Fun article, happy to share.

By Dominic Milner
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/main-course-articles/okay-i039ve-made-my-espresso-now-what-do-i-do-with-the-milk-2174901.html#axzz0lyJ2u1hj

I did all of the right things to make espresso at home. I bought myself a good espresso machine. I learned which espresso beans have the best taste and how to grind them to the correct fineness. I managed to insert the gadget with the grinds, known as a portafilter, into the espresso machine, lock it into place, turn on the machine and let her rip. Great espresso!

But I wanted a cappuccino. Sue wanted a latte. Time to figure out how to steam the milk.

Sue is always dieting, so she wants nonfat milk. I found out that low fat and nonfat milk foam really easily. Whole milk takes more practice. Same thing with half and half if you want a breve.

Some espresso machines have a built in steam nozzle and some don’t. You may need to buy a separate steamer. I recommend getting an espresso machine with one built in. Saves space.

The first thing to do is to put that stainless steel pitcher and milk into the refrigerator to get cold. Always start with them cold. And then my next learning curve came with remembering to fill the pitcher about a third to a half full. Milk expands really well when it’s steamed. It takes only once for it to foam up, overflow and hit the floor to remember to start with a pitcher no more than half full.

Start by putting the nozzle on the surface of the milk and turning the steam on full. The milk is going to begin to foam, so keep lowering the pitcher so that the nozzle is just under the surface of the milk. About a half inch will do fine. You can turn down the pressure when the foam really begins to rise, or just take the pitcher away. Now the milk is just about at the boiling point.

Now here is something important. Don’t let it boil. This is another way to get the milk to overflow the pitcher. Or even worse, it will taste burnt. Ugh. Nasty.

Your steamed milk should have little bubbles all the way through it, and there should be a light foam on the top. There you are. That’s it. Now you go make whatever espresso drink you want.

For you - cappuccino lovers ( including me)

Source: http://www.prlog.org/10583186-cappuccino-espresso-machines-6-easy-steps-to-make-your-own-coffee.html

By Samantha Smart.

Cappuccino and espresso are usually dark, rich, delightful brews typically enjoyed in small amounts as dessert coffees. This fragrance captivates the gourmet coffee enthusiast.

Cappuccino and espresso are usually dark, rich, delightful brews typically enjoyed in small amounts as dessert coffees. This fragrance captivates the gourmet coffee enthusiast. With the proper equipment, along with a ability to follow directions, you will have a brew that will be the envy of the Capuchin monks for whom the rich coffee was named. Making cappuccino isn’t quite as easy as brewing typical drip coffee. Pressure is a key factor in the function of a cappuccino espresso machine. One more difference is the fact that boiled water is forced through the coffee grounds. Take time to get thoroughly familiar with your cappuccino espresso machine prior to attempting to make your initial cup of this well-known coffee. Many people who are unsatisfied with their cappuccino espresso machines haven’t carefully read and followed the directions.

Step 1. Fill the glass carafe with enough water to make the amount of espresso wanted, plus a little extra water for frothing milk. The carafe will be marked on the side so you know how many cups you’re making.

Step 2. Make the espresso. This is a lot like preparing coffee and you may simply set the machine and allow it to brew. Typically, this will involve heating up the water and forcing it through the coffee grounds. You can actually buy your espresso pre-made if you wish so that you could get to your cappuccino sooner. Cappuccino espresso machines are made to steam and froth milk, so it does not matter all that much where your espresso comes from.

Step 3.  Fill the frothing pitcher approximately 50 % full with cold skim milk. This milk will eventually end up being turned in to the delicious foam on top of the cappuccino.

Step 4.  Set the machine to froth the milk. Set the machine at the position indicated by a “cup” icon. Move the selector switch to the “O” position when the espresso reaches the steaming mark on the carafe.

Step 5.  Froth the milk. Place the steam nozzle about halfway into the frothing pitcher that contains the milk. Turn the switch to the “steam” position and leave it there for around one minute. After frothing, let the milk settle prior to turning the switch back to the “cup” position in the final step of making the espresso.

