How to Make Iced Caffè Latte at Home? What's the Right Ratio of Ice, Milk, and Coffee?

When customers ask how to make iced latte, FrontStreet Coffee answers with this: It's simple, just like "how to put an elephant in a refrigerator" - divided into three steps: add ice, pour milk, pour coffee, and you're done!

Just kidding, actually what this friend wanted to ask should be why, despite using the same coffee beans and referring to the illustrated tutorial provided by FrontStreet Coffee, they still can't make the same iced latte taste as in the shop at home. Since that's the case, FrontStreet Coffee will now share with everyone a set of secret tips for making homemade iced latte!

Stable and Reasonable Espresso Extraction

Many times, the reason we can't make iced latte as fragrant and delicious as in the shop at home is because the coffee machine's pressurization function is not up to par.

Although there isn't much difference in common functions between a commercial-grade machine costing 10,000 yuan (or even 100,000+ yuan) and a home coffee machine costing several thousand yuan, the quality of espresso extracted by equipment priced at 5,000-6,000 yuan versus 1,000-2,000 yuan has visibly noticeable differences. FrontStreet Coffee has a friend who once used a "toy machine" costing just over 1,000 yuan that兼具 grinding and extraction functions with only 3-4 bar pressure as if it were a standard pressurized coffee machine. The resulting espresso was watery even when consumed directly, so making it into a latte would surely be quite bland.

For home coffee machines, the choice of machine determines the difficulty of making your coffee. The lower the extraction performance (unstable), the harder it is for coffee to fully release its flavor compounds. Therefore, to successfully replicate the iced latte sold in shops, you need a qualified pressurized coffee machine (pressure must reach 9 bar), such as the Huikang 310. If you're also pursuing that rich, delicate golden crema of Espresso, FrontStreet Coffee thinks it's necessary to equip yourself with a dedicated espresso grinder, as grinding on the spot and extracting immediately will better achieve the desired results.

Coffee Beans Determine the Flavor Profile of Iced Latte

Whether it's dark roasted blends that look pitch black or medium-light roasted SOEs with acidity, when choosing espresso beans, you should first consider whether the resulting espresso pairs well with milk and whether the flavors will be masked by the milk. As for milk selection, everyone can refer to FrontStreet Coffee's milk review and choose milk products that fit their budget and taste preferences.

For example, the coffee beans used at FrontStreet Coffee's shop are the Sunflower Warm Blend, made from Ethiopian natural-processed red cherries and Honduras sherry barrel-aged beans. The medium roast brings out creamy chocolate and fruity sweetness, and when made into iced latte, it has flavors of liquor, vanilla, cream, and chocolate.

Some friends have reported to FrontStreet Coffee that their extracted espresso has a lot of rough foam, which is caused by the coffee beans being too fresh. This type of espresso often has mediocre flavor when consumed. Based on FrontStreet Coffee's experience, it's best to let the espresso beans you receive rest in a cool place for 7-10 days and consume them within 50 days for optimal flavor.

Find the "Golden Ratio" Between Espresso and Milk Based on Taste

First, the quality of espresso directly affects the flavor of iced latte. For example, when the espresso is over-extracted and has a burnt bitter taste, even adding milk can hardly mask its negative flavors. In fact, getting a reasonably extracted shot isn't difficult. It's simply about finding the right parameters through methods like increasing or decreasing the coffee amount and adjusting the grind size. According to the basic formula used by FrontStreet Coffee: coffee-to-liquid ratio of 1:2, time between 26-30 seconds, and no abnormalities during the extraction process (coffee splattering, unstable flow rate).

Regarding tutorials for making iced latte, FrontStreet Coffee usually doesn't give precise ratio values but rather a general range: coffee:milk = 1:4-1:8. This is because everyone uses different coffee beans, has different extraction parameters, and may use different milk. Even with consistent ratios, the taste of iced latte will still vary, so it can't be generalized.

When using dark roasted espresso beans with mainly dark chocolate and nutty notes, the espresso usually exhibits strong, heavy bitterness. We can add a larger proportion of milk to maintain the coffee's balanced taste, like FrontStreet Coffee's Warm Yang which uses a 1:5 coffee-to-milk ratio. If you find that the 1:5 ratio still produces a taste that's too bitter, continue increasing the milk amount until it suits your taste.

When the beans are light roasted with floral and fruity acidity, the espresso itself tends to be more delicate in flavor, and too much milk will only mask the coffee aroma. You might as well appropriately reduce the milk proportion. For example, when FrontStreet Coffee uses its own roasted Kongjia coffee beans to extract SOE latte, the coffee-to-milk ratio falls at 1:4, creating a drink with an aroma reminiscent of butter biscuits.

While the Ice Isn't Paying Attention, Immediately Extract and Pour the Espresso

As the main component of iced latte, ice has only one purpose: to add a chilled sensation to the coffee. Rather than deliberating how much ice to add, you should first focus on the melting speed of the ice. Once the ice melts, it will dilute the entire milk coffee, not only gradually weakening the coffee flavor but also making the texture increasingly watery.

While it's not paying attention, quickly open the camera, focus~ click~

To avoid this situation, FrontStreet Coffee uses harder old ice for production and tries to shorten the time that ice and milk spend together in the cup. The extracted coffee liquid is gently poured into the cup at the first opportunity, allowing the golden crema to float on top while the dark coffee liquid flows down along the cup wall, creating a dirty effect similar to a Dirty coffee.

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FrontStreet Coffee

No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473