I’ve been experimenting with the espresso maker my mother gave me for Christmas. My favorite baristas make (usually) tasty concoctions, and I figured … how hard could it be?

Answer: Harder than it looks. Especially without commercial-grade equipment.

This afternoon I brewed a mocha. I steamed a mug of unsweetened almond milk, added a triple-shot of espresso using premium grounds and a generous squirt of chocolate syrup.

Tasty? Yes. Very. But it took three previous, unsuccessful, attempts to pull it off. The first time, I under-steamed the milk. Apparently you can’t steam milk when you leave the cap on the steamer bar. The second time, I didn’t grab the ratio of espresso-to-milk properly, and I turned the milk to froth besides. The third time, I over-steamed the milk and turned it into a dairy volcano.

But the fourth time is the charm.

Moral of the story: Tip your baristas.

That is all.

*sips mocha* “Mmmm….”