How to Make a Latte Without a Machine

Learn how to make a latte without a machine in the comfort of your own home with this in-depth, step-by-step tutorial!

Whether you’re tired of paying coffee shop prices, you’d like to learn a fun new skill, or you want the freedom to customize your favorite coffee drinks, this tutorial is for you!

With my detailed, step-by-step instructions, you’ll be crafting delicious lattes in the comfort of your own kitchen in no time.

I’m going to share 3 different methods with 3 different levels of difficulty, starting with the method that requires the least time and equipment.

Okay, let’s make a latte without an espresso machine!

Video Tutorial

Here’s a quick video demonstration of the whole process in case you like to learn by watching. The full written tutorial and printable recipe are below!

Level 1 Difficulty:

Okay, if you just want to make a dang latte without a bunch of specialized equipment, this first method is perfect for you!

Let’s quickly go over what you’ll need to make one:

Equipment and Ingredient Notes:

• 2-3 tsp Instant Coffee: By far the easiest way to make coffee is with instant coffee (duh!). And you can actually make espresso strength coffee with it! I have a whole tutorial for how to make a shot of espresso with instant coffee, so make sure to check that out if you want to go more in depth!
• 2 tablespoons hot water: This will give you the equivalent of about 1 shot of espresso. For a double shot of espresso, simply double the amount of coffee and water!
• 8-10 Ounces Milk: Use less milk for a stronger coffee flavor. I’m partial to whole milk, but feel free to use your own favorite! I’ll discuss plant based alternatives in the substitutions section at the bottom of the post.
• Sweetener of Choice (optional): You can definitely make your latte unsweetened, or add some sugar, vanilla syrup (or a different flavored syrup), maple syrup, simple syrup, etc. I’ll discuss amounts of sweetener later.
• A Way to Heat the Milk: My favorite way to heat milk for a latte is in a small saucepan over the stove. You can definitely use a microwave to cut down on equipment (you should be able to use the glass measuring cup to heat it), but it’s more difficult to control how hot the milk gets. This is important if you want to avoid an overly cooked flavor. 
• A Jar or Whisk: An easy way to froth your milk is to either shake it in a mason jar, or whisk it vigorously. If you heat your milk in a pan, the whisk is a great option. And if you use the microwave, the jar is the better option.

To easily craft a vanilla latte even if you don’t have any vanilla syrup on hand, simply use sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract.

Expert Tip: You can even make a single serving of vanilla syrup by whisking equal parts hot water and sugar until dissolved. Add a few drops of vanilla extract.

For 1 latte I suggest using 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of hot water, and a few drops of vanilla.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

1. Place 2-3 teaspoons of instant coffee in a 12-16 ounce mug. Add 2 tablespoons of hot water and whisk (or stir with a spoon) until completely smooth. Add sweetener if desired.
2. Heat the cold milk to 155 degrees Fahrenheit (68 degrees Celsius). Either whisk vigorously for a minute or two to froth, or pour the milk into a heat proof glass jar.
3. To froth the milk in the jar, screw on a heat proof lid. Shake vigorously until desired frothiness is reached, holding the jar with a tea towel to prevent spills and burns. 
4. Pour the hot milk over the coffee in the mug and enjoy!

Even though this method uses minimal equipment, it still results in a really good latte. 

Of course it won’t be to the level of a carefully crafted latte from your favorite coffee shop. But it’s still lovely.

Level 2 Difficulty:

If you’re willing to put in a little more effort to get a better (IMO) flavor, but you still don’t want to fuss over your latte too much, this next method is for you!

Equipment and Ingredient Notes:

• French Press: This method utilizes a French press coffee maker since it’s pretty easy to use and it’s readily available in big box stores.
• Coffee Grinder: You’re going to want coarsely ground coffee for this method. If you don’t own a coffee grinder, you can buy beans from your local coffee shop and ask them to grind them for French press. Or some bulk stores have a coffee grinder that you can use.
• Dark Roast Coffee Beans: For the richest flavor, select dark roast coffee. Espresso beans will work great.
• A Way to Heat Water: A tea kettle will be the most convenient, but it’s not essential.
• Milk of Choice: See previous method and the substitutions section for more advice.
• Sweetener of Choice, optional
• A Way to Heat the Milk: I recommend heating your milk on the stove for optimal temperature control, but this can also be done in the microwave.
• Handheld Milk Frother: One of the easiest ways to froth milk is with a little handheld stick frother. Now, you can actually clean out the French press and use that to froth your milk, which I’ll discuss more in the next method.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

