. It’s nice because I can just push a button and get the right kind of milk froth I need for a coffee recipe. I use the latte art and cappuccino recipes the most but also during the summer I used the iced frappe for my iced coffees. I have been obsessed with it and for someone that is super into making luxe coffee at home I think it’s worth the splurge because you get so many different kinds of milk frother at the touch of a button. That all being said, I also have this older version milk frother and it’s an older model but it also works pretty amazing. This has only a few milk settings but it’s pretty simple and creates some amazing frothed milk. These are the only two machines I have tried and loved. I know there are alot of machines out there but these two I have both used and loved. 

Some tips I learned along the way is that you really need fresh milk in order for it to froth properly. A good tip is to use whole milk because it always froths the best. I usually buy the Horizon Organic whole milk or the Trader Joe’s organic whole milk and they both froth for me pretty well. I will do a froth test soon with some milk alternatives and add in what I learn to this post at a later time.

Flavor Syrups: One thing that really makes my at home lattes extra special is my flavored syrups. I have a few on rotation from Monin. Lavender, Vanilla and Caramel. If you want to use them daily I highly suggest you get these pumps to make your life a little easier. No need to measure or worry about spilling. I just use 1-2 pumps in a latte. I also love this chocolate sauce to make mochas or drizzle on top of my lattes. I finally got the big size with the pump and it’s been epic since I love having a mocha. This carmel sauce makes an equally tasty drizzle on top of lattes as well. 

Since putting together my setup with my flavor syrups, I have to say at home lattes are JUST as good as heading out for one. Yes of course I still love to go out for a coffee and have the experience of being in a different place with new views but at home lattes have never been so good. I have started doing some fun little latte art designs at home and always tag them on instagram with #cafelapides. Find all my latest creations here and please tag me if I inspire your daily latte at home. Would love to cheers you!