I'm a bevy girly through and through, and one of my absolute favs is a latte. I'm by no means an expert but the lattes that I make taste pretty dang good. Here's some of the things I have learned that make it taste (almost) like Starbies.
LIFE CHANGING UPDATE
Add salt to your coffee. It makes it taste so much less bitter. I like this celtic sea salt.
Freshly Ground Beans Are Must
Grinding your beans right before brewing is a GAME CHANGER. The coffee is so much more crisp and fresh. Trust me, don't skip this step. I would recommend a burr grinder and I'll explain why below.
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Why is a Burr Grinder Important?
If you want to take your coffee brewing to the next level, investing in a burr grinder is a must. Unlike blade grinders, which can result in uneven coffee grounds, a burr grinder ensures a consistent grind size. This consistency is crucial for extracting the optimal flavors from your coffee beans. Once you try freshly ground coffee, you'll never go back!
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The Best Latte Maker
The Breville Barista line is definitely a splurge, but so worth it in my opinion. If you typically drink a $5 coffee everyday, the espresso machine will pay for itself in as little as 3 months.
The Breville Barista Pro is the first one I would recommend. It has a built in adjustable burr grinder, steam wand, LED screen, and comes in this beautiful white color. This is the one I would have gotten but with the grinder attachment, its too tall to fit under our cabinets:(
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The Breville Duo Temp is the one we have. It's siginifcantly cheaper but still gets the job done. The only downsides are that it doesn't have the grinder or LED screen and only comes in stainless steel.Â
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Overall, both are very good options.
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Frother
The secret to making cold foam topping is a handheld frother. This one is my favorite. Both steam wands are supposed to have a frother head but I haven't had much luck. Maybe I'm not doing something right but I've never gotten anything near the consistency I can get with a handheld frother.
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Jars for Add Ins
If you want it to add some flavor, you're going to want to add some sauces or toppings. These mason jars are my favorite for storing because they are freezer safe and hold a lot.
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There you have it – my favorite coffee things for making coffee at home. Links to everything can be found here.
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