How to make cappuccino: Italian coffee and traditions, part four

Our series on Italian coffee today looks at the famous breakfast drink in Italy, cappuccino.
We did a little introduction to Italian coffee, checked out what makes a good espresso, and looked at the caffé corretto.
So now we examine how not to ruin a cappuccino.

The first thing, and just as important as anything else, is the coffee.

You always start with coffee, which should be the same quantity, consistency and quality as an espresso.
The coffee should not be half a cup and now with automatic espresso machines, you should hit the espresso button all the same.

It should always have the famous “crema” on the top, and should look just like an espresso in a big cup.
Then to the milk – steaming is an art and a difficult one at that.
When you get the hang of it, you will find that baristas never have to spoon out the froth, though at the beginning is is better than nothing.

The milk should always be a smooth, creamy, integrated mix.
You should not get milk and then cold froth on top.