How to Make a Cappuccino

Every time I got that cup of cappuccino with a swirling little heart, my heart would do a little flip-flop. Coffee addict or not, almost everyone enjoys a cup of frothy, creamy cappuccino. Before we can move on to making a cappuccino, let us first understand what this much beloved coffee drink actually is.

Well, simply put, cappuccino is a mixture of ⅓ espresso coffee, ⅓ hot milk, and ⅓ frothed/foamed milk. Sometimes, delicious whipped cream may be added to give a flavor to this amazing Italian coffee.

Watching the drink made at the local Starbucks, I have often wondered if we could make a delicious cup of cappuccino at home as well. So, here is a guide on how to make a cappuccino with and without an espresso machine.

Making Cappuccino Coffee Without a Machine

While espresso machines do make it easy to brew the perfect cappuccino, with a little ingenuity, you can make your cup of cappuccino right at home. Here are the steps that will help you understand how to make this drink at home without a coffee maker or an espresso machine.

Ingredients

• 1 coffee cup of water
• 2-3 level tbsp. freshly ground coffee beans
• 2 coffee cups of skimmed milk
• 1 tsp. of sugar
• Chocolate powder

How to Make
To make your delicious cup of cappuccino, pour in one cup off milk (or as much as needed for individual coffee mugs) into a pot and heat it gently. Brew your coffee strong and add the blended mixture of sugar and water to it. In a microwave, heat this mixture for around 2 minutes.

Use a blender to mix the sugar water mixture with heated milk. Blend it for a minute or two to make a smooth frothy mix. Watch out for the fluffy foam to appear. Pour the coffee into heated lards and scoop up the froth to top up the coffee. Sprinkle chocolate powder on top.

Making Cappuccino Coffee With an Espresso Machine

Ingredients

• 1 coffee cup of water
• 2-3 level tbsp. freshly ground coffee beans for espresso
• 2 coffee cups of milk
• 1 tsp. of sugar
• Chocolate powder, ground cinnamon or nutmeg

How to Make
To make your perfect cup of cappuccino, chill the metal pitcher. This allows the coffee to foam up better. Fill the pitcher with a cup of fresh, thick milk and place a food thermometer inside the pitcher. Place the steam wand diagonally, just below the milk's surface for a better froth.

The angling of the steam wand is important for the majority of the milk to froth up. Steam it to 150ºF. Add the sugar, sweetener, or flavors as desired for the cappuccino. You can add delicious flavors like vanilla, Irish cream, and hazelnut.

Just before pulling the espresso shots, pour steamed milk into the desired mug after scooping out the froth. Load the espresso ground beans into the portafilter handle, and tamp level before inserting into the espresso machine. Pulling the perfect espresso shot is quite an art. A perfect shot is attained at around 18 to 23 seconds.

After pulling the shots, pour it into the coffee mug and add the steamed milk till it is more than half full. Add the scooped froth on top above the rim of the mug, sprinkle it with some lovely chocolate powder, and your delicious coffee is ready to be sipped and enjoyed.

Once you learn to make the perfect cappuccino at home, I am sure a lot of delighted friends and family members are soon going to drop in for some nice steamy cup of coffee. You can purchase espresso machines for home use for whipping up your very own homemade cappuccino coffee. Enjoy!