The charm of a cappuccino lies in that thick layer of cloud-like, fluffy, dense milk foam, and the mellow, smooth mouthfeel it brings when it blends with the espresso underneath. If you want to make a cafe-quality cappuccino at home, the core lies in the extraction state of the base espresso. The strength of the espresso determines its power to penetrate the milk, while the extraction yield determines whether the whole cup tastes sweet and smooth, or dry and bitter.

Many friends who are just getting into coffee easily confuse strength with extraction yield. Strength is like how much savory substance has been dissolved into a bowl of chicken soup, directly affecting whether the taste is rich or thin; extraction yield is how much of the effective components have been dissolved out of the coffee grounds, determining whether the flavor is green and astringent, balanced, or burnt and bitter. Because cappuccino has a lower milk ratio than a latte, it needs an espresso with abundant strength and moderate extraction to support a solid structure.

When extracting espresso at home, grind size and water temperature are the two core knobs affecting extraction yield. The finer the coffee is ground, the larger the contact area for water flow, and the higher the extraction yield; the higher the water temperature, the faster the rate at which flavor molecules dissolve. If the coffee you make tastes weak, it is often because the grind is too coarse, resulting in low strength; if it tastes astringent and dry in the finish, it is mostly because the grind is too fine or the water temperature is too high, causing undesirable woody off-flavors to be over-extracted.

At Qianjie, when extracting the espresso base specifically for cappuccino, there is a very rigorous set of baseline parameters. Use a double basket, fill it with 18g to 19g of ground coffee, distribute and tamp it, then lock it onto the group head; at a water temperature of about 92°C, steadily extract 36g to 38g of espresso liquid in 25 to 28 seconds. This range allows the coffee's aromatic substances to fully dissolve out, giving it both viscous crema and a pleasant sweetness.

When adjusting parameters at home, fine-tuning the grind size is a very practical method. When you taste a sharp astringency in the finish of the espresso, it means the extraction is too high; at this point you only need to adjust the grind setting slightly coarser by half a step, slightly shorten the extraction contact time, and the mouthfeel will immediately become smooth and rounded; if you feel the flavor is thin and the acidity is sharp, adjust it slightly finer by half a step to increase the extraction yield. Through such fine-tuning, the same bag of coffee beans can easily be adjusted to a pleasant-tasting state.

When choosing beans, you should also consider whether the beans are suited to being drunk strong or light. Because cappuccino emphasizes richness and mellow sweetness, it is naturally suited to the strong-drinking route, and dark-roasted blends perform especially brilliantly in this kind of milk coffee. Beginners making it at home can choose Qianjie Classic Blend, which is rich in crema, with nutty and caramel sweet aromas rushing to the nose; friends who pursue a rich dark chocolate flavor will find Qianjie Black Cocoa Basic Blend very suitable, as under high-strength extraction it melts into the milk as if a piece of silky dark chocolate had melted.

If you are used to the traditional nutty aroma and want to try a more lively floral-and-fruity cappuccino, you can turn to medium-light roasts with vivid aromas when choosing beans. For example, Qianjie Strawberry Candy espresso Italian blend, after being mixed with thick milk foam, can present the fresh sweetness of strawberry, rose and fruit candy; friends who like fresh fruity aromas and do not like bitterness might as well try the sun-dried Qianjie Grana Geisha SOE, which naturally carries orange and persimmon fruity aromas, and when stirred into milk is like a fruity milk candy.

With an espresso liquid extracted just right, assembling a cappuccino is very easy. Whip the milk into a dense, thick, supportive milk foam, and the degree of whipping can be a little thicker than for a latte. Then take out a small spoon, scoop up a mass of firm milk foam and gently place it in the very center of the espresso, then gently swirl the milk pitcher, and slowly pour the milk along the center until it is eleven-tenths full. The outer layer of espresso will naturally gather into a beautiful golden ring, surrounding the white milk foam top.

Pick up such a properly made cappuccino, and the first thing your lips touch is the warm, soft, fluffy milk foam, immediately followed by the rich, sweet, fragrant coffee liquid breaking through the foam, with the milk fragrance and mellow bitterness blending very balance in the mouth. As long as you master the subtle changes in extraction yield and strength, and find the pleasant-tasting state for the beans on hand, you can recreate the classic taste of the cafe at home at any time, and start a beautiful day with this cup of gentle, mouth-filling sweet fragrance.