Latte Coffee Brewing Ratios: Espresso Milk Coffee Hot Latte Iced Latte Espresso to Milk Ratio

Latte — a seemingly simple milk coffee — has become the benchmark by which many judge whether a coffee shop is any good, based on how well it's made. FrontStreet Coffee's latte always leaves a lasting impression with its rich whiskey aroma and smooth, vanilla-cream texture. A great milk coffee can make someone remember a cafe, so knowing how to make one well is the key. This time, FrontStreet Coffee explains how to make a delicious latte.

What Is Latte Coffee?

The "latte" in latte coffee is a phonetic borrowing of the Italian word "latte," which simply means "milk" — so latte coffee is literally "milk coffee." The milk-to-coffee ratio, bean selection, and extraction parameters vary slightly from shop to shop, but broadly speaking, a latte is made by mixing a large amount of milk with espresso. Because of the high milk content, the milk flavor dominates over the coffee flavor, and the thin layer of microfoam gives the latte its delicate, silky texture.

How to Make Hot Latte Coffee?

First, the Espresso Extraction

Pulling espresso is one of the fundamental core skills of most baristas. To make a qualified latte, you must first extract qualified espresso — a normal flow rate, flawless flavor, no off-tastes.

FrontStreet Coffee currently uses a blend of medium-dark roasted sherry barrel-processed beans and medium-dark roasted natural-processed Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Project beans for espresso. Six parts Honduran sherry barrel beans provide flavor and body, while four parts natural Yirgacheffe contribute more aroma and acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee's Espresso Extraction Parameters:

Pressure: 9 bar ± 2
Temperature: 90.5~96°C
Time: 20~30 sec
Dose: 15g (single shot) 20g (double shot)
Yield: 30ml (single); 40ml (double)

Next, Milk Steaming

Steaming milk is the other fundamental core skill of every barista — the ability to steam perfect milk is one of the measures of whether a barista is qualified.

A latte's milk foam is relatively thin, which is what makes it smooth and delicate to drink. So when steaming milk for a latte, the foam must not be too thick. The finished milk should have a glossy surface with no obvious coarse or fine bubbles — delicate and beautiful overall.

Good milk foam starts with finding the right depth for the steam wand in the milk. Too deep won't do: the steam can't contact air, so it merely churns through the milk without producing delicate foam. Too shallow isn't good either — the milk may splatter when you open the steam valve, or the steam may hit too hard and create excessive foam. FrontStreet Coffee suggests starting with the steam wand about 1cm into the milk. If the machine's steam is too strong, creating excessive vortex or turbulence, go deeper (say 1.5cm); if the steam is too weak, go shallower (0.5cm or less). That way the milk quickly forms a small vortex without spinning too violently or tumbling.

Hot Latte Coffee Parameters

Milk: Whole fresh milk
Milk steaming temperature: 50°C
Foam thickness: 1 centimeter
Milk to coffee ratio: 20ml espresso (single shot) with 180ml hot milk

Cup Details for Hot Latte

Cup capacity: 200 milliliters
Material: Ceramic

Finally, the Integration and Presentation

Once the espresso is extracted and the milk steamed, you integrate the two to complete the latte. Integration is a crucial part of making a latte: done well, the drink goes down smooth and pleasant with no harsh sensations. Only after good integration do we move on to what we commonly call latte art.

How to Make Iced Latte Coffee?

Iced Latte Coffee Parameters

Espresso: 40ml (double shot)
Milk: Whole fresh milk
Milk to coffee ratio: 40ml espresso (double shot) with 320ml ice and milk mixture

Prepare 320ml of ice and milk mixture, extract two shots of espresso, pour them in, and stir well.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For espresso machines and moka pots. Both devices pursue the same goal — a concentrated coffee base; add water and it becomes an Americano, add milk and it becomes a latte, so bean selection follows the same logic. Most espresso blends are roasted medium-dark, so the latte shows rich nut and chocolate notes with a pronounced coffee backbone. FrontStreet Specialty Blend and FrontStreet Dark Cocoa Blend are ideal milk partners: with Brazilian coffee leading the formula, the latte unfolds layered nut flavors — almond, marcona, walnut — silky and lingering. If you want abundant crema, choose FrontStreet Classic Blend or FrontStreet Commercial Blend: their touch of Robusta not only adds more golden foam but instantly amplifies body and caramel aroma.

For pour-over with milk. Pour-over extracts at lower concentration than espresso and is usually drunk on its own, so for a cup that doesn't get lost under milk, pick a medium-dark roasted single origin — darker roasts intensify the coffee's voice, and a splash of milk softens the cup while letting the milky notes show. If you're unsure of the roast level, look for flavor notes like chocolate, nuts, cream, and cocoa: FrontStreet Brazil Fazenda Rainha (Queen Estate), FrontStreet Indonesia Mandheling, FrontStreet Bird of Paradise, and FrontStreet Colombia Huila all fit the bill.

For cold brew with milk. Rich iced coffees take milk beautifully too — cold brew, summer's favorite, especially so. Coffee steeped cold releases the small-molecule flavor compounds that read as sweet and tart first, so fruity or winey medium roasts work better than caramel-toned beans: try passion-fruit FrontStreet Colombia Pink Bourbon, rose-scented FrontStreet Strawberry Sugar Geisha Blend, or raisin-sweet FrontStreet Mozart. A little milk in these cold brews rounds out a harmonious, easy-to-read flavor — perfect for making at home.