Steam drifted up into morning sunlight slanting through the windows of Woodstar Cafe on Masonic Street in Northampton as Barista Nicole Mitchell poured hot milk into a cup of freshly brewed espresso coffee, creating a picture of a white leaf on a half inch of almond colored foam.
“As you’re pouring the milk, rotate it in a circle,” Mitchell said, setting the pretty, finished latté onto the counter. And when you see the whiteness come out, wiggle it, then draw through it. Does that make sense?”
Easier said than done.
Walk into most cafes and you’ll likely find someone behind the counter who can whip up one of these strong Italian coffee drinks in just a few minutes. But you also can make a latté at home though it takes some effort to acquire the right touch, said Star Drooker, owner of Cafe Evolution, a vegan restaurant on the outskirts of Florence’s village center.
First, you need an espresso machine. An inexpensive machine can be found for a little more than $100. If you’d like to grind your own coffee, a burr grinder produces the best results, and can be purchased for around $50.
On paper the process seems simple — about eight ounces of milk is steamed to a frothy consistency in a stainless steel pitcher and poured over concentrated coffee, brewed by the espresso machine that forces pressurized water, near boiling, through 20 grams of ground and packed Arabica coffee beans. The coffee should fill about a third of the cup, leaving space for two-thirds milk on top.
In practice, there’s a lot more to it.
“It’s not something you’re going to get the first time, said Drooker. “It’s an art in that you can write down how to do it, but you will still fail.”
Making an espresso is a skill that requires the sense of smell, sight, hearing and taste, he said.
Traditionally, espressos — a latté’s base, brewed in either single- or double-ounce shots — are made using dark roast Arabica beans. Flavor is influenced by the way beans are ground, and that, in turn, is dictated by the amount of water forced through the coffee.
Generally, when brewing a single-ounce espresso shot, select a finer grind. For a double-ounce espresso shot, which makes a stronger latté, use a slightly coarser grind.
At Woodstar, “We have to change the grind all the time based on how long the shots are ‘pulling’ (a barista term for brew time, derived from antique espresso machines),” Mitchell said, while preparing to make another latté. “For a double shot, anywhere from 28 to 45 seconds is what we do. For a single shot, anywhere between 22 and 26 seconds is a good length.” As she talked, Mitchell knocked the spent grounds out of the steel filter into a container beside the espresso machine.
She grounded up 20 grams of coffee, packed it firmly into the filter with a round tool called a ‘tamper,’ and locked the filter into the espresso machine.
The balance between the ground coffee and the amount of water used for a single or double shot is a delicate one. Generally, if the coffee tastes watery and weak, the grind may be too coarse for the amount of water. If the coffee is tinged yellow and tastes a little bit sour, the grind might be too fine.
“That’s the trade secret,” Drooker said. “It’s the grind.”
Milk makes up about two-thirds of a latté, offsetting the coffee’s strong taste. As with brewing an espresso, steaming milk is a nuanced skill.
“We’re vegan, so we don’t use any cow’s milk, Drooker said. “Different milks have different fat contents. The more fat, the thicker the foam is going to be.” For best results, whole or soy milk should be used. Other espresso drinks, such as cappuccino, Americano, ristretto or cafe au lait, have different milk to coffee ratios.
“It needs to be the right consistency and temperature,” Mitchell said, pouring whole milk into a stainless steel pitcher. “I always make sure my milk is done before the shot.” If the shot is sitting for more than about 10 seconds, it starts to lose its flavor very fast, she said.
Most espresso machines have a steam arm on the side, called a wand, that forces hot steam into the milk (the colder the milk, the better the foam).
To start, Mitchell purged the wand of any condensation by quickly turning the steam on and off.
An experienced barista knows how to froth milk by sound, Mitchell continued. She skimmed the wand over the milk’s surface for about two seconds to force air bubbles into the milk, creating foam and emitting a high-pitched gurgling sound. Then, she submerged the wand completely.
Milk should be heated by steam to between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Some baristas monitor the milk’s temperature with a thermometer, but it can also be done by touch.
Once the wand is submerged, Drooker said, slowly draw the wand up through the milk, back toward the surface. The milk is done when the pitcher becomes too hot to hold.
“Heat it from the bottom, and if you have your hands on the metal, around it, as you work your way up you’ll be able to feel if it’s too hot,” he said.
Mishalle Camacho, a barista at Cafe Evolution, advised not to turn the steam on all the way so milk steams slowly. She also recommended tilting the pitcher when steaming so the milk swirls around.
When it’s been properly steamed, the milk should appear silky (called microfoam). If the consistency is correct, you can create art on the top of the latté. Any larger bubbles are removed by swirling and tapping the pitcher on a counter.
Back at Woodstar, Mitchell set the steamed milk down and brewed another espresso, a sweet coffee aroma drifting up from the machine. Once complete, she immediately added the steamed milk, holding the pitcher high at first pouring in a circular motion to mix the milk and coffee.
As the cup filled, she gradually lowered the pitcher, moving it from side to side to draw the blade of a leaf, and then quickly cut through the center for the stem. By now, “it’s muscle memory,” she said of her artwork.
1. Prepare an espresso by firmly packing ground coffee into the espresso machine’s filter, and brew either a single or double ounce shot directly into a cup.
2. Fill your pitcher with eight to 10 ounces of milk — whole or soy milk is recommended.
3. Purge the steam wand to remove condensation before steaming the milk.
4. Steam your milk before brewing your espresso, paying attention to creating silky smooth microfoam.
5. When the milk has been steamed, gently tap, swirl, or bump the pitcher on a table to remove unwanted large air bubbles.
6. Begin pouring the steamed milk into your espresso from a relatively high position.
7. Continue to pour, simultaneous lowering the milk and steepening your pouring angle. Leave a little bit of white foam on top.
8. Enjoy your latté!
Andy Castillo can be reached at acastillo@gazettenet.com.