Are you tired of shelling out upwards of $4.00 for a cappuccino that is not worth the paper cup in which it’s stored? I’m certain that if cafe’ managers and baristas would simply follow a few basic formulas, there’d be a lot more cappucino junkies and city would theirs to rule.

As it stands far too many of these self-proclaimed baristas don’t seem to understand that a cappuccino demands two basic ingredients on which there can be no compromise: real, fresh non-overly roasted, aromatic espresso beans that must be ground on the spot and fresh milk. You need to be able to taste and smell the espresso in your cappuccino. Therefore the espresso to milk ratio should not be one mug of milk to a shot of espresso. It’s more like a half a cup or less of milk to a shot of espresso.

First, the milk must be frothed, not just steamed. Steamed milk is NOT a cappuccino. It’s a latte. How do you know you’ve gotten a good cappuccino? The first thing to look for is appearance. Is it frothy? If the foam is limited to the upper 1/2-1″  inch” of your cup, like a beer head, request a replacement or walk out. The whole beverage from top to bottom should look like a blown-up cotton ball. Also, if you can’t even see the espresso in it when you stick your spoon in it, it’s a bad sign.

Second is temperature. Feel your cup. Is it hot? A cold cappuccino is like a bowl of cold chicken soup. What’s the point? Third, smell it. Can you smell that sweet, mildly bitter aroma of espresso? If not, the espresso or coffee used was probably old and not ground on the spot.

Finally, taste it. Can you taste the rich intensity of the espresso? Is every spoonful of foam flavored with espresso. Does the froth compliment and gently soften the espresso or is the milk simply diluting the espresso? Is the cappuccino making you smile on the inside?

Whether you’re the kind of person whose course of the day is determined by your ability to get a slamming “power-me-up-in-a-cup” cap or you’re one of those disciplined types who’s cutting back on caffeine intake and who when you do decide to indulge the urge, wants it done right, you need to hit at least one of my top three cappuccino places. For that info, read the post that follows this one.

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