Latte Coffee Ratio: Espresso to Milk Ratio & Glass or Ceramic for Latte Cups?

Latte Coffee: Proportions and Cup Selection

Latte coffee has always been beloved by the public, and different coffee shops serve lattes in various cup sizes. So what size cup is most suitable for serving latte? This time, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss latte coffee proportions and which coffee cup capacity is most appropriate.

The Meaning of Latte

The "latte" in latte coffee is phonetically translated from the Italian "latte," meaning "milk." Literally translated, latte coffee can be understood as "milk coffee." Every coffee shop has subtle differences in the ratio of milk to coffee, bean selection, extraction parameters, and more. However, typically, latte coffee is a coffee beverage made with a large amount of milk mixed with espresso. Due to the high milk content, the milk flavor is more pronounced than the coffee flavor, and a small amount of milk foam gives latte coffee a delicate, smooth texture. FrontStreet Coffee recommends a proportion of 1:9 for making latte coffee (1ml espresso: 9ml milk).

FrontStreet Coffee's Espresso Blend

FrontStreet Coffee currently uses espresso made from a blend of medium-dark roasted sherry barrel-processed coffee beans and medium-dark roasted natural-processed Yirgachefe Red Cherry Project coffee beans. Sixty percent Honduras sherry barrel coffee beans provide flavor and body to this blend, while forty percent natural Yirgachefe contribute more aroma and acidity.

Espresso Extraction Parameters:

• Pressure: 9 bar ± 2
• Temperature: 90.5~96°C
• Time: 20~30 sec
• Powder-to-water ratio: 1:1.7~1:2
• Dose: 12g (single shot espresso), 20g (double shot espresso)
• Extraction yield: 20ml (single), 40ml (double)

The Importance of Fresh Milk

Whether a latte tastes good depends not only on the quality and flavor of the espresso blend used, but fresh milk is also very important! When fresh milk is heated, the sweet molecules of lactose are better released. When mixed evenly with espresso, the entire latte has a natural sweet milk flavor that doesn't overpower the espresso's character. Instead, the milk background enhances the expression of the espresso's flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee's Milk Frothing Parameters & Tips:

• Milk: Whole fresh milk
• Frothing temperature: 50-60°C
• Foam thickness: 1cm

Latte coffee has relatively thin milk foam, making it smooth and delicate to drink. Therefore, when frothing milk for latte coffee, the foam cannot be too thick. The surface should have a glossy appearance with no obvious large or small bubbles, creating an overall delicate and beautiful texture.

Milk Frothing Techniques:

Rinse before turning on the steam wand: Let the steam wand rinse to expel water from the tip, avoiding overly wet foam (cover with a clean cloth to prevent splattering).

Steam wand insertion: Insert the steam wand into cold milk to allow steam to enter the milk. (Insertion depth: If the tip is inserted too deep, it will only heat without creating foam. Conversely, if inserted too shallow, it will create large bubbles, making latte art difficult. You can tap the pitcher gently on the counter to burst large bubbles.)

Steam wand positioning: The most foolproof steam injection point is to insert the steam wand against the pitcher's spout, with the tip pointing toward the center and slightly offset by 1cm.

Turn on steam: Begin frothing milk (When steam is injected, listen carefully - there should be a sound similar to blowing through a straw into a drink, without the crisp sound of bubbles hitting the metal pitcher. When the temperature reaches 50-60°C, it's time to turn off the steam.)

Cup Selection for Latte Coffee

What capacity and material cups are suitable for single and double shot hot lattes?

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using ceramic cups for hot lattes. Ceramic cups are substantial and provide better insulation, so it's important to pre-warm the cups before making hot lattes.

Based on the 1:9 latte proportion, we can calculate that a single shot latte contains 20ml coffee and 180ml milk, suitable for a 200ml capacity coffee cup; a double shot latte contains 40ml coffee and 360ml milk, suitable for a 400ml capacity coffee cup.

FrontStreet Coffee uses double shot espresso to make lattes because we want the coffee flavor to be more pronounced, so we typically use 350ml capacity coffee cups.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473