Make the drink repeatable before making it personal.
Seven practical recipes with weights, cup sizes and the variables worth changing. Treat every ratio as a clear starting point, not a café law.
01The measured foundation
Espresso
18 g coffee → 36 g espresso
Open recipe →02Espresso lengthened with waterAmericano
36 g espresso + 90–150 g hot water
Open recipe →03Compact espresso and silky milkFlat white
36 g espresso + about 120 g textured milk
Open recipe →04A longer milk-led espresso drinkLatte
36 g espresso + about 200 g textured milk
Open recipe →05Espresso with a more aerated milk textureCappuccino
36 g espresso + about 120 g aerated milk
Open recipe →06A short equal-weight milk drinkCortado
36 g espresso + about 60 g textured milk
Open recipe →07Espresso, cold milk and controlled dilutionIced latte
36 g espresso + 150 g cold milk + ice
Open recipe →Why cup size matters
Use the cup-size and milk-ratio guide to see why the same espresso tastes concentrated in a flat white and gentle in a latte, then set the shot with the espresso calculator.