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"Coffee Tips"
What Is a Cappuccino?
A Cappuccino is a popular coffee drink that is made up of espresso, milk and foam. A traditional Cappuccino is made of 1/3 Espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 foam.
To make a Cappuccino as authentic as an Italian one, the milk has to be steamed. But using an electric foamer makes good foam and makes a great alternative to make a Cappuccino at home.
Does a Cappuccino Have Caffeine In It?
Yes, it does. Cappuccino has a shot of espresso in it, and a shot of 2 oz espresso has about 80 ml of caffeine in it.
What Is The Difference Between a Cappuccino and a Latte?
When it comes to coffee drinks, the main difference is the amount of milk and how it compares to the amount of milk and foam in it.
- In a Cappuccino, you have 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 foam.
- In a Latte, has a shot of espresso, milk and only a little bit of foam on top. The amount of milk here is more than the espresso and foam.
Wet vs. Dry vs. Bone-Dry Cappuccino, What’s The Difference?
As general rule, when it a coffee drink is referred to as ‘wet’ then it probably has a more of a creamier texture than a ‘dry’ drink, which will most likely have less milk.
- In a traditional Cappuccino, you have equal parts of espresso, milk and foam.
- A wet Cappuccino has less foam and more steamed milk.
- A dry Cappuccino is the opposite, it has less steamed milk and more foam.
- a bone-dry Cappuccino is espresso with foam only, no steamed milk.
Is a Bone Dry Cappuccino The Same as an Espresso Macchiato?
No it’s not. While a Dry Cappuccino has espresso and foam only, an Espresso Macchiato has espresso and a dollop of lightly foamed milk, similar of the foam of a latte.
Now we’ve explained all kinds of possible Cappuccino drinks, the question is, how can you make all these delicious coffee drinks at home?
How To Make a Cappuccino at Home:
Can I Make a Cappuccino Without a Machine?
This is the most common question we get. Is it possible to make a Cappuccino without a machine? Because the base of every Cappuccino is espresso, and it’s impossible to have espresso without a machine, then you need an espresso machine for making Cappuccino and other coffee drinks.
What’s The Best Way To Make a Cappuccino at Home?
We’ve already established the fact that to make an authentic cup of Cappuccino you’d need an espresso machine. Luckily, espresso machines are available for every budget, so you shouldn’t be worried about breaking the bank for a cup of Cappuccino at home.
When it comes to espresso machines, you have two choice:
- An automatic single-serve espresso machine
- A traditional style, manual or semi-automatic espresso machine.
A single-serve espresso machine is the easiest option to use. It uses pre-measured coffee pods and makes your desired drink with a touch of a button, so there’s no work on your part.
A manual or semi-automatic espresso machine is what you’d see at a coffee shop, but on a smaller scale for the home user. It uses ground coffee and you have to manually brew your shot and froth your milk.
Here are our favorite machines to make a Cappuccino at home:
Nespresso Inissia:
The most affordable and compact Nespresso machine. The Inissia is a very popular choice right now. The machine uses Nespresso capsules to brew a single serve of an Espresso or Lungo automatically. The bundled Aeroccino milk frother heats and froths milk automatically, either for a Cappuccino (with more froth) or Latte (less froth and creamier texture). It can also make cold froth for iced drinks, all with a touch of a button.
Click here to learn everything about the Inissia Espresso Maker.
Watch How It Works:
DeLonghi Dedica:
The DeLonghi Dedica is a very slim semi-automatic espresso maker. You can create your shot manually (manual start and stop of the shot) or automatically as the machine is pre-set to the perfect dose. The steam wand allows you to manually heat and froth your milk. The Dedica makes an excellent choice for a beginner user.
Click here to learn more about the DeLonghi Dedica.
Watch How It Works:
Mr Coffee Cafe Barista:
This espresso maker by Mr. Coffee combines the best of both worlds. It has the classic protafilter and uses coffee ground, but it also has automatic brewing and milk frothing. It has a dedicated button for each coffee drink, a detachable milk reservoir and it includes all accessories for you to get started right away: portafilter with both single and double shot filters, coffee measuring scoop and a tamper.
