If you want to imitate the ‘baristas’ of the Italian coffee bars (experts in the art of making an espresso) it is essential you know how to achieve a perfect ‘crema’.

Crema is the pure coffee extract you find on the top of an espresso. Resembling the head you’d find on a glass of stout, it’s full of rich aroma and leaves a lingering flavour. A test of a good ‘crema’ is to put a little sugar on the top. If it takes time to fall to the bottom you’ve succeeded!

Types of coffee

• Cappuccino: 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot milk, 1/3 frothy milk
• Latte: with added hot milk. Normally ratio is 1:6 espresso: hot milk.
• Macchiato: espresso with a little touch of milk
• Con Panne: espresso with a dash of cream
• Mocha: hot chocolate with a dash of espresso
• Americano: hot water with a dash of espresso

Tampering coffee

You’ll always spot a barista doing this. After they’ve filled the filter holder with coffee they’ll gently tap the top of it, levelling off the coffee, before locking the holder into the machine. This is to make sure the water filters through evenly. Too much ‘tampering’ and the water will take too long. Top machines feature an in-built tamper.

Milk

For perfect frothing you can use any type of milk – full cream, semi-skimmed or skimmed is fine – as long as it’s fresh. It’s the protein that makes the froth, and this diminishes after about 4 days. Always use a stainless-steel jug (it conducts heat better) and fill it to just under half full with cold milk. When it’s too hot to touch at the base the froth is ready. Give it a couple of taps to get rid of any bubbles, and then gently spoon the froth onto your espresso for that perfect cappuccino!