to rush the process!)
Step 5—The entire brewing cycle takes between three and six minutes, depending on the size of your pot. The water will heat up in the lower chamber, producing steam. Because steam occupies more space than water, it builds pressure and forces the hot water up through the puck of coffee grinds in your filter. You will hear your espresso gurgling up through the pot’s “fountain” (C) and into the upper chamber. When you hear the gurgling slow, watch for steam puffing out of the pot’s spout, then check the upper chamber. If it’s filled with coffee, then you’re finished! Remove from the heat and pour into prewarmed cups. (To prewarm my cup, I simply use hot tap water. Fill the cup; let sit a minute; discard the water; wipe dry; and you’re good to go!)
HOW TO CREATE LATTE AND CAPPUCCINO FROTH WITHOUT AN ESPRESSO MACHINE STEAM WAND
No, it is not the same as professional, coffeehouse-quality foamed milk, and I wouldn’t even try to pour latte art with it. For true microfoam nirvana, you should visit your local barista! To have some fun at home, however, my stovetop method allows you to create a rustic version of a coffeehouse cappuccino and latte in your own kitchen.
If you’re looking for something higher-tech, you can now find machines designed solely to heat and froth your milk. Just type “automatic milk frother” into an Internet search or shopping engine, and you’ll get a variety of affordable models to begin considering. In the meantime, here’s a low-tech solution for creating foam at home!
Step 1—Fill a medium-size saucepan aboutfull with water. Place the pan over high heat until the water begins to boil. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the water to simmer.
Step 2—Select a heatproof mixing bowl from your cupboard that is large enough to sit on top of the saucepan. (You are creating a double boiler.) Make sure the simmering water beneath the bowl is not touching the bowl’s bottom. Pour fresh, cold milk into the bowl and allow it to warm over the boiling water for one minute, no longer! How much milk? Aboutcup per serving.
Step 3—With an oven mitt on one hand to hold the hot bowl and a handheld electric mixer in the other, tip the bowl enough to tilt all of the milk into one deep, concentrated pool and then whip it. (Whip it good! Use the fastest speed available on your mixer and simply hold the mixing beaters in the center of the milk pool—do not move the mixer around.) In a matter of seconds, you’ll see the warmed white fluid froth up. Whip the milk 20-90 seconds, depending on how much foam you’d like to create, and you’re done! Do not over whip the milk. You won’t be able to foam up every molecule of milk with this method, and if you whip it too much, you’ll just begin breaking down the foam you’ve created.
Troubleshooting: To make this rustic frothing method foolproof, keep these four suggestions in mind. (1) Never try to re-froth milk that’s been whipped and has fallen. It won’t work. You must always start with cold, fresh, undisturbed milk. Pour it straight from the fridge to your measuring cup to the bowl. That’s it. (2) Don’t try to start whipping at a low speed and increase it. Whip it like crazy from the start, using the highest speed possible on your blender—if there’s not enough immediate, vigorous whipping action, the milk won’t properly foam up. (3) If you want to infuse spices or flavorings into your latte or cappuccino, then stir them into your hot espresso shot. Do not add syrups, flavorings, or ground spices into the milk before trying to froth it. (4) Finally, do not allow the milk to warm much longer than a few minutes over the boiling water. Steaming milk properly brings out its sweetness. If the milk is overheated, however, your latte will have a terrible scorched taste instead of a sweet one. That’s why my rustic frothing method is done double boiler style instead of in a pan sitting directly on the stove burner. It’s the best way to control the heat and prevent your milk from scorching.
MAKING A RUSTIC CAPPUCCINO
For one serving, start withcup of cold, fresh milk. Follow my directions for frothing the milk. After 60-90 seconds of whipping, when much of the milk in the mixing bowl has grown into a thick cloud of rustic foam dense enough to scoop with