What Is a Latte, and How Do You Make One at Home?

A latte is the mildest, milkiest of the espresso drinks, and one of the coffees people order most at cafés. It's mostly steamed milk, with the coffee in the background.

You can make latte coffee at home without an espresso machine. This page gives you what goes into one, the ratio in millilitres, and the method for a hot or iced latte with whatever you have. It's one of several types of coffee built on espresso and milk.

What is a latte?

A cafe latte is espresso with two to three times as much steamed milk and a thin layer of foam on top. Latte is Italian for milk, and the drink's full name is caffè latte. It's usually served hot in a large cup or a tall glass.

It tastes creamy and gentle. The milk softens the espresso's bitterness, so the coffee comes through as a mellow background flavour. You can also have it iced, with cold milk poured over ice.

What's in a latte: the latte ratio

The latte ingredients are espresso, steamed milk and a thin layer of milk foam. The usual ratio is 1 part espresso to 2–3 parts steamed milk. A double shot is about 60 ml, twice the single shot of 25–35 ml that the Specialty Coffee Association uses as its standard.

For one latte:

Use less milk for a stronger latte, or a little more for a milder one. With a single shot, about 90 ml of milk keeps the same balance in a smaller cup.

How to make a latte at home

Making a latte comes down to two jobs. You make strong coffee, then you heat and froth the milk.

With an espresso machine

1. Pull a double shot of espresso, about 60 ml, straight into your cup.
2. Pour about 200 ml of cold full-fat milk into the steaming jug. Steam it until it's hot, about 60–65°C, with a thin layer of foam on top. Stop before it boils.
3. Tap the jug on the counter and swirl it to break up any big bubbles.
4. Pour the milk into the espresso, holding back the foam with a spoon. Then spoon a thin layer of foam on top.
5. Add sugar to taste.

Without an espresso machine

You don't need a machine to make a good latte at home. You need strong coffee and frothy milk, and there are a few ways to get each.

For the coffee base, pick one:

• Moka pot: about 60 ml of the strong, concentrated coffee it makes. A moka pot is a stovetop brewer, and it's the closest you'll get to espresso without a machine.
• Instant coffee: dissolve 2 tsp of instant coffee in 2 tbsp (30 ml) of hot water. That's roughly one shot's worth, so double both for a stronger latte.
• Filter coffee decoction: strong filter coffee decoction also works as a base.

None of these is true espresso, so the latte will taste a little different from a café one. Each still makes a good milky coffee.

Next, heat about 180 ml of full-fat milk in a pan until it's steaming, and take it off before it boils. Then froth it, pick one:

• French press: pour in the hot milk and pump the plunger up and down until it foams.
• A jar with a lid: fill it no more than half way, close it tightly and shake. Hold it with a cloth, because it gets hot.
• Handheld frother: whisk the hot milk until it's foamy.

Pour the milk into the coffee, holding back the foam, then spoon the foam on top.

How to make an iced latte

An iced latte needs no steaming at all.

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.
2. Pour in about 150 ml of cold milk.
3. Pour a double shot over the top, or any of the coffee bases above.
4. Stir and taste.

If you like it sweet, stir the sugar or syrup into the hot coffee before it goes in. Sugar doesn't dissolve well in cold milk.

Latte vs cappuccino

A cappuccino is equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk foam. So it's stronger, foamier and served in a smaller cup. A latte has more milk and only a thin layer of foam, which makes it creamier and milder.

The flat white sits between the two. It has about twice as much milk as espresso, with a thin, silky foam called microfoam. For a side-by-side look at the two most popular milk coffees, see cappuccino vs latte.

Popular latte flavours

Most flavoured lattes are a regular latte with one thing added:

• Hazelnut, caramel and vanilla latte: a latte with a flavoured syrup stirred into the espresso before the milk goes in.
• Mocha latte: a latte with chocolate, usually just called a mocha. Our mocha coffee recipe shows how to make one.
• Spanish latte: a latte sweetened with condensed milk, which makes it richer and sweeter than a regular latte.

At home, add the syrup or condensed milk to the hot coffee first, so it mixes in evenly.

Tips for a better latte

• Use full-fat milk. It gives the creamiest latte and the most stable foam. In India, full-fat (full cream) milk has at least 6% fat, against 3% for toned milk.
• Don't let the milk boil. Stop when it steams, at about 60–65°C. Gently heated milk tastes sweeter, while milk that gets too hot turns thin and makes flat foam.
• Froth more milk than you need. Foam settles quickly, so a little extra makes sure there's enough for the top.
• Make the coffee strong. About 180 ml of milk dilutes it a lot, so a weak base gets lost.

Latte FAQs

Is a latte hot or cold?

Both. The classic latte is hot. An iced latte is the same coffee with cold milk, poured over ice.

Is a latte different from regular coffee?

Yes. A latte is made with espresso and is mostly steamed milk, so it's milder and creamier than a cup of black coffee. Indian filter coffee is milky too, but it's made with decoction and frothed by pouring it between two vessels.

What is the difference between a latte and a macchiato?

A macchiato is a shot of espresso with only a spoonful of milk or foam, so it tastes much stronger. A latte macchiato is different again. It's a tall, milky drink that's closer to a latte.

What is the difference between a flat white and a latte?

A flat white has less milk, about twice as much as the espresso, and a thinner, silkier foam. So the coffee tastes stronger. It's also served in a smaller cup.

Make your first latte

Start with what you have. Instant coffee and a jar with a lid are enough for a first try. When you want a stronger, rounder cup, a moka pot is the next step.