Set the cup before you steam milk
For a home latte, start with a double espresso in an 8 to 12 ounce cup. Breville's latte recipe and home latte guide pour textured milk after the espresso. La Marzocco Home gives a 140 to 150 F milk example and about 1 cm of foam for an 8 to 12 ounce serving. Use these as starting points and keep your cup size visible.
| Source example | Espresso | Milk | Cup or serving | Foam guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breville latte recipe | 19 g coffee dose | Source method | Latte glass | Pour textured milk after espresso |
| Breville home guide | Double espresso | About half a cup | Home serving | Texture milk before the pour |
| La Marzocco Home | Double espresso | 8 oz | 8 to 12 oz | About 1 cm of foam |
The amounts are source examples instead of one universal latte formula. Choose the cup first, then add milk until the drink reaches the level you want.
Make a source-labeled starting latte
- Pull the espresso into the cup.
- Steam milk until it is hot and smooth. La Marzocco's home guide gives 140 to 150 F as its example range.
- Pour the milk into the espresso. Keep the foam shallow if you want the source's latte-style example.
- Write down the cup size and milk amount. Change one thing at a time on the next drink.
For espresso help, use how to make espresso at home. For dose and yield, use the espresso ratio calculator. Cappuccino versus latte explains why a thicker foam layer changes the drink.
Use your machine's dose and yield before you adjust milk.
Set your espresso ratioCommon questions
What cup size should I use for a latte?
Start with an 8 to 12 ounce cup. La Marzocco Home uses that serving range for one published latte example, while other sources use different examples.
About Mara Ellis
Mara Ellis is Espresso Receipt’s fictional editorial voice. Warm, practical, and lightly witty, she turns coffee jargon into clear choices for your counter, budget, and next shot.
Read the profile and guides by Mara Ellis →Sources (3)
- Latte recipeBreville · Checked 2026-09-20(opens in a new tab)
- Home latte guideBreville · Checked 2026-09-20(opens in a new tab)
- Latte guideLa Marzocco Home · Checked 2026-09-20(opens in a new tab)
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How we researched this
We read Breville's latte recipe and home latte guide, plus La Marzocco Home's latte guide, on September 20, 2026. We did not physically test, own, prepare, taste, or measure this drink.
What the evidence labels mean
- Source checked
- A cited source stated this fact when Espresso Receipt checked it. This is not a physical product test.
- Estimated
- This is calculated from stated inputs and assumptions. It is not a measured result or a current quote.
- Observed physical test
- This is a hands-on result for the exact unit under a stated test method.
- We could not confirm this
- The available sources do not establish one reliable answer.