How to make cappuccino in a coffee machine: recipes and instructions

Cappuccino

This is an Italian coffee drink based on espresso with the addition of foamed milk. Italy is considered to be the birthplace of cappuccino; according to legend, it was invented by the Capuchin monks of the monastery, which was located in the north of the country. Their attire was long dark robes and a white hood, presumably hence the name of the drink. They added boiling milk to it, which formed a “cap” on top. However, the foam was not stable and quickly fell off. The problem was solved by the monk Padre Carlo, who invented a method of frothing milk with hot steam.

Today, this version of coffee has gained great popularity all over the world. And with the widespread use of coffee machines, the question of how to make cappuccino in a coffee maker began to worry many people.

Instructions for making cappuccino

To prepare the drink, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

high-quality Arabica beans in the same volume as cappuccino cups;
2-3% natural milk, which is well cooled beforehand;
sugar, liqueur to taste and desire.

The milk for the drink is cooled so that later it heats up more slowly and the barista has more time to whip it well. With strong heating, and this is above 70-80 degrees, the milk becomes too thick when whipped, and the foam loses its elasticity, which is unacceptable for real cappuccino.

To prepare a classic cappuccino in a coffee machine you need:

pour the grains into the grinder and grind;
pour ground coffee into the holder;
prepare a cup for espresso by preheating it;
the coffee in the holder must be carefully compressed so that it lies in one even layer;
turn on the coffee machine and wait for the espresso to be prepared;
set the coffee aside and check the steam supply for working with milk;
pour milk into the container so that it does not exceed 2/3 of its volume, usually take a 300 ml milk jug;
lower the cappuccino maker into a container of milk to a depth of no more than 2.5 cm at an angle of 45 degrees, whisk the milk until its volume doubles and the milk jug itself heats up to a temperature of 60-70 degrees (that is, until it can be held in your hands);
an indicator of milk readiness is the presence of dense foam with small bubbles, dense but elastic;
carefully pour milk into a cup of prepared espresso so that maximum foam and a minimum of milk itself gets into it; sugar is added at the very end.

Making cappuccino doesn’t take long, it’s simple, but it’s rare to achieve the right result the first time, although without a coffee machine the process becomes even more difficult. Experts do not always recommend preparing a drink automatically, since the process is completely controlled by a machine, not a person.

Professionals create masterpieces from ordinary milk foam

To check the correct preparation of the drink, you can use the following knowledge:

The elasticity of milk foam is checked as follows: using the tip of a spoon, carefully push the foam away; if it quickly returns to its place without losing its integrity, everything is fine;
in a cup, the foam should not be “hilly”; it covers the entire surface with a dense layer without large bubbles;
When consumed, there should not be any noticeable bitterness or sourness - this is a sign that the ratio of espresso to milk was incorrectly taken into account, or low-quality coffee was used.

If all indicators have passed the test, it means that a professional is working at home!

Characteristics of the coffee machine

The main role in preparing a coffee drink is, first of all, played by a machine, which must meet some necessary requirements. The final result will depend not on the brand of the device used, but on its technical characteristics:

Type of coffee machine. There are semi-automatic and fully automatic models. Automatic machines are by far the most convenient for home use, as they can do everything for you. Semi-automatic is more suitable for professionals than for amateurs.
Cup warming function. One of the important nuances: the container in which cappuccino coffee is served must be heated to +40 degrees.
Type of cappuccino maker. There are manual and automatic models. When choosing, give preference to the second option.

Since a mandatory attribute of a cappuccino is well-whipped milk foam, it is necessary to find out how a cappuccino machine (a device for whipping foam) works.

There are two varieties of this device:

Steam. A kind of atomizer connected to the coffee machine, it uses it to mix steam with milk, resulting in the formation of foam.
Mechanical. It is a whisk with a container in which milk is whipped. The foam is formed thanks to the whisk rotating at high speed.

Choosing a coffee machine

If you want to make cappuccino often, then when choosing a coffee machine with a cappuccino maker, you should pay attention to the following technical characteristics.

Type of device . Coffee machines are either fully automatic or semi-automatic.

If the choice fell on a full automatic machine, then you just need to load the necessary ingredients into it and wait for the final result. The main thing is that the machine has a function for preparing this type of coffee.

The process of preparing cappuccino in a semi-automatic device is somewhat more complicated. But the product made in this machine is more aromatic and tasty.

A type of cappuccino machine - a device that converts milk into foam. It can be automatic or mechanical (panarello).

Automatic ones are part of the machine design. To make coffee, just place a container for receiving milk. The device will take over all the work. The steamer draws milk through a tube and mixes it with steam, turning it into foam.

