Video:Make Perfect Cappuccino

Transcript:Make Perfect Cappuccino

Hi, I’m Amanda Byron from Joe in Manhattan, here for About.com. Today, I am going to show you how to make the perfect cappuccino.

Characteristics of a Good Cappuccino

Cappuccino has many definitions depending on where you are in the world. In Italy, it’s a beverage generally consumed first thing in the morning, and it’s espresso and steamed milk. Here in America the term has been used often to refer to something that’s a much foamier beverage than a latte. Today, I’m going to show you how we make a cappuccino at Joe.

Cappuccino Making Ingredients

The supplied you need are a cup, which are traditionally six or seven ounces, a steaming pitcher with cold milk in it. Any kind of milk you like to use is fine. A tamper to tamp your espresso, a dry rag to dry out your portafilter, and a wet rag to clean off your steam wand.

Grind and Pack the Coffee

The first step is to pull your shot of espresso. Take your dry rag clean out your portafilter, make sure that it’s dry and that there aren’t any grounds left in it from the last shot you pulled. Then grind your espresso directly into the portafilter. I give it a little settling tap. Then I distribute my coffee to make sure that my puck is as even as possible.

Take you tamper, make sure your arm is perpendicular to the counter, and I push down with about 30 pounds of pressure. Give it a little bit of a polish. I pull the tamper out and here you have the perfect puck of espresso.

Pull the Espresso Shot

I activate my group head for a couple of seconds and clear out any grounds that may have been stuck up there and also to bring my group back up to the proper brewing temperature. Then activate your shot.

Steam the Milk

Then I can start steaming my milk for the Cappucino. You want to introduce air in the beginning of the process for a couple of seconds, stretching the milk out, you want to make sure not to add any more air. As soon as it’s too hot for my hand on the bottom, I’m going to turn it off.

Knock Out the Bubbles

If I notice any large bubbles in the milk I can knock it on the counter, knock those out. And then I am just folding the milk into my espresso.

The perfect heart on top of the perfect cappuccino.

Enjoy your Cappuccino. Thanks for watching. To learn more visit us on the Web at About.com.