Cappuccino

I love a delicious cappuccino.  The creaminess of the milk, with the hot fresh coffee is simply divine.  This is a simple video on how to prepare a delicious cappuccino, if you’re interested in watching.  Personally, I cannot get enough of them and wish I had a gourmet espresso machine at home so I could have a cappuccino any time of day!  Maybe one day, right?  A girl can dream can’t she?  Coffee-scented and milk frothy dreams of cappuccino are what make my world go round!  I think in another life I may have been a barista.

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Coffee Bean

The most important part of any coffee drink is the coffee used. If a low quality coffee bean is used, the resulting beverage is going to reflect that choice. However, if a high quality coffee bean is selected and ground specifically for espresso use, the coffee beverage will be outstanding.

Columbian coffee beans are considered to be one of the best coffee beans that can be purchased for a decent price. There are other, more expensive coffee beans that can be used.

Milk

Skim milk froths better than other milks and is most often the choice when making cappuccino. If desired, whole milk can be used for the milk portion and a separate cup of skim milk can be frothed for the top layer of the cappuccino.

Water

Many people prefer to use filtered or bottled water for all their coffee making. Some espresso machines even have a built in water filtration system. These filters remove any impurities from the water that could interfere with the flavor of the espresso.

Flavorings

Photo by Nathalie Dulex

Cappuccino doesn’t require the use of flavorings, however, in recent years flavored cappuccinos have become quite popular. Some coffee houses offer flavors to match the season, such as gingerbread cappuccino in the winter. Vanilla and chocolate are also favorite cappuccino flavors.

Keeping Ingredients

Assembling the ingredients for cappuccino is a simple task; however, knowing how much to purchase in order to keep fresh ingredients can be a bit tricky at first. Coffee beans should not be ground until ready to use. This keeps them fresh. Some people say that keeping the coffee beans in the freezer is the best way to keep them fresh.

Regardless of the method of storing the beans, only the amount that would be used in a few days time should be purchased to insure that they do stay fresh. Grind as needed and keep them in an airtight container.

Milk naturally has an expiration date. Make sure to go by this date to prevent using milk that curdles when it is added to the hot liquid or that has a sour taste. There is nothing worse when making a cappuccino than to add the milk only to discover that it has soured.

Freshness should also be a consideration when adding flavorings. Many people keep flavorings on hand for way too long. Because they aren’t used daily, people often forget how long they have actually had them. Using fresh products makes for a much better cappuccino. Fresh peppermint, vanilla extract and chocolates are just some examples.

The ingredient list needed to make cappuccino is not extensive; however, it is easy to see how important using the freshest of ingredients is. Coffee lovers can discern a bad coffee with just one taste and the same is true of cappuccino lovers. Use top quality ingredients to make the best cappuccino possible.

-Sharon Chapman

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Tools and Ingredients Needed

No job can be completed properly without the proper tools and supplies assembled. This is just as true for making cappuccino as it is for building a house. You should have the following available:

Espresso maker
Milk – skim milk works the best
Coffee beans that have been ground for espresso
Flavorings as desired

Making the Espresso Shots

Fill the espresso machines coffee filter with the proper amount of espresso. The machines instruction manual should indicate how much espresso the machine will make and the basic amount of ground beans to start with.

Tamp the espresso down firmly, until the surface of the espresso appears flat. Place the filter basket into the espresso machine and use an espresso cup to catch the resulting espresso.

Place the skim milk in the steamer cup and steam to a temperature of not less than 140°F but as hot as desired. Once the milk is steamed, turn the espresso brewer on to brew the espresso. In order to make one cappuccino, 2 oz. of espresso should be brewed.

Foaming the Milk

Milk foam is what makes a cappuccino a cappuccino.  The milk should contain a generous amount of foam. Foaming is accomplished by tilting the container holding the milk and bringing the steaming wand almost to the top of the milk as it creates the foam. Gently go around the surface of the milk as more foam is created to make more foam.

The foam is essential to the cappuccino so make sure there is nice, thick foam of milk before proceeding. There should be enough foam to fill one-third of the cup. Once this is finished, remove the steam wand from the milk and pour the espresso shots into the cup or cups.

The Cappuccino Finale

Once the milk is steamed and espresso shots are ready, the cappuccino can be put together. With the espresso shot in the coffee mug, pour enough of the steamed milk on top of the espresso to bring the cup up to two-thirds capacity.

Using a long-handled spoon, gently spoon the milk foam onto the top of the espresso-milk mixture. If flavoring is desired, it should be added before the steamed milk is put on top in order to keep the integrity of the foam intact.

Making a great cappuccino is a wonderful addition to kitchen skills. Cappuccino machines can be purchased that are made for home use. Friends and family will be delighted with a hot, fresh cappuccino served up when they visit.

-Sharon Chapman

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