I love a delicious and foamy latte, but I’m not a fan of spending $6 or more on one from the coffee shop. My husband has offered to buy me an espresso machine, but to be honest our small kitchen doesn’t have room for another appliance. I found myself wondering how to make a homemade latte, without purchasing an expensive espresso machine.
Fortunately, I have found a more space saving and less expensive way to make quality lattes from home. I’ve been doing this for a few years now and it has saved me so much money!
Follow along for a few different options for how to make a homemade latte – hot or iced!
Rather than pre-ground espresso, I prefer to use whole bean espresso and just grind what I need. For espresso, you’ll want to grind it very fine so that it brews properly.
I bought my grinder years ago, but I was able to find the exact coffee grinder I own at Walmart. It has settings to choose how finely to grind your coffee and how much coffee you need to grind.
The first step in making your latte is to brew the espresso. There are a few different ways you can do this!
This is my preferred method of brewing espresso. A moka pot, if you are unfamiliar, is a stovetop espresso maker. You fill the bottom chamber with water and place your finely ground espresso in the center chamber. Then you sit it on a burner on your stove and light the stove on high heat. The water will boil and rise to the top chamber. Once this top chamber is full, remove it from the heat.
Be sure to read the instructions that come with your moka pot to understand how it works. I also recommend using the smallest burner on your stove to heat the pot. If you place it on a larger burner, the heat could melt the plastic handle.
I recommend moka pots by Bialetti. I have two – a small and a large. I tried other brands and those didn’t hold up over time. I’ve had my Bialetti moka pots for years now and they are still going strong!
You can’t make true espresso in a French Press, which is why I prefer the moka pot. Still, you can brew a very strong coffee in a French Press if that’s all you have available. You’ll want to use a higher coffee-to-water ratio and a longer brew time to get the desired result.
To a 34-ounce French press, add about ten tablespoons of finely ground espresso. Heat your water to 200 degrees, just below boiling. Pour half the water into the press and stir the coffee grinds to saturate. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then add the remaining water. Let sit for 3-4 more minutes to brew. Plunge the French press down to the bottom and pour your espresso into a cup or mug
After you brew the espresso, it’s time to steam or froth your milk. There are a few methods you can try.
My go-to method of frothing milk is using a handy milk frother my husband bought me on Amazon. You simply pour in the milk up to the line and press the button to turn your milk into foam. This machine also makes cold foam.
I’ve found some types of milk foam better or differently than others, so it can be an experiment to figure out what you like. My favorite milk to use is oat milk by Planet Oat.
This gadget takes up less space than a machine and can be tossed in a drawer. They only froth the milk – they don’t heat it up. So if you are making a hot latte, you’ll have to warm your milk to about 150 for cow’s milk or 135 for plant-based milk.
Truthfully, I have not used one of these, so I can’t speak to how well they work, but I have heard good things! Here’s a handheld frother that has good reviews on Amazon.
Pour hot espresso and 1/2 cup warmed milk into mug. Add sugar or flavor syrup to taste, if using, and stir to dissolve. Top with 1/2 cup frothed milk.
For an iced latte, chill the espresso in the fridge. Once chilled, pour over ice and add 1/2 cup cold milk. Add sugar or flavor syrup to taste, if using, and stir to dissolve. Top with 1/2 cup cold frothed milk.
If you enjoy flavored lattes, give this lavender honey latte recipe a try.
Design, thrifting, and entertaining are my passion, and I share that passion with you through this blog. I also love being in the kitchen and crafting cocktails. I love Jesus and occasionally, I talk about him too. He has been so powerful in my life, and I love to bring him glory with my hobbies.
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