Cappuccino is one of the most popular espresso-based coffee drinks of today. A drink popular all over the world and served in coffee shops everywhere around the globe.
The recipe for making a cappuccino calls for a coffee beverage made in three equal parts. One part is a nicely brewed espresso shot mixed with hot steamed milk, as the second part and topped with a considerable amount of aerated milk foam as the third part.
This recipe represents only an idea of how a cappuccino should be prepared and is not fixed, and we should not take it literally. The concept behind this recipe of thirds is to define the cappuccino as an espresso-based milk drink, in which the taste of milk would not dominate our palate, and more of the strong coffee flavor of espresso should be coming through beneath the extensive layer of milk foam.
Espresso for Cappuccino
When brewing espresso for cappuccino, we typically want to use more darkly roasted and finely grounded coffee beans. An espresso shot brewed from medium to dark roasts has a deep body and delivers a much smoother, creamier finish which is most suited for making a cappuccino.
When brewing darker roasts, lowering the water temperature and shortening the brewing time produces a sweeter espresso with caramel and molasses notes. Please read our article to learn more about brewing espresso with darker and lighter roasts. A nicely brewed espresso shot from a medium or darker roast will have a mild acidic taste that makes for a lovely cappuccino when we pair it with steamed milk and its thick foam.
Modern cappuccino deviates from its traditional recipe of thirds, and we usually make it with a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of espresso to steamed milk.
Today's coffee shops prepare their cappuccinos as a larger beverage, usually in a cup of 5 to 7oz (150 to 200ml). They often use a double espresso of 1.5 to 2oz (42 to 55g) as a base and add 4 to 6oz of steamed milk with a considerable amount of foam. Of course, some traditional coffee shops make smaller cappuccinos with a single shot of espresso, respecting the ratios of 1:3 to 1:4, not affecting the beverage's feel and strength.
Cappuccino's Taste
The cappuccino inherits its coffee flavor from the espresso we use to prepare one. Adding milk to the espresso will tone down its astringency and make a cappuccino taste smooth and creamy. Still, the ratio of 1:3 up to 1:4 of espresso to steamed milk will make a cappuccino have a more pronounced coffee flavor. So, any defects of a poorly extracted espresso will not get suppressed by adding milk and milk foam.
A properly extracted espresso will make for a delicious cappuccino, and we should always use one. Besides using an adequately extracted espresso, properly steamed milk will significantly influence the cappuccino's taste.
Steamed Milk for Cappuccino
If our espresso machine has an installed Panarello steam wand or automatic milk steaming, steaming milk for cappuccino is straightforward. Panarello wand is excellent for beginners at steaming milk because it injects air along with the steam, so by the time the milk has heated up to 140°F, it has made a nice layer of macrofoam that will make a great cappuccino.
Beginner Friendly Espresso Machines for Milk Steaming
DeLonghi EC685R Dedica
The EC685R Dedica is an entry-level home espresso machine with a small footprint on the kitchen countertop that brews excellent espresso every time. With its thermoblock technology, it is ready for brewing 1 min after switching it on. It pre-infuses the coffee puck before brewing and has programable brewing times for brewing single and double espresso. Also, the EC685R Dedica features an adjustable brewing water temperature for different types of roasts. It comes with a Panarello steam wand for easy beginner-friendly milk steaming. The removable drip tray can accommodate taller glasses for preparing various espresso-based drinks.
Breville Bambino Plus
The Breville Bambino Plus is a perfect upgrade for beginners. It offers a faster way to achieve professional results at home. The machine features a 54mm portafilter for full espresso flavor and an automatic steam wand that delivers barista-quality microfoam for milk texturing, allowing for latte art creation. The ThermoJet heating system heats up in 3 seconds, while the digital temperature control ensures optimal espresso extraction. Additionally, the Bambino Plus features an auto-purge function and a 2-year limited product warranty.
Milk Frothing Pitchers
This 12ozl/350ml milk frothing pitcher is made of food-grade 304 stainless steel, durable, heat-proof, and rust-free. It is perfect for steaming milk and pouring your latte art for espresso-based milk beverages. The simple design, smooth surface, and dripless spout mean no spill and excellent milk work. This milk pitcher is easy to clean after use and also dishwasher safe. The premium milk steaming pitcher features two measurements scale inside. It helps control the milk volume and measure different liquids with it.
If not, we would require a little practice with our espresso machine steam wand to steam a pitcher of milk for a cappuccino. In the steaming process, we should heat the milk to 140°F (60°C) and, in the process, introduce enough air for the milk to increase in volume and create a considerable layer of foam on top.
To achieve that, we would need to use the correct size pitcher for the amount of milk we would want to steam. We also should fill the jug with milk at most the beginning of its spout and place the wand's tip just submerged in the milk slightly off-center near the wall of the pitcher.
Placing the steaming rod slightly off-center and just under the milk surface will make for the force of the steam coming out to spin the milk in the pitcher and also add air into the milk. When we steam the milk, we should listen for a slurping sound that will indicate that we are adding air into the milk, stretching it in volume, and creating a layer of macrofoam.
Milk Foam for Cappuccino
Often called dry foam, macrofoam has bubbles that are visually larger than those of microfoam (wet foam), and cappuccinos traditionally are made with milk steamed with macrofoam.
More recently, as latte art has become increasingly popular, baristas have begun making cappuccinos with thick microfoam to be able to pour latte art on them. The cappuccinos made with microfoam and latte art are sometimes called wet cappuccinos due to the milk foam used to make them.
Read next our article on Espresso vs. Cappuccino vs. Latte.