Coffee Latte Art Milk Froth Techniques How to Froth Milk Why Can't Push Through Espresso Bean Variety Recommendations

When walking into a coffee shop, many people will choose an espresso-based specialty coffee, such as latte, cappuccino, Americano, and others. Each coffee has its own unique flavor - for example, the perfect fusion of coffee and milk in a latte, the thick foam of a cappuccino, and the light and delicate nature of a flat white are all very popular. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will share knowledge about making Italian-style coffee with everyone.

Making a fragrant and delicious specialty coffee requires preparing two ingredients: espresso and frothed milk. These two ingredients, when mixed in different proportions and sequences, yield specialty coffees with different flavors. Popular drinks like lattes and cappuccinos are created this way, but lattes have less foam on the surface.

The Importance of Milk in Coffee

Milk plays a very important role in a cup of coffee. Good milk texture can enhance the flavor characteristics of coffee, and when combined with frothed milk, it creates silky and sweet milk. FrontStreet Coffee typically chooses whole milk because its fat and protein content not only enhances flavor but also makes the foam more stable.

Another aspect is milk freshness. If milk has been sitting for several days and is no longer fresh, proteins will break down into amino acids. Storing milk in the refrigerator can slow this process, but if it's left out without being returned to the refrigerator promptly, it will actually accelerate milk deterioration, even if it still tastes or smells fresh. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends always returning milk to the refrigerator after use.

The Milk Frothing Process

Once you've selected your milk, the next step is frothing. Milk frothing involves two steps: frothing and texturing. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the milk frothing process.

1. Pour milk into the pitcher, with the liquid level between 1/3 to 2/3 below the spout.

2. Clean the steam wand to remove any residue.

3. Bring the pitcher close to the steam wand until it just enters the liquid surface, with the entry point slightly off-center. Open the steam valve and listen for the hissing sound of the steam working.

4. After creating enough fine foam, slowly lower the pitcher. This is the frothing step, and at this point, the milk temperature should not exceed body temperature! Heat the milk to about 60 degrees, but never exceed 70 degrees, as the protein structure in the milk will be damaged.

5. Prepare for texturing. Using the pitcher spout as a pivot, lift the pitcher upward so the steam wand goes deeper into the milk. The milk should form a vortex under the steam's action.

6. When the pitcher becomes hot to the touch (temperature should reach 60-65°C - test by touching the bottom of the pitcher; at this temperature, you shouldn't be able to hold it for more than 3 seconds), the texturing is complete.

7. Don't close the steam valve yet; use the steam to clean the steam wand.

8. Tap the side of the pitcher to break up large bubbles on the surface, then swirl the pitcher to mix the liquid and foam. A perfect foam has been successfully created!

Espresso Coffee Selection

After discussing milk, let's talk about espresso. First is bean selection - choosing coffee beans that suit your flavor preferences is very important. FrontStreet Coffee currently uses the Sunflower Warm Sun blend for espresso. This blend uses Honduras Sherry and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee, and through continuous experimentation by FrontStreet Coffee's baristas, we've achieved a perfect 6:4 ratio. The resulting espresso has distinct fruit acidity, berry flavor and aroma, wine notes, and a comfortable aftertaste.

This espresso blend is roasted in-house by FrontStreet Coffee. Besides this blend, we also have three other espresso blends with different flavor profiles. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Basic Blend uses Yunnan coffee beans paired with Brazilian beans in a 3:7 ratio. The resulting espresso has mild fruit acidity, caramel sweetness, nutty and dark chocolate flavors, with a smooth and thick texture, though the flavor is relatively light.

FrontStreet Coffee's Specialty Blend uses Colombia and Brazil beans in a 3:7 ratio determined by FrontStreet Coffee's baristas. The resulting espresso is gently acidic, sweet, with nutty aftertaste - overall not too stimulating, balanced, with medium crema.

Espresso Extraction Parameters

Once you've selected your beans, you can begin extracting the coffee. Below are FrontStreet Coffee's extraction parameters for the Sunflower Warm Sun beans:

Grinder: Mahlkönig Guilio Q18

Grind size: 1.6

Pressure: 9 bar

Temperature: 90.5-96°C

Time: 20-30 seconds

Dose: 20g (double shot)

Yield: 40ml

In ideal conditions, the espresso liquid flowing from the portafilter should be very uniform in both color and consistency. If the flow is inconsistent, the beans might be ground too fine or tamped too firmly, which will extend the extraction time and lead to over-extraction (strong bitterness). If the beans are ground too coarse or tamped too lightly, it will shorten the extraction time and lead to under-extraction (watery taste, thin texture).

If the extraction is successful, FrontStreet Coffee's espresso will have: smooth texture, medium body, distinct fruit acidity with subtle berry aroma, whiskey notes, rich chocolate flavor, and a noticeable aftertaste.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473