1. Place 1/4 cup of coarsely ground, dark roast coffee in a French press. Pour 3 ounces of 190 degree F (87 C) water over the coffee grounds. Stir well and put the lid of the French press on top but don’t plunge down. Allow coffee to “brew” in the French press with the lid on for 4 minutes, and then plunge all the way down.
2. Pour into a 12 ounce mug. This makes the equivalent of about 2 shots of espresso. Again, if you want to sweeten your latte, now is the time to do it.
3. As with the first method, heat 10 ounces of milk to 155 degrees F. Use the handheld frother to add foam. Just be careful to not overflow the pot – make sure to use a pot that’s big enough to account for the expansion of the milk if you use this method! If you hold the frother above the surface of the milk, it will add more air and result in a more frothy latte.
4. Now pour your frothed milk over the coffee and sweetener in the mug.

You can make a really delicious latte using this method, and it’s relatively easy to pull off. It does require a couple of pieces of special equipment, but they don’t cost a lot or take up much counter space.

Level 3 Difficulty:

But the last method produces the best flavors in my opinion:

Equipment and Ingredient Notes:

• Aeropress: The Aeropress makes the best tasting non-espresso espresso in my opinion. It’s a little better than a moka pot in my opinion, and a bit easier to use.
• Coffee Grinder: It’s best to use a burr coffee grinder to ensure even ground size. Again, if you don’t have a coffee grinder you can ask your local coffee shop to grind your beans for espresso, or buy from a bulk store that has a grinder.
• Espresso Beans: For the best flavor, make sure to buy espresso beans. I like Peace Coffee and Equal Exchange.
• French Press: You’ll be using a French press to froth your milk. Other than a steam wand (of course), this is the best way to froth milk that I have tried.
• Tea Kettle: or another way to heat water.
• Milk: Again, I favor whole milk.
• A Way to Heat the Milk: And again, you can heat the milk over the stove or in a microwave.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

1. To make espresso strength coffee in the Aeropress, dampen a paper filter and place it in the filter basket. Screw that onto the bottom chamber. Place 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon finely ground dark roast coffee into the chamber. Place the Aeropress over a heat proof jar, and pour 2.5 ounces of 175 F/79C water over the coffee. Stir with the provided stir stick, and plunge the Aeropress down, going all the way down to the grounds.
2. Sweeten to taste if desired.
3. Heat your milk to 155 degrees F (68 degrees Celsius) and pour into the canister of your French press. A smaller French press works better here.
4. Pump the milk up and down to froth.

Now pour the frothed milk over the coffee in the mug.

You definitely don’t have to attempt to pour any latte art. But if you do want to attempt it, make sure to follow the steps below:

How to Froth Milk for Latte Art:

1. Pump the French press up and down 2 to 4 times, going all the way to the top of the milk, and all the way down.
2. Now pump the French press 10-15 times, but this time only go about halfway or ¾ of the way down the canister, and don’t lift the plunger above the level of the milk.
3. Finally, pump the French press about 50-100 times, but this time only do little pumps at the bottom of the French press.

You’ll need to experiment with the number of pumps, and how much air you incorporate by lifting the plunger above the level of the milk. This is because different types of milk will froth differently.

Quick Tip: If you find that you’re always over frothing your milk, you can replace about 1/4 of the milk with cream.

Now pour the frothed milk into a frothing pitcher.

This isn’t necessary if you aren’t trying for latte art, but you need to use a pitcher with a proper spout if you want to practice latte art.

Make sure to groom the milk by tapping the pitcher on the counter to pop any air bubbles, and swirl the pitcher just before pouring to make the milk more uniform.

Pour a little of the frothed milk into the coffee, and swirl to evenly distribute it in the cup. And now you can attempt your pour!

Even if you don’t try to pour latte art, this method of milk results in a nicer milk texture in my opinion. Which of course results in a nicer final latte.

Variations and Substitutions:

• Milk: You can substitute oat milk or another plant based milk if you prefer. I personally think oat milk is superior to almond milk or coconut milk for lattes.
• Sweetener: You can definitely switch up the flavor of your latte by using flavored syrups such as salted caramel, pumpkin spice, chocolate, etc.
• Iced: To easily make a homemade iced latte, simply skip heating the milk and pour the ingredients for the hot latte over ice in a 16 ounce glass.

More Latte Recipes:

Recipe Card