Guide · Milk frothers
How to make a café-style latte at home
Four ways to make a latte at home, from an espresso machine with a steam wand to a pod machine, moka pot or instant coffee, with milk temperatures and kit tips.
A latte is one of the easiest café drinks to copy at home: a shot of strong coffee, plenty of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam on top. You don’t need an expensive machine to make one. Below are four ways to do it, from a proper espresso machine to a jar of instant, and what each method gets right and wrong. We haven’t tested this in person. The steps here draw on published recipes from Sage UK, retailer and brand instructions, and UK prices checked on 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.
What makes a latte a latte?
Sage UK describes a latte as steamed milk poured over a shot of espresso, finished with a thin layer of microfoam (Sage UK latte recipe). Sage says a latte has more foam than a flat white but less than a cappuccino, and suggests aiming for about half an inch (just over 1cm) of foam on top.
So the two jobs are always the same:
- Make a small amount of strong coffee. Espresso is the classic base, but a moka pot, a pod or strong instant can stand in.
- Heat and texture the milk. You want hot, silky milk with fine bubbles, not a stiff head of froth.
If you’re unsure how a latte differs from the other milky drinks, our guide to latte vs cappuccino vs flat white sets them side by side.
Method 1: how to make a latte with an espresso machine
This is the closest you’ll get to a café latte, and it’s the method Sage’s recipe is written for.
- Pull a double shot. Sage’s latte recipe uses a dose of about 19g of freshly ground coffee in the double basket. Its espresso recipe gives a starting point of 19g of coffee in and 38g of liquid out, in 20 to 30 seconds (Sage UK espresso recipe).
- Fill the jug with cold milk up to the bottom of the spout, as Sage suggests.
- Purge the steam wand, then dip the tip about 1.5cm into the milk and open the steam.
- Add air first. Sage suggests lowering the jug for a few seconds so the tip sits near the surface and draws in air. Then sink it a little to swirl the milk.
- Stop at the right temperature. Sage aims for around 60 to 65°C for dairy milk, and no more than about 55°C for non-dairy milk, which can separate if it gets too hot.
- Swirl and tap the jug to knock out big bubbles, then pour into the espresso, starting high and finishing close to the cup.
A milk jug with a defined spout makes the pour much easier to control. A smaller jug suits one drink, and a larger one suits two.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants a latte in under a minute with no learning curve. Steaming takes practice, and you’ll make some flat, bubbly milk at first.
If you’re choosing a machine, our espresso machines guide compares models with steam wands.
Method 2: a latte from a pod machine
Pod machines handle the coffee part for you. Pop in an espresso-size capsule, and you’ve got your base in under a minute.
The milk is the tricky part, because most basic pod machines don’t steam milk. You have three choices:
- A machine with a built-in milk system, such as Nespresso’s Lattissima range, which froths milk for you.
- A separate electric milk frother, which heats and foams milk in its own jug while the coffee brews.
- A handheld frother wand used in a mug of milk you’ve heated in the microwave or a pan.
An electric jug frother is the simplest upgrade. Our guide to the best milk frother compares jug, handheld and steam-style frothers with dated UK prices.
For the coffee, choose an espresso or ristretto pod rather than a lungo, so the coffee isn’t drowned by the milk. Supermarket compatible pods for Nespresso Original machines include espresso and ristretto blends.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who dislikes the running cost or waste of capsules, or who wants to control the grind and dose.
Method 3: a moka pot latte
A moka pot makes a strong, concentrated stovetop coffee. It isn’t the same as machine espresso, but it’s strong enough to carry a latte’s worth of milk.
The best-known moka pot is the Bialetti Moka Express, which John Lewis lists from £29.95 to £70.00 depending on size, checked 3 Oct 2026. John Lewis’s listing gives the brewed amount for each size: 60ml for the 1-cup, 130ml for the 3-cup, 250ml for the 6-cup and 410ml for the 9-cup. See it at John Lewis
The steps, based on the instructions in that listing:
- Fill the base with water up to the line inside it.
- Fill the funnel with ground coffee and level it off without pressing it down.
- Screw the pot together and heat it gently on the hob.
- Take it off the heat once the coffee coming through turns lighter in colour or you can hear the steam, or it may taste burnt.
While it brews, heat and froth your milk with a frother, or in a pan with a handheld wand. Pour the coffee into a mug, then add the milk.
Who it isn’t for: anyone without a hob, or anyone who wants a thick crema. A moka pot makes strong coffee, not café espresso.
Method 4: an instant coffee latte
It won’t fool a barista, but a latte made with good instant and well-frothed milk is quick and cheap.
- Dissolve a little more instant coffee than you’d normally use in a small splash of hot water, so the coffee is concentrated rather than a full mug of black coffee.
- Heat and froth a mug’s worth of milk with a frother or handheld wand.
- Pour the milk over the coffee and spoon the foam on top.
Our guide to instant coffee compares the main UK jars if you want a better base.
Who it isn’t for: anyone after the taste of real espresso. Instant gives you a milky coffee, not a café latte.
Choosing the milk for your latte
Whole dairy milk is the classic choice for a latte, and Sage’s temperature guidance of 60 to 65°C is for dairy.
Plant milks behave differently. “Barista” versions are made for coffee, and the pack instructions vary: Alpro’s Barista Oat says to steam to a maximum of 65°C, according to its Sainsbury’s listing, while Sage’s recipe suggests keeping non-dairy milk to about 55°C. If yours splits or goes thin, try a lower temperature. Our guide to the best oat milk for coffee compares UK barista oat milks with dated prices.
Common latte problems
- Big, soapy bubbles: too much air, or air added too late. Add air in the first few seconds only, then swirl.
- Flat, thin milk: not enough air. Let the wand or frother draw in a little more at the start.
- Milk too hot or tasting cooked: you’ve gone past about 65°C for dairy. Stop when the jug is just too hot to hold, as Sage’s flat white recipe suggests if you don’t have a thermometer.
- Weak latte: the coffee base is too dilute. Use a double shot, an espresso-size pod or a stronger moka brew.
FAQ
Can you make a latte without a coffee machine? Yes. A moka pot or strong instant coffee gives you the coffee base, and a frother or handheld wand gives you the milk.
What temperature should milk be for a latte? Sage UK suggests around 60 to 65°C for dairy milk and no more than about 55°C for non-dairy milk.
Is a latte stronger than a cappuccino? They usually share the same espresso base. Sage describes a cappuccino as having more foam than a latte, and how strong either tastes depends mostly on how much milk goes in.
What’s the best coffee for a latte at home? Something strong enough to stand up to milk: espresso, an espresso or ristretto pod, or a moka pot brew.