Top Tips for Making a Perfect Cappuccino at Home Every Time

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A perfect cappuccino has a velvety texture and just the right ratio of espresso, milk, and, most importantly, foam.

close up on a cup of cappuccino
2
Prep Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
10 mins
Servings:
1

I’ll take a cappuccino any which way: Sometimes they come with a fun leaf or a new trending design. Others don’t have the same ambience about them, but rather, a light dusting of cinnamon or a little sugar. All are equally comforting for me, though.

A great cappuccino has a rich coffee flavor with a creamy mouthfeel and milky sweetness. Cappuccinos can also be quite bitter. They are usually equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and frothy milk foam—and all of these parts can affect the flavor of your coffee. Of course, there are two steps to making a perfect cappuccino: pulling the espresso shot and steaming the milk.

A cappuccino is always about eight ounces. There’s not much reason for anything else because all that’s in your cup is espresso mixed with steamed, frothy milk. Pulling the shot can change the coffee if not done correctly. When you add the espresso, tamp down the ground beans on the firmer side. You don’t need to put your whole arm into it, but it should be level, well set, and free of any air pockets.

Frothing the milk is not too difficult either. When steaming the milk, the key is to incorporate air into the milk and heat it up using the steam wand on your espresso machine. Naturally, this process happens in tandem, but it should take about 20 seconds for your milk to reach a bubbly, frothy texture. The milk should double in size during the process.

You’ll find plenty of tips, tricks, and instructions below on making the perfect cappuccino at home. Making coffee in your own kitchen can be a rewarding ritual each morning. Who knows? You might be upgrading your espresso machine in no time.

Test Kitchen Tips

Recipe developer Julia Levy made cappuccinos over and over again to work out the best ways to create a cup. Here are some tips that will help make the process easier:

  • “Cafe Bustelo is a popular brand of ground espresso, but it can be a bit bitter. Use high-quality beans for the best cappuccino! Beans for espresso are very finely ground—do not use regular ground coffee for this.”
  • “Use milk that’s as “fresh” as possible; milk that’s nearing its expiration date does not foam as well. Whole milk is the best choice for a cappuccino. Whole milk froths the best because it has the highest milk fat. 2% milk can be substituted for whole milk. It works well, but you lose a bit of the richness.”

From The Editor

If you’re working with an espresso machine, owning a metal frothing pitcher will help out. You can keep your free hand close to the side while frothing your milk and gently touch the tin to feel the temperature. As you do so, you’ll feel the milk heating up the pitcher. You’ll know your milk is ready when the pitcher is hot to the touch. Of course, when you are making a cappuccino, you need to heat the milk and froth it, so with a little practice, the process gets easier.

Editorial contributions by Keaton Larson

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 1 servings

  • 1/2 cup filtered water

  • 2 tablespoons ground espresso or 2 1/2 tablespoons espresso beans, very finely ground

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon or nutmeg, for sprinkling

Directions

Espresso Machine:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients gathered to make a cappuccino

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Fill espresso machine reservoir with water. 

    espresso machine filled with water

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  3. Spoon ground espresso into portafilter.

    grounds spooned into the portafilter

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  4.  “Tamp” or press coffee grounds down using a tamper. Do this 2 to 3 times to make sure grounds are packed tightly.

    grounds pressed down into the filter

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  5. Place portafilter into your espresso machine's group head, and lock it in place.

    filter locked into place in the espresso machine

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  6. Place your drinking vessel under the portafilter, and pull the shot for 23 to 30 seconds (you should have 2 ounces of espresso for a double shot).

    an espresso shot being pulled

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Pour milk into either a glass measuring cup or a small metal pitcher. Insert steam wand into container with milk, just under the surface of the milk. Keeping the wand toward the side of the container, move the container up and down so that the wand can incorporate air into the milk. Steam milk until doubled in volume and very foamy, about 20 seconds. Swirl frothed milk a couple of times to incorporate foam into milk.

