But you can create a pretty decent coffee at home too. I had to go on a dairy free trial this month (I'm feeding a particularly windy baby and dairy could have been the culprit) but still managed to keep my precious daily coffee in with dairy alternatives, especially as I'm averaging 4 hours of sleep these days. Alpro Almond milk was my favourite but I was very surprised at how much I liked the Alpro soya milk. Personally, I didn't like the unsweetened version so had to get the one with added sugar. Regardless, these methods work for milk or soya milk fine although with dairy, skimmed or semi skimmed milk rather than full fat works best for frothing.
1. Milk
A good latte is obviously all about the milk. I've always found the Nespresso milk foam jugs really effective but if you don't have one I suggest the following.
Frother tool
These are cheap and cheerful little tools that you can pick up for a few pounds. Warm your milk/soya then turn on the frother with whisk placed near the base of the mug and slowly raise and lower the unit as foam develops.
Jar method
Slightly more alternative, but it works! Fill a glass jar half way with milk/soya and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Put the lid on and shake for 30 seconds. Remove the lid and microwave the jar for another 30 seconds (this step helps retain the foam).
2. Coffee
I found out at my Small Batch barista class that coffee and temperature is vital to a good coffee. Here I'm using their Goldstone blend in my classic stove top moka pot.
3. Making the latte
Pour one shot (30ml) or a double shot of espresso in your cup. Add sugar if you take it. Take your milk/soya milk and pour about 240ml into the cup, withholding the foam back with a teaspoon. Then scoop the milk foam on the top to form an even layer. You are looking at about 10mm of foam.
Thanks to Alpro for providing the soya milk.
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