Recipe

Cappuccino

Equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and microfoam.

Ingredients

Espresso

36 g (double shot)

Milk

120 ml whole milk

Cup size

150–180 ml

Equipment

• Espresso machine with steam wand
• Stainless steel milk pitcher (350–600 ml)
• Thermometer (optional)
• 150–180 ml cup, pre-warmed

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Pre-warm a 150–180 ml cup by filling with hot water from the steam wand or boiler.

2. 2

   Pull a 36 g double espresso into the warmed cup (see Espresso recipe for full method).

3. 3

   Pour 120 ml of cold whole milk (4 °C from the fridge) into a cold pitcher — never reuse warm milk.

4. 4

   Purge the steam wand for 2 sec to clear condensation.

5. 5

   Position the wand tip just below the milk surface, at the 4 o'clock position, angled to create a whirlpool.

6. 6

   Open the steam valve fully. For the first 3–4 seconds, keep the tip near the surface — you should hear a soft 'paper tearing' hiss. This is the stretching phase, adding microfoam.

7. 7

   Submerge the wand 1 cm deeper to enter the heating phase. The whirlpool should pull foam down and integrate it. No bubbles should form at this stage.

8. 8

   Steam until the pitcher is too hot to hold for more than 3 sec (~60–65 °C). With practice, you won't need a thermometer.

9. 9

   Close the steam valve, then remove the pitcher. Wipe the wand and purge immediately.

10. 10

    Tap the pitcher firmly on the counter twice to pop large bubbles, then swirl continuously to keep foam and milk homogenized — the milk should look like wet glossy paint.

11. 11

    Pour from 6 cm above the cup with a thin stream to break the crema, filling the cup to about 60%.

12. 12

    Lower the pitcher close to the surface and pour faster to float the microfoam on top, finishing with a 1–1.5 cm dense foam cap.