How to Make Cappuccino without a Machine

Without a doubt, the best cappuccino I’ve ever enjoyed was at a lovely, local Italian restaurant called Villa Verone. The drink was creamy and smooth with a strong taste of coffee, but not bitter. Perfection in a cup! The next day left me craving more so I concocted my own frothy mixture. A few years ago I got rid of my espresso/cappuccino machine because it required too much space and wasn’t used often enough … so I quickly figured how to make cappuccino without a machine.

Granted, this simple homemade version of cappuccino isn’t as decadent as one made with fancy gadgetry, but it hits the spot when you need a shot of caffeine and don’t feel like putting on your makeup to take a trip to Starbucks.

Start your cappuccino with Arabica beans, which are less bitter than Robust beans.

It’s best to use whole beans and grind them fresh just before using. Coffee grinders don’t cost a lot of money and it only takes a few seconds to grind the beans … well worth the freshness!

Since cappuccino is made with espresso, I ground more coffee than I typically use for a regular cup of coffee. About 2 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee per cup of water, and brew with your coffee maker.

While your coffee is brewing, heat your milk over a low flame to about 160 degrees. If you don’t want to use a thermometer, simply remove the milk from heat before it boils. Non-fat milk provides the most froth, but 2% milk provides a bit richer flavor. I used 2% milk.

Using an immersion blender, whip the milk for a minute or two until it’s nice and frothy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, place your heated milk in a lidded jar and shake vigorously until you have quite a bit of foam. Make sure you use a large enough jar that leaves room for creating the foam.

Fill your coffee mugs a little less than halfway with the freshly brewed coffee.

Slowly pour the heated, frothed milk into the coffee. A cappuccino should be equal parts coffee and foam, with about half the amount of milk. If necessary, use a spoon to make sure the foam empties into the cup.

Sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg onto the frothed milk. And that’s how to make cappuccino without a machine.

If you’re wondering what the difference is between cappuccino, cafe latte, and other coffee options, here’s a handy chart I found at Coffee Wikia …

Source: Coffee Wikia

I hope you enjoy my instructions on how to make cappuccino without a machine. You can always add flavored syrup or sugar to your coffee for a sweeter taste before adding the milk and foam.

You Might Also Like …

Chocolate French Macaron Recipe

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Sharing this post at Metamorphosis Monday