The Aeropress can be used to make concentrated coffee for use in lattes and iced lattes very convincingly. Here’s how to do it.
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Aeropress “Espresso” for Lattes and Iced Lattes
The Aeropress is a fantastic coffee maker for brewing regular coffee. However, the unique design also allows you to make concentrated coffee which is very similar to espresso. Concentrated coffee can be used in lattes and iced lattes in place of espresso for a very similar end result.
Concentrated coffee will lack some of the richness from a high end espresso machine, but this is your best espresso alternative without having to spend several hundred dollars on a dedicated machine. If you are craving an inexpensive alternative to espresso for use in lattes and iced lattes, consider grabbing an Aeropress (view on Amazon).
What is a Latte
A latte is an espresso-based drink consisting of espresso and frothed or foamed milk. When you froth the milk, you add texture, create thickness, and bring about a certain sweetness in the milk as it heats up. Although a latte is typically milkier than a cappuccino, a true latte has a certain satisfying heaviness because of the textured milk.
Lattes can be flavored with various syrups. These include caramel, vanilla, white chocolate, and others. You can also sweeten a latte with sugar or simple syrup. My favorite flavored latte is the white chocolate mocha, which you can make using Fontana White Chocolate sauce. This drink, even when made with an Aeropress, is strikingly similar to the one you pay 4-5 bucks for at Starbucks.
A great latte doesn’t necessarily require any added sugar. The milk really takes the edge off the coffee and dilutes its strength, which makes the latte the most accessible coffee drink out there. Because of this, lattes are a wonderful way to train yourself to ditch the sugar.
How to Make a Latte with an Aeropress
To make a latte with an Aeropress, you will want to start by brewing a single or doubleshot of concentrated coffee (see below) into a mug and setting aside momentarily. If you are going to sweeten your latte with syrup or sugar, this is generally the best time to add it.
Next, prepare 5-8 ounces of steamed milk (also see below). Swirl the milk and resulting foam together for an overall thicker drink, or reserve some of the foam to top the drink with at the end.
Next, pour the steamed milk into the mug with the coffee. You can gently swirl the milk as you pour to integrate the coffee and milk, finishing with any remaining foam left in your frothing pitcher.
How to Make an Iced Latte with an Aeropress
The only difference between a regular latte and an iced latte is that you will skip steaming the milk and instead leave it cold. Otherwise, the process is similar to a standard latte.
AeroPress iced lattes taste very similar to regular iced lattes from a coffee shop. Additionally, they are much simpler to make compared to other milk-based coffee drinks. This is a great way to enjoy coffee during the summer heat.
Begin by brewing a shot of concentrated coffee (see below). If you add sugar or syrup, do it before adding the milk and allow the sugar time to dissolve. Then add about 5-8 ounces cold milk per shot, and top with about half a cup of ice. This ratio of coffee to milk should be close to what most people are used to.
Aeropress iced lattes can vary based on the strength of your shot, how many shots you use, and the flavors you choose to add. Regardless of these parameters, the end result is usually always satisfying if you do a good job brewing your concentrated coffee.
Espresso vs Concentrated Coffee from an Aeropress
Real espresso is very finely ground and pressurized with a short extraction (brewing) time. You can replicate this in an Aeropress by grinding fine and also keeping the extraction time short. The Aeropress makes much better “espresso” than many machines out there until you get to the 400-500-dollar price point.
Read More: Best Beginner Espresso Machine
Can you tell the difference between a latte that contains espresso vs concentrated coffee from an Aeropress? Most people probably can’t, especially if you start adding sugar or syrups. This is because a latte is mostly milk and only the stronger coffee notes come through clearly.
How to Make Concentrated Coffee with an Aeropress
To make a convincing shot of concentrated coffee, you will need an Aeropress, dark or espresso roasted coffee beans, and hot water just off the boil.
- Begin by finely grinding 1 Aeropress scoop (or 14-15 grams) of coffee.
- Attach a paper filter to the aeropress and use some hot water to prewet the filter.
- Add your coffee and fill the Aeropress with hot water up to the number 2 line. Immediately stir.
- Insert the plunger at an angle, then straighten and pull back slightly to create a vacuum seal.
- Wait about 15 seconds, then press slowly on the plunger for 15 seconds to finish the coffee.
- The total extraction time should be around 30-40 seconds. Once you combine the coffee and water, do your best to work quickly until the vacuum seal is created.
For more details, please refer to my Aeropress guide and scroll to the concentrated coffee section.
How to Prepare Milk for a Latte
To prepare milk for a latte or cappuccino, you will need heat and the ability to add a foamy texture somehow. You can do this by using pressurized steam if you have an espresso machine with a steamwand, or you can froth the milk using a variety of different methods. We will discuss frothing here, since it’s the more accessible technique.
Ideally, you will want to use 2% or whole milk to create the best foam. Espresso machines make the best milk for lattes, however, the entire point of this article is to create a latte without an espresso machine, so we will have to skip this luxury.
The idea behind frothing milk is to heat it first (either on the stove or in the microwave) and agitate it to create a foamy texture. You can do this by using a french press and pressing/pulling on the plunger to create foam. You can also use a sealed container and shake the milk for a similar effect.
To make the frothing process quicker and easier, use a hand held frother to add texture to your milk. This is an inexpensive electric device that spins a small disk in your milk to create foam. This foam isn’t the same as one would experience from an espresso machine, but you will still be able to make great drinks with it.
For the best experience, I recommend using a standalone milk frother such as the Bodum Bistro Milk Frother (1 cup) or the Breville Milk Cafe (3 cup). The latter is a much nicer (and more permanent) option that heats milk for more people and is easier to clean, but both options will certainly get the job done. The best thing about standalone milk frothers is that they heat your milk to the best temperature automatically.
Read More: What is a Milk Frother?
In Conclusion
As it turns out, you really don’t need to spend a fortune on an espresso machine to make lattes and iced lattes at home. The Aeropress will do a good enough job to satisfy most people. The key is to use medium to medium dark coffee, ground finely, and extracted quickly.
In my opinion, the ability to make concentrated coffee is the number one reason why all coffee lovers should own an Aeropress. Concentrated coffee is a specialty limited to the Aeropress unless you are willing to spend serious money on an actual espresso machine.
If you have any tips for making lattes with the Aeropress, I would love to hear about them below. Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest!
Happy Brewing!
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