Aeropress method

Here's my favorite way to make a delicious latte or cappuccino at home on the cheap.

You will need:

1. a way to heat water to boiling. I use a hot water kettle like this one. Or, you can just heat water on the stove or in the microwave.



2. coffee beans, as fresh as you can get them. I prefer a mix of dark and light roasts for making espresso, but experiment with different beans for different flavor. Do not use pre-ground or flavored coffee, because that's just gross.



3. a way to grind the coffee beans to an espresso grind. This usually means you will need to invest some $$ in a burr grinder. Believe me, it will be worth it in the long run. Think of the money you will save by not going to the cafe every day for your latte! Here is why you don't want a cheaper blade coffee grinder. I use a Kitchenaid ProLine Burr Grinder, which will run around $170, and so far I have never had it stick, break down, or had to replace anything (although our cat did break the glass bottom part). There are cheaper burr grinders out there as well, although I am not sure as to their quality.



4. An aeropress espresso maker, which will run you about $30. Why buy an expensive, fancy at-home espresso machine? This thing is 10 times better than anything you'll pay less than $1000 for, and it requires no electricity. Definitely worth it.



5. a way to froth/steam milk. While it's not exactly like steamed, I personally like frothed milk just fine, so I use the $25 Bodum milk frother. I think electric milk frothers seem excessive, and I like the low-tech hand-pump option. For a latte with steamed milk, I'll put up a post about the Mooka Pot next.



6. Milk- I use soy milk usually because I like the taste better, but any other type of milk works too.

So, assuming you already have milk and a way to heat water at your house, you're looking at an investment of about $225 up front and around $15/month on good coffee beans (which, trust me, will be better than what you get at most cafes). Taken over a year, that comes out to $33.75/month, or about $1.11 per day. You can't get a latte anywhere for that price!

Here's how to make it:
First, start heating up your water. You want it to be nice and hot when you're ready to make your coffee.

Next, get out your aeropress, put in a new filter (it comes with a ton of them) and screw the black base on.

For the milk, get out your frother, and fill it to the line with milk. I put it in the microwave for 1 minute on 80% power, which seems to work well.

While your milk is heating, grind some beans and add them to the aeropress tube with the filter in it. I like to use 2 scoops of beans, on setting 5 on my burr grinder. That should be about right for a double-shot. Put the aeropress over a coffee cup, and when the water is hot, add enough water so that it comes up to the #2.

Next, stir the coffee grounds. I use a wooden chopstick. This also works well in a french press.

Then you will take the smaller tube, wet the rubber part in the sink, and plunge it into the larger tube. Hold it there for about 20 seconds, then plunge the rest of the way down. You can experiment with this for longer/shorter extraction times depending on how you like your shot. The only thing I find dissapointing about this method is that the crema seems to all stick to the aeropress and not end up in the cup. But it tastes pretty good anyway.

You'll want to froth your milk now. Just move the handle up and down vigorously until the milk has expanded. If you don't want too much foam, just do it a little bit.Pour your shot into a glass (or just leave it in your mug).

Pour your shot into a mug, then pour the milk over it. Here is your chance to make latte art! For a cappuccino, put more foam, for a latte, just a touch of foam.

Finally, enjoy!

Cleanup is very easy- just push the coffee puck out of the aeropress and rinse. I put my milk frother in the dishwasher, and nothing bad has happened to it yet.