The Coffee-Making Equipment You Need to Make a Delicious Latte at Home

The Coffee-Making Equipment You Need to Make a Delicious Latte at Home
Contributor: Alex Kidman
At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Nailing the perfect home latte sounds like fine art, but it all starts with investing in the right home coffee equipment. Much like anything, careful preparation and the right tools are key for achieving the best home coffee possible.

Despite what your local barista might tell you, the recipe for a latte really isn’t that complicated. Essentially it’s just two ingredients: an espresso coffee and some steamed milk. Having the proper tools and supplies on hand can make the difference between an appealing latte that you can’t wait to drink and a milky mess that you’ll probably want to spit out instead.

When it comes to what kind of milk you want to use, it’s really up to personal choice. If you’re after a thick foam you typically want to opt for a full-fat variety, but there’s nothing wrong with using alternative milk types depending on your dietary or allergy requirements. Just know that your milk choice has the potential to make or break your café-style latte.

If you’re after that authentic café-style experience, you’re going to need a few tools first. We’ve rounded up our favourite coffee equipment for mastering the home latte below.

Breville The Infuser Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel, $499

The choice is yours as to whether you adopt a fully integrated machine into your espresso-making or not. There’s definitely a convenience play in having a machine do it all for you, but of course, that does mean you’re trusting in its settings. The Breville Infuser Espresso Machine promises precise infusion, or the ability to pre-infuse ground coffee for a better balance of flavour with maximum extraction, as well as temperature control and a high-pressure steaming element for a café-perfect milk froth. With a $500+ price tag, the cost might be prohibitive, but if you do decide to invest in a piece of high-tech coffee equipment, you can expect a professional-level cuppa.

You can buy the Breville The Infuser Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel ($499) from Amazon here.

De’Longhi Dedica Pump Espresso Coffee Machine, $289

 

The alternative approach here is to buy a machine that you add your own ground beans into, giving you more control over the process. De’Longhi’s Dedica Pump Espresso is a compact option that could be a good match if you’re working with limited kitchen bench space.

You can buy the De’Longhi Dedica Pump Espresso Coffee Machine ($289) from Amazon here.

Sunbeam Stainless Steel Milk Jug, $22.50

coffee equipment

Milk is the other part of the latte experience you need to cover off, and while some machines do come with a small jug, if you’re making lattes for more than one person, you’ll need something with a bit more capacity. Sunbeam’s stainless steel milk frothing jug should do the trick nicely, whether you’re making multiple lattes for a group – or just for yourself.

You can buy the Sunbeam Stainless Steel Milk Jug ($22.50) from Myer here.

Zolay Manual Coffee Grinder $29.99

home latte

If all this talk of automation isn’t for you, you’re going to want to grind your own beans your own way, and that means using a manual coffee grinder. The Zolay Manual Grinder uses ceramic burrs that it claims last up to 5x longer than stainless steel ones, with precise control over your grind no matter what style you prefer.

You can buy the Zolay Manual Coffee Grinder ($29.99) from Amazon here.

De’Longhi Nespresso – Gran Lattissima, Capsule Coffee Machine, $592.67

home coffee equipment

The lazy person’s – or possibly time-poor if we’re being generous – way to at-home lattes is via a capsule machine. The De’Longhi Nespresso Grand Lattissima promises easy one-touch customisable latte creation, along of course with a range of other coffee options depending on your taste. If you need your latte fast and without fuss and you’re happy with the taste of capsule coffee, it’s your easiest option – but again it passes the $500 mark, meaning at-home coffee perfection doesn’t come cheap.

You can buy the De’Longhi Nespresso – Gran Lattissima, Capsule Coffee Machine ($592.67) from Amazon here.

Editor’s note: Descriptions and features are as taken from manufacturer/seller claims on Amazon.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


Leave a Reply