Maintaining Normalcy: Making Lattes at Home

Last updated on January 8th, 2024 at 12:03 pm

I don’t know about you guys, but coffee is a staple in my life. It doesn’t matter if it’s morning, noon, or night. I don’t think I’m alone with the belief that coffee and business go together hand-in-hand. One thing that changed for me when I began working from home, was the commute that would take me past the local Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts. Sipping on an iced latte while listening to my favorite tunes was the best way to start and end my work day. Since I am not leaving the house to go to work, I find myself not wanting to spend the gas to drive to get coffee. Maintaining a routine helps your brain stay engaged, especially when you bring the office into your house. Therefore, I knew it would be a need to make lattes at home to transition from home life into work mode when I stepped into my office.

Jump to Recipe

What is Needed:

• Espresso Maker
• Espresso
• Coffee Syrup
• Ice
• Milk
• Your favorite tumbler

Espresso Maker

The most important part of making a latte is the ability to make your espresso. I chose a relatively inexpensive espresso maker, but an Aeropress works just as well. You do not need something expensive and complex unless you really want to look posh. I went with the simple Brentwood GA-125, but Good Housekeeping has a wonderful review on the top 10 espresso machines.

Espresso

The first step in making a good latte at home is your espresso. I am NOT a food blogger, so the only pictures you are going to find in this post are the products I used. I don’t have that skill for taking glorious photos causing your mouth to drool. Remember that espresso is ideally made by weighing the coffee grounds. You will want to start with beans that you grind specifically for espresso, or purchase espresso ground. The grind is different than drip coffee, so take care in what ground coffee you purchase.

• 8 grams espresso
• 1 oz water

Grind the beans FRESH (this is so very important for the best flavor). I normally make four shots of espresso for my lattes, so I will quadruple the ingredients. Since I do not own an Aeropress, these instructions are specific for the machine. You will want to weigh the portafilter before and after filling with coffee to ensure you have the correct measurements. If you do not own a scale, then fill it to the measurement lines and then tamp. Outside of that, follow the instructions on whatever machine you own.

Making the Lattes

WHILE the espresso is brewing, you will want to set up your latte. My preference is to use Fairlife Whole Milk because it is lactose-free, so my body handles it so much better. However, you can use any type of milk you want.

• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 oz syrup (this is roughly 5 pumps of any syrup you want, and it can be omitted)
• 4 oz espresso
• ice

As you are waiting for the espresso to finish, mix the milk and sugar in a container. Set it aside. Fill a large glass (I use a 32-ounce tumbler) halfway with ice. Pour the espresso into the cup. Top with the milk mixture. Stir and enjoy.

I generally make my own syrups because they are simple and cheaper. I can only make what I need, so they don’t go to waste. The ratio is a 2:1, as in 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Tonight I wanted a vanilla flavor, so I added 1 tsp real vanilla extract during the cooking process. The result was to die for.

Making my own lattes are only one of the many steps I have taken to save finances and feel like there is normalcy in my life. What are things that you enjoyed from having a job outside the house, that you’d like to bring into the home environment?