Click here to learn more about the Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista
Watch How It Works:
If you’re a new at-home barista, still practicing the art of espresso, you know it will take you lots of tries before you can get that perfect shot of espresso. We found a few videos that will guide you through the process…
The Espresso Theory: What Goes Into the Perfect Shot of Espresso?
Hint: Great coffee beans and a great grinder are a must!
How To Pull a Great Shot of Espresso:
Nespresso machines are all about luxury and convenience. One press of a button and you can enjoy a delicious cup of your favorite coffee in under a minute or two. If there’s one downside to Nespresso, it’s the fact that it can turn into an expensive addition. “Expensive” is here relative of course, compared to other single-serve brands like Keurig or even regular ground coffee expensive. The quality however, does not compare.
The good news is, there are many ways that you can cut on your Nespresso expenses and still enjoy delicious coffee at a push of a button. In this post, we’ll tell you about different ways that you can get your coffee fix using Nespresso with less costs.
Please note that this is for OriginalLine Nespresso machines: Pixie, CitiZ, U, Inissia, Lattissima….
Buy Nespresso Compatible Coffee Capsules:
Where To Buy The Cheapest Nespresso Capsules:
Gourmesso Nesprsso Compatible Capsules:
Gourmesso is a European brand that has created high quality Nespresso compatible capsules at the lowest price possible. Their capsules start at $0.45 per capsule, and are available in a wide range of roasts and flavors which gives you an experience as good as Nespresso’s. Gourmesso also has a subscription service where they can send you your desired amount capsules on a monthly or 3-months basis.
Gourmesso’s line of coffee includes Espresso with intensity levels ranging from 3 up to 10, Lungo capsules and flavored capsules including: Caramel, Chocolate, Vanilla, Hazelnut, Almond and Coconut, with many new flavors and coffee blends added regularly.
You can purchase your Gourmesso capsules from their website or from Amazon. We do recommend you buy it from Gourmesso’s website directly as it earns you purchase points that you can redeem for free capsules.
Visit: Gourmesso.com Use coupon code ‘espresso‘ at check-out for a buy 10 get 1 free deal. Valid on Gourmesso.com only.
Video Review of Gourmesso Nespresso Capsules:
Buy Refillable Nespresso Pods:
Sealpod Refillable Stainless Steel Nespresso Capsules:
Using a refillable Nespresso pod has its advantages and disadvantages. It allows you to use your favorite coffee brand (other than Nespresso) with your machine, cutting your costs way down. On the other hand, it takes away from the convenient Nespresso experience as it takes some time to prepare the pod. Also, you might not always get the measurement of coffee right, so it could be a hit or miss, but we’re sure you can get it right after a few tries.
We’re recommending Sealpod’s refillable capsules because unlike most refillable pods, these are made of stainless steel instead of plastic. This means that it won’t absorb the taste of different blends and they will last longer. The package includes 2 stainless steel pods and 2 covers. Later on, you will need to buy the sticker lids only once the ones you have wear out.
Watch This Video of How To Use Sealpod:
More Information About Nespresso Capsules:
Now just because we’re offering a cost-cutting solution to your Nespresso expenses, it doesn’t mean we’re recommending that you don’t buy them! On the contrary, Nespresso’s coffee is absolutely delicious and you simply do not want to miss out on it. The idea here is to sort of ‘mix and match’ your pods, having alternatives and additional resources is always a good thing!
When it comes to choosing a single-serve coffee maker, the names Nespresso and Keurig come together, even though they’re totally different. In this post, we’ll cover the difference between these machines to help you with your buying decision.
What Is the Difference Between Nespresso and Keurig?
They’re totally different actually, that the only thing they have in common is the fact that they’re single-serve machines.
Nespresso is an single-serve espresso machines. It makes Espresso only and allows you to create gourmet espresso based coffee drinks like Cappuccino, Latte and Macchiato and everything in between. With Nespresso, you’ll get two to three size options: Espresso, Lungo and Ristretto. Although just recently Nespresso has introduced the VertuoLine which is the first machine by them to brew coffee in addition to Espresso.
Here are some popular posts on Nespresso machines:
- Difference Between Nespresso U, Pixie and CitiZ.
