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Summer is here, the weather is hot and it's easy to feel tired. Some friends want a cup of coffee to perk up, but Americano is too bitter to drink. Today Front Street will teach you how to make a sweet and smooth iced latte.

How do you make an iced latte?

First, the composition of an iced latte: espresso + milk + ice. Once you know what it's made of, you can then complete the parts it requires step by step. First, pour ice cubes and milk into the cup, then make the espresso.

The coffee machine used at Front Street has a double-shot basket capacity, requiring 20 grams of coffee grounds each time, with an extraction ratio of 1:2, meaning 40 grams of coffee liquid is produced within a reasonable time. The extraction time is related to the flow rate of the coffee grounds; generally, a single extraction is controlled between 20 and 35 seconds. If it's less than 20 seconds, the coffee taste tends to be thin and bland, while exceeding 35 seconds tends to over-extract, causing a burnt bitter taste in the coffee. Therefore, when producing, Front Street controls the espresso time within the range of 26 to 32 seconds.

Before extraction, we need to first wipe the basket dry, turn on the grinder, grind a double shot of coffee grounds, and place it on an electronic scale to measure and adjust until it reaches exactly 20 grams. Then use a distribution tool to level the coffee grounds, and use a tamper to press down vertically with force, tamping the coffee puck firmly to ensure more stable extraction.

Then turn on the extraction switch to release water for 1 to 2 seconds to wet the group head, which can also wash away the coffee grounds stuck on it. Place an electronic scale under the cup for catching the espresso, and tare it to 0. During extraction, place it together under the group head, then gently lock the portafilter onto the group head, and start pulling down the extraction switch. When the electronic scale shows that 40g of coffee liquid has been extracted, stop the extraction. Finally, lightly pour it over the ice cubes and milk.

So are there any tips to make it taste better? Yes, there are.

First: Choose suitable coffee beans to make the espresso

The flavor of coffee beans can very intuitively control the taste direction of an iced latte. Most espresso blend coffee beans will make the iced latte exhibit rich nutty, chocolate, and baked bread aromas. Front Street Classic Espresso and Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee are recommended. The rich and dense crema not only improves the body of the iced latte but also highlights the sweetness of the milk in the iced latte.

The flavor of coffee beans can very intuitively control the taste direction of an iced latte. Dark-roasted espresso blend coffee beans will make the iced latte exhibit rich nutty, chocolate, caramel, and a strong coffee flavor profile, while medium-roasted coffee beans will give the iced latte a softer mouthfeel.

Second: A reasonable milk-to-coffee ratio

After choosing good coffee beans, it's time to choose good milk. To make a delicious iced latte, Front Street believes it's best to use fresh milk with a higher protein content! Then, let the milk and coffee liquid fall within a reasonable ratio range.

The iced latte at Front Street uses Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee beans, with Bright Fresh Pasture milk as the ingredient. The ratio is 40g of espresso, 150ml of fresh milk, and 75g of ice cubes. This ratio is for everyone's reference, not the golden ratio for latte. Front Street obtained these parameters through multiple adjustments using the above materials, mainly based on real tasting feedback.

Third point: Operational details

Just as the operation of an iced latte —【add ice, pour milk, pour coffee】— is simple and clear, there are actually still some small details to note. The most important one is the extraction of the espresso. Whether a latte tastes good or not depends on whether the espresso extraction meets the standard. Common espresso extraction problems like channeling and incorrect extraction time will naturally affect the taste of the iced latte. The process of making an iced latte should also be quick. "Quick" here means that the time the ice and milk spend in the cup should be as short as possible, and the extracted espresso should be poured into the cup immediately.

By mastering these details, Front Street believes you can easily make a delicious iced latte at home.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.