How to make the best cappuccino at home?

Coffee can be enjoyed in many ways, but with milk, and especially as cappuccino, is by far the most popular way to enjoy a cup. The name cappuccino comes from the cappuccio, or "capuchon" (cap of the Capuchin monks), and is enjoyed by Italians only in the morning. To make the perfect cappuccino, you need the right ingredients, equipment, and, of course, a good explanation.

Ingredients for making cappuccino

• Espresso machine with a steam wand, or a separate milk frother
• Coffee grinder
• Milk jug
• Your favorite coffee mug or cappuccino cup

Cappuccino ingredients

• Espresso: To maintain a delicious coffee flavour in your cappuccino, you need a distinctive coffee bean/blend such as the Barista's Choice or the Sicilian Espresso Blend.
• Milk: Cold whole milk is best. The proteins in the milk create a beautiful microfoam, and the fat ensures that it stays firm. You can also use semi-skimmed milk, but it contains less fat, which means holes will appear more quickly in your milk foam. This also applies to plant-based milks. Be careful not to heat these as they burn more easily, which doesn't taste good.

Making a cappuccino in 7 steps

To make a delicious hot cappuccino, we recommend preheating your coffee cup by pouring hot water into it and then drying it.

1. Before you start making coffee, pour enough milk into your milk jug, otherwise the coffee will cool down while you are frothing the milk.
2. Prepare an espresso in your cappuccino cup.
3. Let some steam escape from your steam wand to blow out the condensation and wipe the steam wand dry with a clean cloth.
4. Hold the milk pitcher by the handle and make sure the steam wand is halfway submerged in the milk, about an inch from the outer rim of the pitcher. Now, turn on the steam with your free hand and lower the pitcher slightly until you hear a paper-tearing sound. This will add air to the milk, making the froth nice and airy. If you hear a high-pitched screeching sound, your steam wand is too close to the bottom or rim of the pitcher. With the same hand, feel the milk's temperature at the bottom of the pitcher. When it's lukewarm, raise the pitcher about an inch, allowing the milk to mix with the froth and heat it further. When the pitcher is too hot to touch at the bottom, turn off the steam. The milk should now be between 60 and 65 degrees Celsius (140 and 149 degrees Fahrenheit). Above 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit), the milk will boil, which will negatively impact the flavour of your cappuccino.
5. Let some more steam escape from the steam pipe to blow out the milk residue and wipe it off with a damp cloth.
6. Tap the milk jug twice on the counter or table (or use a tamper mat) to remove any air bubbles. Now, slowly swirl the milk jug in a circular motion to mix the foam into the milk. Once the foam is beautifully glossy, you're ready to pour a beautiful design into your coffee.
7. Hold your cup in one hand and the milk jug in the other and now pour the milk slowly in a small stream from a height of about 10 centimetres into the centre of your cup until it is half full.
8. Now place the milk jug against the rim of your cup and tilt the jug until a nice white spot appears in the center of your coffee.
9. Now raise the jug again and pour while moving the jug forward until your cup is full.

Once you've mastered this, you should now see a perfect heart in your homemade cappuccino.