Step 6 Create your cappuccino. Fill your mug with espresso then add steamed milk and frothed milk.  Congratulations you have made your first coffee using a Cappuccino Espresso Machine.  Enjoy!!

Classical latte art, which originated in Italy, is based on the use of special techniques of pouring frothed milk in a cup when preparing cappuccino and latte. The frothed milk, mixed with the coffee, forms various patterns and silhouettes on a surface.

The way the patterns end up depend on:

-The movement trajectory of the pitcher when you pour the frothed milk,

-The height of the pitcher compared to the cup,

-The resonance of fluctuation  in the shaken up pitcher,

-Where exactly in the cup you pour the milk,

-And how fast you pour the milk.

Some advice about latte-art:

Firstly, espresso should be poured in a cup. The espresso should be dense, with good, thick cremá. Then the frothed milk is poured in a cup. It’s easier to manipulate it with the pitcher, if you make the movements by hand.

In order to make a more distinct pattern, you can first pour some cocoa powder on the surface of the espresso.

When you pour milk into the espresso, try to imagine the nose of the pitcher as a pen.

Latte art demands extensive practice and a good spirit; even skilled baristas can’t always reproduce a drawing exactly.

Basic Figures in Classical Latte-Art:

Latte art has some basic figures, like flowers, hearts, and apples. Other patterns can be considered derived from basic shapes.

Modern Art:

Modern latte art, as opposed to Classical Style, is the drawing of patterns on the milk’s surface with multi-colored syrups, hot chocolate, cinnamon, or cocoa-powder.

In modern latte art various techniques are used:

1. Stroking a toothpick or a thin stick on the milk’s surface, instead of using “dyes” (See below). The dark points on the surface remain after pouring the espresso in the cup.

2. Creation of special stencils that allow you to reproduce silhouettes from cocoa-powder on the milk’s surface.

3. Painting on the milk’s surface with syrups or food dyes. Usually you can’t use regular syrups from bars and coffee houses, because they’re much too dense and sink in the milk. Latte art experts usually prepare special syrups that have a small amount of starch added.

Very cool pictures of the most common coffee drinks. http://www.lokeshdhakar.com/2007/08/20/an-illustrated-coffee-guide/

Espresso	Caffe Macchiato	Cafe Breve
Caffe Latte	Flat White	Espresso con Pana
Cappuccino	Caffe Mocha	Americano

Cappuccino is my favorite drink. It doesn’t have the boldness of the regular espresso and the foam- hmmm…. it is delicious. A cappuccino is nothing more than espresso coffee with frothed milk added. What you will need to make that froth is a milk frother. They are attached on cappuccino machines. This machine will then be able to make both cappuccinos and espressos.

The Coffee cappuccino was born in sunny Italy. It was invented by monks – Capuchins from the monastery on the north from Rome. The monks drank the coffee with the milk only. They noticed that when milk was poured in, the coffee sometimes created foam, which was very pleasant on the taste buds. Monks were deprived of many everyday pleasures. Therefore the pleasure from coffee was one of only pleasures they had the access to.

In order to get the foam in the coffee the milk gets whipped. The results were good but not consistent, and they wanted something special – Alpine snow above the shinned earth. They then recalled drinking coffee with whipped cream. But coffee was hot and the cream was cold. Cold cream and milk is easier to whip.

They started to warm up whipped cream by steam and learned how to whip hot milk or cream mechanically. On the road to God every learning curve is a blessing. It continued for a long time and the rumors about this delightful drink spread all over Italy. The technology was changed by local self -thought mechanic Giuseppe who lived nearby the monastery. He invented the first cappuccino machine.

The whipping machine consisted of 2 compartments. The first one is where the water gets hot, than is turned to the steam and is delivered through the small pipe to the second compartment. The second compartment is where the cream is whipped. This way ( whipped milk by hot pressured steam) was invented in the end of the XIX century by another monk- inventor padre Carlo.