Dec 14 2008
Make Cappuccino
Make Cappuccino: Tips for Making a Perfect Cappuccino
By Sirena Van Schaik
Have you ever noticed that creating a perfect cup of coffee, espresso or any other type of coffee drink has a lot to do with the presentation? Most people love the way the coffee will taste but creating a perfect cappuccino really relies on everything leading up to that moment when the first sip is taken.
It is in the way the foam sits on the top of the cup as you bring it to the table. It is about the fragrance that drifts up, filling the air with hints of the taste you will soon be enjoying. Then at the very moment when you wonder if the cappuccino will taste as good as it looks and smells, the first sip confirms that it does.
A good cup of cappuccino can be a work of art in itself and, although an expert has more practice in producing the perfect cappuccino, anyone, with the right tools and a few helpful tips can produce an excellent cappuccino.
The Tips
Below are a few tips involved in creating a perfect cappuccino.
- Know your Cappuccino: This may seem like a strange tip but there are different types of cappuccino and how you make it depends on how you work the foam and milk. Now, there is a regular cappuccino but there is also a “wet cappuccino,” which uses more milk than foam and there is a “dry cappuccino,” which uses no milk and only froth with the shot. Finally there is a “reverse cappuccino,” which is when you pour in the milk and froth first and then pour the shot over both.
- Use chilled homogonized milk: Don’t bother trying to cut down on calories by using partially skimmed milk. Instead, use a cold whole milk. Trust me, the end result will be much nicer. Also chill your pitcher before you start steaming the milk.
- Perfection is in the foam: Although you may think that the foam is the same, no matter how you steam it, that isn’t the case, and the foam that you use for cappuccino should have very small bubbles in it; bubbles that are so small you can’t actually see them.
- Heat it up: Although you use foam and milk for many different drinks, you will need to really play with teh amount of milk to foam that you have. Remember that it has to be a perfect blend, with most of the milk turning to froth and you will want the temperature to reach about 150°F.
- Use a double shot: The secret to pouring a perfect shot is really in practicing. When you make a cappuccino, you want to produce a double shot that does not have a lot of foam on the top. Just a smooth coffee shot that can have milk and foam added to it.
- Use a spoon: This might seem like a strange tip but when you are pouring the foam and milk into the shot, you will want to make sure that the milk goes in first before the foam goes into the cup. This provides a much smoother cappuccino and it won’t ruin the effect at all. When you use a spoon, use it to push the foam to the side of the pitcher and pour the milk into the coffee mug. The amount of coffee and milk in the mug should reach the halfway point on your mug before you can spoon the froth onto the top.
And there are a few tips on making a perfect cappuccino but remember that all artists need to practice before they create a masterpiece so don’t expect perfection the first time you make a cappuccino.