- Nespresso CitiZ Model Comparison.
- Nespresso U Model Comparison
Keurig, is a single-serve coffee maker. It uses K-Cup capsules to create single coffee cups in different sizes. K-Cup capsules are also available as tea, hot chocolate, cappuccino or latte drinks (although not quite fresh or tasty as Nespresso, since the capsules packs coffee and milk powder). There’s one Keurig espresso machine (Keurig Rivo) that can be quite similar to the Nespresso machine, here’s our review of it here.
Which Should You Buy? Keurig or Nespresso?
It depends on what you want really. If you’re looking for coffee mostly, then you’ll love a Keurig, K-Cups are available from a wide range of brands and in different varieties. Nespresso is for someone who is looking for Espresso drinks, may that be espresso itself or gourmet coffee drinks. They have a small variety of capsules compared to K-Cups, but the drinks are a lot more delicious. Unless you’d go for a Keurig Rivo, then it’s a matter of coffee brand choice.
Whether you’ve got an espresso machine with an integrated frother or use an electric milk frother, the quality of froth made relies a lot on what type of milk you use. So which type of milk makes the best froth for a Cappuccino?
What this video for a quick comparison:
The machine used in the video above is the Gaggia Brera Superautomatic espresso machine.
Which Milk Is Best For Cappuccino Froth?
As you’ve seen in the video:
– Whole and Skim milk seem to produce the best and most consistent froth.
– 2% and 1% fall in second place.
– Soy milk comes last. While it does froth, it seems to come down rather quickly.
Ultimately, what type of milk you use is completely up to you and your taste buds. But if you’re expecting great froth, we highly recommend that you use either skim or whole milk.
Making an Iced Latte sounds like a straight forward task, you make coffee the regular way and add ice to it. That’s actually quite right, but that will only make you a decent iced latte, and we’re looking to make you the BEST iced latte EVER. [photo source]
There’s a very simple thing that you can do to take your Iced coffee drinks to the next level. Once you know it, it will make a lot of sense to you that you’ll wonder how you’ve ever missed this before!
Here’s the thing…
Most people prepare their iced coffee by adding ice cubes to the coffee. But what happens when that ice melts? You’ll have a watered-down cold coffee drink. Ew!
So what do you do??
Instead of using ice cubes, you’ll use iced COFFEE cubes. Basically, pour coffee into an ice cube tray, let it freeze then using it instead of water ice cubes. What happens is, when the coffee cubes melts, you’ll end up with more concentrated coffee rather than a watered down coffee!
Bonus Tip:
Of course, you can use any ice cube tray to make the coffee cubes, but a silicone tray would be better so it’s easy to pop the cubes out. And for an added cool factor, use this Cool Beans silicone ice tray to make your coffee cubes shaped like coffee beans!
Making a delicious cup of Cappuccino, or any other coffee drink such as Lattes or Macchiatos is possible at home. You can make them just as good as your favorite cafe, and even better as you get the hang of how to prepare them.
Cappuccino and other gourmet coffee drinks are all Espresso based drinks. So if you want to make a real and proper coffee drink, you will need an Espresso machine, which are available in a wide range of budgets depending on what you’re looking for (See our list of espresso machines under $300)
What Kind of Espresso Machine to Buy to Make Cappuccinos and Lattes?
There are a few things that need to be in your espresso machine for you to make a great cup of Cappuccino or Latte:
- Espresso machine with at least 15-bar pressure pump. This ensures good extraction of espresso.
- Integrated milk frother: this will enable you to easily heat and froth your milk for your drink. Alternatively, you can get an external electric milk frother.
- Freshly ground coffee: for your coffee to taste great, you need to grind it right before you use it. An automatic espresso machine can do that for you automatically, but it’s out of your budget, you can get a great coffee grinder to keep next to your machine and grind your beans right before you brew it.
How Does the Espresso Machine Work to Make Cappuccino?
To make it easier for you, we found a video that demonstrates how it works, so watch this:
So, to sum up: it is quite possible to make an excellent and professional cup of Cappuccino at home, and you don’t even have to have the fanciest espresso maker, a basic one will work, too.
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