    milk being frothed

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Immediately top espresso with foamed milk, and sprinkle with cinnamon. When initially poured, cappuccino is only espresso and foam, but the liquid milk quickly settles out of the foam to create the roughly equal parts foam, steamed milk, and espresso.

    frothed milk being poured into espresso

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Stovetop Percolator:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients gathered to make a cappuccino

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  2. Unscrew top and bottom pieces of device. Remove filter basket from bottom half, and pour water into the reservoir.

    water being poured into the reservoir

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  3. Replace filter basket in the bottom half, and fill with espresso grounds. Smooth out the grounds, but DO NOT tamp or press down. Wipe away any loose grounds around the edge. Screw top half of the device back onto bottom half. 

    espresso grounds poured into the filter basket

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Set device over medium-low heat with the lid closed. (Make sure the flame is not larger than the device and the device is slightly off-center of the heating element to prevent the handle from getting hot.) On a gas stove, allow the espresso to percolate until the top pot is half full; then turn off the heat, and allow the coffee to finish brewing. Alternatively, on an electric stove, once you hear the coffee percolating, remove from heat, and the residual heat will continue to brew the coffee.

    coffee brewed halfway in the percolator

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Pour milk into a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute or until milk is 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). (Alternatively, heat milk in a small saucepan over medium until hot to the touch but not simmering, about 2 minutes.) Use a milk frother, French press, or whisk to froth the milk until very foamy.  Swirl frothed milk a couple of times to incorporate foam into milk. 

    milk being frothed

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Immediately top espresso with foamed milk, and sprinkle with cinnamon. When initially poured, cappuccino is only espresso and foam, but the liquid milk quickly settles out of the foam to create the roughly equal parts foam, steamed milk, and espresso.

    a cup of cappuccino topped with cinnamon

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?

    Generally, a cappuccino is a smaller drink—about eight ounces. A latte and a cappuccino both use steamed milk, but nowhere near the same amount. A cappuccino will use frothed milk as well. As a result, this cup of coffee will taste richer and more bitter. Lattes taste milkier because they use a lot more milk, and it is more common to see lattes flavored with sweeteners. 

  • Can I use dairy-free milks to make a cappuccino?

    The short answer is yes! Some milks are better at mixing air into than others. The texture can vary widely among different non-dairy milks and among the same milks sold from different brands.

    • "For a dairy-free version, oat milk is the best choice. It froths up the best and has great flavor," says Julia Levy. "Almond milk (at room temperature) and soy milk also foam well. Avoid rice milk, cashew milk, or macadamia milk."
  • What is the difference between espresso beans and coffee beans?

    “The difference between espresso and coffee comes down to the way they are prepared, rather than the actual beans," says Julia Levy. "In general, espresso beans are roasted for a long time (dark roast), have a fine grind and require high pressure to create an ounce or two of concentrated coffee. Regular coffee beans are roasted for a shorter time than espresso beans, have a coarse grind and are great for brewing techniques that don’t involve high-pressure…Coffee beans have a medium or balanced concentration of bitterness and espresso beans typically have a high concentration. This makes espresso taste thicker, stronger and richer.”

  • What if I don’t own a frothing pitcher?

    There are several solutions: a French press or whisk can work, but if you have a glass measuring cup in your kitchen, that can work nearly as well as a metal pitcher. Also, a handheld milk frother can aerate milk nearly as well as your espresso machine. If you use a French press or whisk, heat the milk first, either on the stovetop or in a microwave, then froth the milk.

    • Add hot milk to a French press and pump in quick, short plunges until the milk begins to bubble and foam—about 30 seconds. Oat milk can lose its foamy texture if over whipped, so stop frothing the milk right when it begins to foam up.
    • You can also whisk up hot milk in a bowl to get a similar texture, but the froth won’t be as luscious and bubbly. Still, it’s better than nothing.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)

82 Calories
4g Fat
7g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 1
Calories 82
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 66mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 157mg 12%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 316mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.