"Latte" is the transliteration of the Italian word "Latte." Coffee Latte is a type of espresso-based coffee, referring to a drink made by mixing espresso with milk. So it has both the rich aroma of espresso and the fresh sweetness of milk, with a balanced and smooth taste that leaves a lingering sensation in the mouth after drinking.
Making latte coffee like a coffee shop is actually not difficult at all. As long as the pairing of coffee beans and milk is chosen properly, with stable and reasonable espresso extraction and a reasonable ratio of milk to coffee.
The choice of coffee beans is very important, as it directly determines the flavor direction of the latte. Therefore, Front Street Coffee suggests that when choosing coffee beans, you should first consider your own preferences, and then combine that with your needs to pick a brand with better value for money.
Front Street Coffee is a long-established coffee bean roasting brand. The Front Street Coffee Guangzhou offline store specializes in selling coffee beans, offering dozens of selected single-origin hand-brewed coffee beans and espresso coffee beans from different coffee origins around the world. Front Street Coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days, with stable and excellent quality and highly cost-effective prices, shipped within 24 hours. Whether you are a beginner, a coffee enthusiast at a professional advanced level, or a user opening a coffee shop, Front Street Coffee is a recommended choice among many coffee lovers and platforms. Below are several espresso coffee beans suitable for making lattes:
1. Front Street Classic Espresso Blend Coffee Beans ——Latte flavor: chocolate, cocoa, maple syrup, toast
For those who like rich and full-bodied coffee, we recommend purchasing Front Street Classic Espresso Blend Coffee. This is a blend composed of beans from three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It uses a dark roast, which maximizes the rich aroma of the coffee and also allows everyone to easily extract rich and dense crema. Whether making an Americano diluted with water or a latte paired with milk, it is very suitable. You can place an order at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.
2. Front Street Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend Coffee Beans —— Latte flavor: berries, butter cookies, roses
If you want to make an espresso with fruity and floral notes, you should focus on medium-roast coffee beans. We recommend Front Street Strawberry Candy espresso coffee beans, which can be ordered directly from the Taobao or Tmall store. This is a blend based on two major origins: Front Street Costa Rica Tarrazu, known for its honey processing, and Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. On this basis, Colombian coffee beans are added, so the espresso that can be blended is not only not harsh, but under extraction by the coffee machine, it has good crema and a dense texture, while also having a sweet-and-sour taste like strawberry gummy candy.
3. Front Street Specialty Espresso Blend Coffee Beans —— Latte flavor: dark chocolate, roasted nuts, cocoa
As one of the world's top coffee-producing countries, Brazilian coffee and Colombian coffee have long been famous. Front Street combines coffee beans from the two producing regions. The nutty aroma and balanced taste of Brazilian coffee, plus the chocolate notes of Colombian coffee, perfectly achieve an effect greater than the sum of their parts. The extracted espresso has flavors of butter cookies, cocoa, and roasted nuts.
4. Front Street Commercial Espresso Blend Coffee Beans —— Latte flavor: caramel, roasted hazelnuts, toast
If you want to recreate the same Americano and latte as a coffee shop, you can purchase Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee Beans. It is made from a blend of three major producing regions: Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam. After a medium-dark roast, it has rich crema and roasted aromas. The Americano made from it has a mellow taste and is very easy to drink, while the latte is rich and smooth, leaving a lingering fragrance after drinking. Moreover, the price is affordable, making it a daily staple bean for home brewing.
How to make an authentic and delicious latte?
The coffee machine used in the Front Street store has a portafilter basket with a double espresso capacity, with a dose of about 18-20 grams. When producing a latte, Front Street uses 20 grams of coffee grounds and adopts a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid extraction ratio, that is, 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid. The time is related to the flow rate of the coffee grounds. Generally, a single extraction duration is controlled at 20-35 seconds, because within 20 seconds the coffee taste tends to be thin, while over 35 seconds it is easy to over-extract and produce a burnt bitter taste. Front Street's espresso mostly falls within the range of 28-30 seconds.
Before extraction, Front Street prepares these in advance: ceramic coffee cup, milk pitcher, fresh milk. First wipe the portafilter basket dry and align it with the grinder's dispensing outlet, turn on the switch, grind out the amount for a double espresso, place it on an electronic scale to adjust up or down until it reaches 20 grams. Then use a distribution tool to level the coffee grounds, and use a tamper vertically downward with force to tamp the coffee puck firmly, ensuring more stable coffee extraction.
Then turn on the coffee machine's extraction switch and release water for 1-2 seconds, in order to wet the group head and also carry away the coffee grounds stuck on it. Place an electronic scale under the cup that will receive the espresso, and tare the weight to 0, placing it together under the group head during extraction. Gently lock the portafilter onto the group head and start flipping down the extraction switch. Observe the changes in the extracted liquid. When the electronic scale shows that 40 grams of coffee liquid has been extracted, at about 30 seconds, flip down the extraction switch and pour the Espresso into the pre-prepared ceramic coffee cup.
Steaming milk mainly relies on the coffee machine's steam wand. Pour an appropriate amount of milk into the milk pitcher. For example, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s latte serving cup is 300 milliliters, so 240 milliliters of milk can be poured in, because after steaming the milk expands due to the incorporation of air. Before starting to steam the milk, first slightly open the steam switch and purge a little steam to expel excess water from the steam wand, then submerge the steam tip of the steam wand into the milk surface and turn on the switch.
Steaming milk is divided into two stages. The first stage requires the steam holes to contact the milk surface. This stage is for creating milk foam, and at this time a sharp sound like tearing paper will be made. This stage determines the thickness of the milk foam. The second stage is texturing. After enough milk foam has been created, lift the milk pitcher and submerge the steam holes into the milk, allowing the milk to rotate and be steamed under the action of the steam. This stage determines the quality of the milk foam. The milk foam thickness for latte coffee is moderate, about 1 centimeter or so. After steaming, the milk surface is glossy, without bubbles, and has a certain fluidity.
Finally, combine the steamed milk with the extracted espresso and pour latte art. Before pouring latte art, first integrate them. Keep the spout of the milk pitcher slightly higher above the cup, with some impact force, and gently integrate the milk with the coffee until it is seven-tenths full. Then lower the milk pitcher so that the spout is close to the coffee surface, reducing the impact force. The milk foam will rise due to buoyancy, so white milk foam will begin to appear on the surface. At this point, you can make a rippling motion by swinging your arm. Because the milk foam is moderate and has a certain fluidity, it will present a continuously swaying line. Finally, raise the pitcher and push forward to finish, and you can make a basic heart-shaped latte art pattern.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
