As a heavy coffee drinker, and I’m sure most of my fellow “coffee-cionados” will agree, I can’t say that I particularly enjoy the occasional jitters. Other than that, give me good coffee in any shape or form, and you’ll put a smile on my face.
Enjoying all things coffee, I was rather puzzled by the different attitudes regarding latte. I recently discovered, (should read: someone mumbled it to me as a half joke), that being called a “latte drinker” is offensive in some parts of the world. Whaaat? It looks like it means different things in different countries, but it’s all in the snob, out of touch elitist ballpark.
Italy, of course, the country of origin of lattes, is not part of those countries. Italians drink a cup of latte at breakfast and that’s that. Western culture, though, has made it that a latte is a special occasion, something to spoil yourself with. Well, I’m happy to say that that latte image has really begun to vanish, as I see more and more people having a nice latte maker in their kitchen.
What Is A Latte?
Before moving forward, I feel the need to point out that a caffè latte is not the same as a latte macchiato, and a macchiato will never be as rich in coffee flavor as a caffè latte. A shot of espresso, steamed milk and a layer of foamed milk – that’s your typical caffè latte. And if you are like me, you don’t want to calculate how much milk, how much espresso. And certainly, I don’t want a headache each time I need to froth milk, and nail that perfect microfoam. Do I sound like a coffee geek already? I got the terms from this article about how to buy a latte maker.
Going back to the increasingly large number of latte makers that keep popping up on various countertops, I surely can say it’s a delight to have one or be somewhere where they have it. Drinking an iced latte on a hot summer’s day can be awesomely invigorating, and drinking a steamy latte in the afternoon can really give you a couple of minutes to feel a sort of calmness taking you over while you indulge in the milky tastiness – it’s not grounding, but it’s close.
Buy A Latte Maker – It’s Cheaper on the Long Run
Baristas and microfoam enthusiasts, of course, are long-time owners of professional latte makers, but not only latte artists can use them. On the contrary, the majority of latte makers are very user-friendly, pretty easy to use and to set up.
Vegans and people who are lactose intolerant can also make good use of a latte maker, as it’s completely adaptable to soy milk, almond milk and oat milk. Price should not be an issue, and a quick scroll through Amazon should confirm that, fact which makes a latte maker a great gift to give someone.
All in all, I know I’m not the only one who’s eager for the day when every household has a latte maker so that we can enjoy a delicious latte whether we’re at grandma’s, visiting at a friend’s house or attending a humdrum meeting that you can’t get out of. One thing is sure, that day is right around the corner.
If you think that latte makers are expensive, make a simple calculation: the average price for a latte is 3$. Multiply that with 365 days in a year, and you spend $1095 per year per person. So even if you buy a fancy super-automatic latte maker, you will pay off your machine in your first year of use. I didn’t even mention the convenience of having that machine at home.
Oh remember I didn’t like to calculate volumes and ratios between milk and espresso? I don’t want to tamp, to grind, and whatever else is involved in creating the delicious caffeinated beverage. So, again, if you are like me, the super automatic does all of that for you, it’s almost like getting it from Starbucks, only cheaper.
Corinne is a coffee lover bitten by the writing bug. She dreams of a successful blogging career, writing about food and coffee. In her free time she also socializes with other coffee lovers on Twitter.