How to make a latte with a Keurig

 Keurig single serve lattes

Lattes have been around since the 17th century. European variations of the traditional caffe latte, such as the Dutch milchkaffee, the French cafe au lait, the Spanish cafe con leche or the Portuguese galao, are customarily served as part of breakfast at home.

In Italy, the caffe latte is a breakfast-only drink prepared at home. A stovetop moka pot is used to prepare the espresso before pouring it into a cup of hot milk. You can get the same effect at home with certain types of Keurig machines and K-cup pods.

What is a latte?

A latte, also known as a caffe latte in its native Italy, is a hot beverage made of espresso and steamed milk. What differentiates a latte from similar coffee beverages is the ratio of espresso to milk. A latte must be made with a 1-3 or 1-4 ratio of espresso to steamed or hot milk, whereas a flat white is made with a 1-1 ratio of drip coffee to hot milk.

In the U.S., lattes are often served in a glass using a single shot of espresso and steamed milk with a thin layer of foamed milk on top. Interestingly, if you asked for an American-style latte in Italy, you’d be asking for a latte macchiato. What’s more, asking for just “a latte” in Italy is the equivalent of asking for a glass of milk only. The correct way to order the beverage in Italy is with its full name: caffe latte.

Can you make a latte with Keurig?

Of the many Keurig coffee makers on the market today, you can only make traditional-style lattes with the K-Cafe and K-Latte models. However, if you have a latte K-cup pod, you can make lattes with any model.

Keurig’s can brew any K-cup you put inside. You can make cappuccino, coffee, flat whites and many flavored latte drinks using just one K-cup pod.

How do latte K-cups work? 

A K-cup is a pod containing the raw ingredients needed to make your beverage. When you insert a K-cup into your Keurig and hit the “Brew” button, the machine punctures holes into the top and bottom of the pod.

Pressurized water is then shot through the K-cup and dispensed through a filter to the cup waiting below the spout.

How does the K-Cafe model work? 

The K-Cafe is a single-serve latte maker. To make lattes, you need an espresso K-cup pod and fresh milk. To keep things simple, insert the pod before adding the milk to the frother. Once you hit brew, espresso will pour into your waiting cup.

Following this, lift the frother from the machine and pour the hot milk into the cup over the espresso. This model also allows you to make cold lattes by frothing cold milk.

How does the K-Latte model work? 

The K-Latte is also a single-serve latte maker and works roughly the same way as the K-Cafe. The main difference between the two is the size of latte you can create using the machines. While the K-Café model can fill cups of up to 12 ounces, the K-Latte model can only fill 6-, 8- or 10-ounce cups.

Best way to make a latte with a Keurig

Before you get started, you will need:

Step 1: Brew your espresso

Select the smallest cup option on the machine — usually 4 or 6 ounces — and add a strong K-cup espresso pod. Next, hit the “Brew” button.

Step 2: Froth your milk 

Add 4 ounces of the milk of your choice, such as dairy, almond, soy or coconut, to the frother. Hit the “Froth” button and wait for it to finish.

Step 3: Add milk to espresso 

Once the frother is finished, add the milk to the espresso while stirring in any syrup or flavorings you’d like to include.

What you need to buy to make a Keurig latte

[ Keurig K-Café Single Serve K-cup Pod Coffee ]

This Keurig latte maker can provide lattes for cup sizes starting at 6 ounces and up to 12 ounces. It is very user-friendly and only requires a couple of button pushes to produce a latte.

[ Lavazza Espresso Italiano Single-Serve Coffee K-cups ]

This medium roast is made with 100% Arabica beans, giving your latte an intense and rich coffee taste. The K-cups also come in stylish packaging, making the box a great addition to your kitchen countertop.

[ Cafe Escapes Chai Latte K-cup Pods ]

For a fast way to add flavor to your latte, these chai latte K-cup pods don’t require any addition of milk. Simply insert the pod and instantly brew a delicious chai latte.

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