What Can Be Added to Caramel Macchiato? How to Order a Delicious Starbucks Caramel Macchiato?

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Freshly extracted espresso, blended with caramel sauce. Add hot milk, and you have a heartwarming caramel macchiato. Since getting this espresso machine—the Huijia KD-270S—during last year's Double 11 shopping festival, I've opened the door to various fancy coffee drinks. Caramel macchiato is also one of my favorite flavors. For some time, I've often been asked: FrontStreet Coffee, which coffee machine do you use? Today, through a fancy coffee drink, I'll specially introduce the machine I'm currently using.

Ingredients

150g milk

Approximately 15-17g coffee beans

35g caramel sauce

1 small spoon of caramel sauce for decoration

Caramel Macchiato - Huijia Coffee Machine Method

This machine is the Huijia KD270-S, and I chose the white model at the time. With an average coffee drinking frequency of 1-2 cups per day, this machine is very suitable for home use. On the left is the steam wand, in the middle is the brew head, and on the right is the hot water wand. The button on the left side of the machine, shaped like an ear, is the steam wand control handle, while the right ear controls the hot water wand, which can dispense hot water separately. In the upper left corner, there's a temperature display for milk and a pressure display for brewing coffee. Behind the right hot water wand, there's a water level window. The top row contains the control panel for the brew head, which can automatically control single or double-shot espresso extraction, or can be manually controlled. At the bottom is the drip tray.

Start the coffee machine and place the cup upside down on the machine to preheat it.

First, prepare the ingredients. The caramel sauce can be store-bought or homemade.

The portafilter has a separate removable filter at the top. Before extracting coffee, fill it with coffee grounds.

Before using the portafilter, select single shot to rinse it once, which also serves as preheating. Then remove the portafilter and wipe the residual moisture from the filter with kitchen paper.

Heat the caramel sauce in a water bath and pour it into the coffee cup.

Fill the portafilter filter with ground coffee.

After filling with coffee grounds, use your index finger to scrape the coffee grounds flat from top to bottom, then bottom to top, left to right, then right to left. Excess coffee grounds can be scraped off directly.

Use a tamper to press the coffee grounds vertically downward. The picture is a demonstration since I'm taking photos alone, so the bottom coffee brew head isn't level. Normally, one hand holds the portafilter handle while the other hand holds the tamper, pressing perpendicular to the horizontal line. The pressing force needs to be adjusted according to the type of coffee grounds you choose. Proper tamping ensures correct espresso extraction later.

Install the portafilter onto the coffee machine's brew head and select single shot for extraction. The color at the beginning of extraction will be dark brown, then gradually turn to reddish-brown.

At the end of extraction, the coffee liquid will turn to a light brown. Generally, the extraction process takes 25-35 seconds. If the extraction time is too short, it might be due to insufficient coffee grounds or grounds that are too coarse, resulting in less crema and a lighter color. If there's too much coffee grounds or they're too fine, the extraction time will be longer, and the final coffee color will be darker and more bitter.

The extracted coffee can be judged for perfect extraction by its crema layer. Perfect espresso will have a relatively thick layer of golden crema—thick, rich-tasting, neither bitter nor astringent. If the crema appears watery and disperses easily, with a bland and sour taste, the extraction is imperfect.

Before frothing milk, release some residual water vapor from the steam wand.

Both the frothing pitcher and milk should be in a refrigerated state for frothing. At the beginning of frothing, position the steam wand at the milk surface to ensure air enters, allowing the milk volume to increase by 1.3-1.5 times during the foaming process. Today we're making a caramel macchiato, so we want thicker foam that can float over a large area of the coffee surface, so we can appropriately extend the foaming process to make the foam thicker. When the milk reaches about 38 degrees Celsius, ensure foaming is complete, then submerge the steam wand into the milk to create a vortex for the texturing process—this causes large bubbles to disappear as the milk rotates, leaving only dense small bubbles. This is similar to whipping whole eggs for a sponge cake.

Pour the milk foam into the coffee, finally letting the foam float on the coffee surface, and decorate with caramel sauce.

Tips

1. The coffee bean weight is approximate. Generally, 15-17g can extract one shot. Experienced baristas can rely on experience without weighing, while beginners should use weight measurements. Adjustments should be made according to bean type and roast degree. If extraction takes too long, it means there are too many beans; if extraction is too fast, it means there are too few beans.

2. The milk foam can be made slightly thicker.

END

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