In the mechanical version, milk is converted into foam also thanks to a jet of steam. But you will have to control the process of obtaining foam yourself, holding the container with milk (pitcher) under the nozzle.

Availability of cup warming function . Cappuccino is served in preheated mugs. This can be done manually or purchased a device with a warming function, where empty dishes are placed.

Cooking Instructions

Let's look at how to make cappuccino in a coffee machine with a manual cappuccino maker. To make coffee yourself, follow the following algorithm:

First, you need to prepare classic coffee (espresso) in a heated cup.
Warm up the device for 30-40 minutes, after releasing steam from the steam wand.
Pour the required amount of milk into a special metal container (jug) (just below 1 cm from the bottom of the spout). Don't forget that milk expands as it is churned.
Immerse the tip of the cappuccino maker in milk to the bottom, turn on the steam and slowly lift it up until foam forms. Properly whipped foam has a sweet, creamy taste.
Carefully pour the milk foam into the espresso.
Release the steam and wipe the tip with a damp cloth.

To prepare cappuccino coffee in a coffee machine, use cold whole milk with a fat content of about 4%, which allows you to get a thick foam.

Milk

Before you brew a cappuccino drink in a coffee machine, you should take care of the milk. The component must meet the following requirements:

Fat content - varies between 2.8-3.5% . Adding a low-fat product will not allow you to get a milk cap on the surface. Full-fat milk produces large dry bubbles, which provide a light, airy effect.
Temperature – milk should be whipped cold; the optimal temperature is 3-5 degrees . Strong heating will lead to the appearance of an uncharacteristic taste of boiled milk for cappuccino.

Milk should be fresh, full-fat, and contain protein. Compliance with this condition will help to obtain a unique taste of the drink. To find out which milk is more suitable for cappuccino , read our article on the website.

Cappuccino recipes

So, we found out how to make cappuccino in a coffee machine using classical technology, but there are also many recipes that have different tastes:

Creamy cappuccino: pour 60 ml of espresso into a cup, whip the cream, pour it in a stream into the center of the mug, then around its circumference.
Cappuccino with cinnamon: pour boiling milk into the finished espresso, carefully spread the milk foam on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Cappuccino coffee with coconut: pour the coffee into a container, pour hot milk in a thin stream, spread the foam on top and sprinkle with coconut.

Additives, liqueurs, rums and syrups can be added to this drink as desired, creating a specific recipe.

Features of making cappuccino in a coffee machine

to prepare cappuccino is in a fully automatic coffee machine.
The easiest way is to make cappuccino in a fully automatic coffee machine. To do this, simply select the appropriate mode and after 1-2 minutes the drink is completely ready. In this case, you only need to think about a couple of nuances: which milk to choose, the fat content of which will provide a thick foam and warm up the mug in advance.

You can make coffee in a semi-automatic machine, which is used by professional baristas, by mastering a simple technology. The most important thing is not to overheat the milk. To obtain a beautiful thick foam, baristas recommend applying steam at low pressure, holding the milk jug until the milk is well heated. And in order to add airiness to the foam, it is recommended to periodically change the degree of immersion of the cappuccino maker.

Temperature and drink delivery

Before you make coffee, you need to know the rules for serving it. Because cappuccino needs to be drunk beautifully - unhurriedly, slowly, straight with foam. Coffee utensils also have their own characteristics. The drink is served in a preheated ceramic cup with thick walls, the volume of which is 210 ml.

In its homeland, cappuccino is served in a special cup - tazza, which resembles the shape of a bowl with a handle.

The ideal temperature of the drink is 60-65 degrees; temperatures above 70 degrees are considered unacceptable. The best addition to the drink would be fresh pastries.

Making several cups of cappuccino

If you have guests or you just have a large family, then the previous method is quite problematic. Substituting each cup of milk under steam and then under coffee is a rather long process. It can be avoided using a simple method. Take a large glass, preferably a metal one made of stainless steel; the pros call it a pitcher.

A milk pitcher is a special metal container with a narrowed spout for mechanically foaming milk using a panarello.

Fill the pitcher halfway with milk and do everything the same as in the previous method. But already with a large volume of milk. Then just have time to press coffee preparation and add milk to taste. If you want, add milk to the cup before making coffee, or while making coffee, or after. As you please. Experiment and you will get a delicious cappuccino, no worse than in a cafe.

What is cappuccino

The Capuchins are a monastic family that introduced the world to an incredible recipe for coffee with thick milk foam. This Italian coffee is on par with latte, iced coffee, and so on. Most people prefer this coffee. Ingredients such as milk, espresso and milk foam are an integral part of the preparation of this drink.

If you are the kind of person who wants to make cappuccino at home, then this article will be useful to you. There are many different ways to make cappuccino. Next we'll look a little more about the features.