Cappuccino Recipe

Preheat and dose

Preheat the portafilter and cup by running a blank shot or rinsing with hot water. Dose about 18 g (0.018 kg) of freshly ground espresso into the portafilter and tamp evenly with about 30 lb (13.6 kg) of pressure to create a smooth puck.

Pull the shot

Lock the portafilter into the espresso machine and extract a single ristretto/espresso shot into a preheated 150–180 ml cup. Aim for 25–35 seconds of extraction yielding ~30 ml of espresso. Adjust grind or dose if extraction is too fast or slow.

Prepare the milk

Pour 150 ml whole milk into a chilled stainless-steel frothing pitcher. For a traditional cappuccino aim for a milk-to-espresso ratio of roughly 1:1 (milk) by volume to espresso (the shot will be ~30 ml), remembering cappuccino is ~150–180 ml finished beverage.

Steam and texture

Purge the steam wand briefly, then position the tip just below the milk surface and steam at a slight angle. Begin with the tip near the surface to introduce air for 2–4 seconds (creating microfoam), then submerge the tip to heat the milk to 60–65°C (140–149°F). Create dense, velvety microfoam about 1–1.5 cm thick for a traditional cappuccino.

Tap and swirl

Tap the pitcher gently on the counter and swirl to pop any large bubbles and integrate foam with liquid milk for a smooth texture.

Pour and finish

Pour the espresso into the cup if not already there. Immediately pour the steamed milk into the center of the espresso, starting from a higher position to sink the liquid milk, then lower the pitcher and finish with a controlled wiggle to lay the microfoam on top and create basic latte art if desired. The finished drink should be about 150–180 ml with roughly equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam (approx. 1 cm of foam).

Optional garnish

Dust the foam lightly with cocoa powder or ground cinnamon (about 1 tsp) and add sugar to taste if desired.