If we say, ‘coffee with milk’, you will think of the classic drinks you have surely tasted: from the traditional caffé latte to the mouth-watering cappuccino, not forgetting, of course, the caffé macchiato or, conversely, the latte macchiato. But have you ever had café con leche?
This combination, with its suggestive Spanish name, might look like a normal cappuccino, but the way it is prepared is slightly different. So, if until now you considered yourself a real coffee expert, we must unfortunately disappoint you: the list of drinks you already know is still missing one, which we will present to you in detail in this article.
Café con leche: a bit of history
As you may have guessed, the Italian translation of ‘café con leche’ corresponds to ‘coffee with milk’, and actually it is indeed a drink made from two simple ingredients: espresso coffee and milk. Its origins are somewhat mysterious. What is certain is that it is a drink created in Spain in 17th century, at a time when the country was considered one of the most important coffee traders.
From Spain, café con leche then spread to the various colonies, especially Latin America, where it is now considered a kind of ‘national drink’, albeit known by different names and with some slight differences in the way it is prepared. What is important, however, is that regardless of what it is called and/or prepared, café con leche is habitually consumed at all hours of the day: either at breakfast, or as a mouth-watering ‘cuddle’ to break up the day. After all, its recipe is really very simple and quick and, as we have already explained, relies on only two ingredients.
How to prepare café con leche
The fact that café con leche is prepared with only two ingredients should not lead you to lower your guard too much. In fact, the quality and type of both must be truly optimal, as the actual success of the drink will depend on them.
Regarding the choice of milk, for example, the advice is to go for whole milk, characterised by a higher quantity of fats and proteins which, in turn, will positively influence the density and creaminess of the foam. The same attention should also be paid to the choice of coffee or, rather, the way of preparing it.
Just as milk should be rich in nutrients, the same applies to espresso. We, who know a thing or two about coffee, recommend that you prepare it with one of our lever machines. They are the only ones that can guarantee you a coffee that is rich in taste and nutrients, perfect to be used as a base for the preparation of countless drinks, including café con leche.
After all, it is well known that if you want to drink good coffee, you should do it with the right machine! That’s why we invite you to browse through our catalogue and discover the right coffee machine for you: the one that will allow you to prepare an excellent espresso (preferably a little longer than usual). When it is ready, stick to the following instructions:
- pour the coffee into a large cup;
- get a second cup and fill it 2/3 full with whole milk;
- Once it is the right size, heat the milk until it comes to the boil, then pour it into a milk jug;
- Now whip the milk using a manual or electric milk frother. Use the handle of the milk frother to make slow vertical movements, causing the milk to take in air and start frothing;
- when you see the bubbles become small, pour the milk into the cup with the espresso and stir well;
- if you like, you can top it off by adding a little sugar or condensed milk.
Your café con leche is finally ready to be enjoyed! As we have already explained, this is a drink that may seem reminiscent of cappuccino, but differs slightly in its preparation. On the contrary, it is almost identical to the well-known French ‘café au lait’, as the proportion of milk to coffee is the same for both drinks.
Conclusion
If you have read this far, you might have felt like savouring this delicious Spanish drink, perhaps for breakfast or, why not, as a relaxing evening cuddle before going to sleep, while enjoying a good movie on TV or immersed in reading a book. Besides, café con leche is really very easy to prepare, which is why you can really treat yourself to it whenever you feel the need.
The secret, as we have already explained, is to get the best ingredients and the best tools to prepare this drink, such as one of our lever machines. That is why we renew our invitation to you to choose the model you prefer from our catalogue and use it to prepare a fantastic café con leche!
