How To Make Lattes With Ninja Coffee Bar
Have you ever wanted to try the perfect latte, but you can’t seem to get the results you are looking for?
You spend hours experimenting with different methods, but you can’t get the crema to appear on your drink no matter what you do. Well, don’t worry, I’m here to help.
You may have heard people talking about the perfect latte, and you've even seen the occasional commercial where a beautiful woman takes a sip of her coffee and gives a little "oooh" and "ahhh" sound.
Unfortunately, the perfect latte is one of those things that is very subjective and difficult to achieve. But we’re going to take a look at the ingredients and techniques that go into making a great latte at home with your ninja coffee bar! Let’s get started with the tools you need.
The Machine
First things first, your machine needs to be able to reach the temperature required for brewing espresso and at least 200-300*C/400*F for steaming milk.
If you want to make a latte, your machine should also have a steam wand capable of creating steam pressure of around 1 bar (when measured in centimetres of water).
The steam wand can be attached to the machine in various ways; you can choose whether it connects directly or via tubing.
Generally, if you're looking for a professional latte machine, it will be easier to use a bar machine; however, if you're looking for an essential device to produce your daily coffee, then an espresso machine should do the trick.
The Beans
When we take a look at the beans, it is worth remembering that even though we’re focusing on making lattes in this article, our choices regarding the beans will affect all of our drinks. So keep that in mind when making a decision.
There are four central roasts to choose from:
- Espresso – dark brown beans, dark crema and strong flavour
- Italian Roast – darker than espresso roast, very aromatic, almost burned smell coming from the beans
- French Roast – like Italian but lighter and less burned smell.
- Light Roast – light brown with a hint of green, no crema and a sweet flavour.
The water we use to make the drink is essential, so it should be fresh from your kitchen taps and not from a water dispenser or kettle sitting for hours.
The last thing you want is to ruin your perfect latte by using bad-tasting water. You'll need about 250ml of hot water for every espresso shot you will make.
Ingredients
Alright, so now you know what beans you want to use and which machine you want, let’s look at the ingredients that make up the drink:
- Espresso – Start with three grams of ground espresso beans. If you are using a traditional espresso machine, grind the beans yourself; otherwise, check with your supplier that they have already been ground and get them fresh.
- Espresso grind – the grind you use can be coarse or fine. With an espresso machine, you will be using a coarse grind (around 14-16 on the Coarse setting). If using a traditional espresso machine, then depending upon how many beans you are using, then adjust your grounds to one of the following:
- Double shot (two grams of ground espresso beans) – halfway between a fine and a medium – this is where most of us will start when making lattes at home.
- Single shot (one gram of ground espresso beans) is a finer grind and uses more espresso.
- Milk – you will need at least 200ml of milk. If you are using whole milk, use a container that holds at least 250ml. You don’t want to be running back and forth all the time, as you can ruin the foam by doing this.
- Frother – You will need a frother.
How to make a latte with the ninja coffee bar
Now that we have all our ingredients, it’s time to brew! But, first, let’s look at the steps needed to make a latte and how you would do this with the ninja coffee bar.
Step 1: Heat the water
The first thing you will want to do is heat 250ml of water. Your machine would perform this step, and the temperature is controlled by switching on the heater setting.
If you're using a traditional espresso machine, turn it on and heat up until all the red lights are illuminated.
Step 2: Grind the beans for espresso.
Once the water is hot enough, you can now grind your beans. If you use a traditional machine, crank the grinder to between 16 and 18.
Again, a coarse grind works best, and it is good to use an excellent grind for espresso, as this will produce a thicker crema.
Step 3: Add the espresso to the hot water
Once the beans have been ground, add them to the heated water. You can either pour an entire 250ml of water into your machine at once and stir it. You can measure out your water directly into individual chambers of your device.
Step 4: Froth the milk
Once your espresso has been added to the water and everything is nice and hot, it’s time to get frothing! Using a traditional machine, place your frother into the steam wand and start pumping!
You will see that bubbles form in the jug that holds your milk as you do this. It can be pretty entertaining and allows you to watch the foam emerge from your jar.
Step 5: Prepare your cup.
The next thing you want to do is prepare your cup. It involves frothing the milk to a nice foamy consistency and then adding the espresso directly into the milk, mixing it and topping it up with more hot milk.
