How To Make a Cappuccino Without A Coffee Machine

How many times have you been quietly sitting on the couch, relaxing, when suddenly you’re struck with an undeniable and incurable craving for a steaming hot, creamy cappuccino? I know in my case, far too often than I’d like to admit. Now, what if you don’t have a coffee machine at your disposal to make that lovely cappuccino? Have a look through a great way of how to make a cappuccino at home without a coffee machine.

How To Make A Cappuccino: The Ingredients

It’s important we know what goes into making a cappuccino, so that we can get the freshest possible ingredients. By definition, a cappuccino is equal parts coffee and foamed / frothed milk.

You’ll need about 200 ml fresh, chilled low-fat milk (we explain why low fat milk is a good option in this video – look out for Point #5).

You’ll also need freshly brewed coffee; this can either be done with instant coffee (where you will be compromising taste) or freshly ground coffee, brewed in a French Press / plunger (the quality of your coffee will definitely be noticeably higher). You’ll need about 100ml – 150ml of this coffee, added to your frothed milk, to produce a 450ml (or Grande size cappuccino).

If you’re looking to make a smaller size cup, adjust your milk and coffee ratio accordingly

Also, for a stronger taste, add more coffee and less milk – and voice versa.

How To Make A Cappuccino: The Equipment

If you’re going to be using freshly-ground coffee – you will need a French Press or plunger. These are easily available at retail stores and are quite cheap to purchase (between R 50.00 – R 300.00).We see many people suggest using a Moka Pot to brew your coffee; in my opinion, this is far too much work and requires a very high skill level to avoid burning the coffee, so rather opt for the French Press method.

To froth your milk, you have two main options; you could either use a frothing wand (a battery-operated wand with a whisk-type attachment at the end) to manually froth your milk to the right consistency. You should see small bubbles towards the top of the froth – remember that the milk and froth separate quite easily; “knocking” the jug in which your milk froth is being kept will allow for the milk and froth to re-mix.

Your alternative to a manually-operated frothing wand is an independent milk-frother. There are so many types on the market it’s nearly impossible to narrow the options down to a few. My suggestion – if you are going this route – is to look for a milk frother with a reputable brand name and some sort of warranty attached to it. They vary in ease of use – but generally speaking – all you need to do is add your milk to the frother and wait for the magic to happen.

How To Make A Cappuccino: Putting it Together – Properly!

You’ve gotten all the hard work out of the way, now is the crucial part of making a great cappuccino at home.

Add your frothed milk gently to your cup (a good idea is to tilt you cup so that you don’t loose any of the foam, and that the un-frothed milk goes straight to the bottom of the cup). Keep your froth to finish it off.

Once your cup is filled about ¾ of the way, add your brewed coffee, slowly. Because the density of coffee is higher than that of milk, it will look beautiful as it settles to the bottom of the cup. Top off your cappuccino with the micro-foam (small little froth bubbles) and sprinkle it with a dash of cinnamon or cocoa powder. There your very own home-brewed cappuccino.

How to Make A Cappuccino At Home: Coffee Machine Options

Now, this is all fair and well, but you are going to notice that even though you’ve poured all your love into making this – it is still not going to be café quality.
We understand that cost is a huge factor when buying a coffee machine – so we’ve narrowed down your “step-up” options down to two variants.

A capsule coffee machine (still not the BEST quality, but much better and simpler than going through the whole home-making process we mentioned above); these range of machines can be quite cheap – and the coffee pod options specific to each machine differs. A great one-step, cost effective solution for a small office (5 people maximum) or a home.

You could alternatively opt for a Bean-to-Cup machine; this machine is going to open doors for you you never knew existed! You will be getting the best coffee possible (freshly ground in the machine and brewed directly into your cup) – and almost all modern Bean-to-Cup coffee machine some standard with a built-in milk frother. Yes, this cost is going to be considerably higher, but if you apply this machine to the right space – it will pay for itself! If you don’t believe me – watch our comparative pricing review here.

Whichever way you decide to go, enjoy every cappuccino to the fullest you can, life is too short to drink a bad coffee!

One of life’s simplest pleasures that should be savoured 🙂