The design of the ninja coffee machines means that you can froth the milk without even taking it out of its jug. Instead, place the jar into your device, hit brew, and select froth.
Step 6: Make your drink and enjoy
Once the foam has settled, you will want to add your drink to your cup and enjoy! The design of the ninja coffee bar means that the machine produces quite a lot of foam; however, if you are using a traditional device and it’s just too much foam for you, then remove it. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as with a Ninja.
Step 7: Cleaning up
Once you have finished your drink, it’s time to clean the machine and froth jug effectively. Using a cloth and warm water, swish the jar around to get all the residue off, place some kitchen roll on top of it, and use a hot air blower/brush to remove any hardened milk.
Finally, fill up your kettle with some hot water and allow it to cool for about 5-10 minutes before using it again.
Now you know how to make a latte at home! Now onto the different types of latte and ways you can enjoy it.
- Flat White: This is just like an Americano (espresso with hot water) but without the water, so take a shot of espresso, froth some milk and add to a cup. The result is less creamy but still very milky due to a large foam (see picture below).
- Cortado: This drink is thick and creamy with a hint of bitterness from the espresso. It is typically made by using a double shot with half the hot water.
- Macchiato is more like straight-up espresso shots with foam on top, except in a smaller glass. They are great for those who can’t handle overly milky drinks, as the foam is relatively thin and light. Macchiatos are very similar to the americano, but it’s a more miniature drink.
- Warm Iced Latte is a drink that takes the traditional latte and adds two types of espresso to it. As a result, it’s sweet but not too milky and has a solid bitter kick due to added crema.
- Cold Iced Latte is a drink made with double shot espresso, half cold water, and half hot water. It doesn’t require frothing, as you can use heated up water from a teapot or kettle straight into your cup (see picture below).
Can the Ninja Coffee Bar make espresso?
The Ninja coffee bar can make espresso but not true espresso, with the following limitations:
The size of the coffee beans should be between 12 and 13.5 on the fine grind setting. However, you can use any coffee beans that you wish (although it will take more time to grind). So if you have a really large amount of beans that don’t fit into your grinder then you can ask your local coffee shop to grind them for you.
Can you use pods with Ninja Coffee Bar?
Yes, you can use either pods or beans. If you want to serve specialty drinks such as latte art style drinks (whipped cream, steam and foam) then its best to use pods. Otherwise, you can use dry beans for a cup of coffee that is more like the Italian espresso.
Can Ninja Coffee Bar make cappuccino?
Yes, but not an authentic cappuccino. Cappuccinos are made with double shot espresso, small amount of foamed milk (1/4-1/2 cup) and frothed milk (about 2 oz.). The machine doesn’t make a large amount of foam as it would in true cappuccinos.
Does the Ninja frother heat milk?
If you discover froth on the milk after making your coffee, then it means that the milk wasn’t hot enough. The Ninja Coffee Bar doesn’t heat milk itself as it uses steam to froth the milk. However, if you want a hot latte then you can heat up your milk in a saucepan before adding to the Ninja Coffee Bar.
How do you make a ninja mocha?
The Ninja Coffee Bar doesn’t make a mocha, however you can use any type of milk and froth it up to make yourself a mocha. For example, if you’re making a cafe mocha then you would use half hot water (65-70c) and half cold milk (65ºc).
Does the Ninja Coffee Bar make cold brew?
Yes, cold brews are a type of coffee that is brewed overnight. It is extremely smooth due to the high concentration of coffee that is used. Cold brewed coffee takes a long time to brew as it has to be kept in the fridge overnight and then reheated. However, cold brews don’t contain any added sugar or caffeine so they’re great if you’re recovering from caffeine withdrawal or if you have sensitive teeth.
What is specialty brew on Ninja?
It is a feature that allows the machine to automatically choose a set brew profile based on the type of drink you are making. This means that it will automatically select the right amount of espresso in your drink and then adjust it as you pour (for example, if you want to use a frothier milk then it will start using frothier water). This feature also works with pre-programed drinks such as lattes.
The takeaway:
While the Ninja Coffee Bar produces delicious lattes, it is by no means as suitable as a professional machine.
However, if you are after a coffee maker with multiple uses and that provides you with great-tasting lattes, the coffee bar is perfect.
Provided that you follow all of the steps outlined above and remember to clean the machine after each use, you will be able to froth your milk perfectly and make some great drinks.
