Lacklustre Lattes?
Alright Toronto, what is up with your lattes lately? There has been a plummet in quality in the last few I've had. I'm not even setting the bar terribly high. I'm just looking for it to be warm, and for the milk to be nicely steamed. Tiny bubbles.
But there's a style of latte emerging in Toronto that I am not loving. It's not even a latte. It's best described as a warm(ish) milky(ish) coffee. These "lattes" (oh yeah, I'm whipping out the scare quotes) were so thin, that serving them with a spoon was an insult. "I defy you to try and use this."
The consistency of the milk hadn't even changed. It's like the steamer was busted and they thought we wouldn't notice. Being presented with these watery insults to the good name of lattes at places all over the city and in rapid succession, has me worried.
One was on the Danforth, one on West Queen West, and one around Yonge & Eglinton. I won't slander specific places (yet), but the West Queen West offender was a place that used to make consistently excellent lattes. Sadness is.
My latte consumption is pretty modest. I have two, maybe three a week. So when it's a dud, it smarts.
What's going on? Tired cooks at clubs slash brunch spots? A shortage of espresso-machine repairmen?
Is this a fluke, or are your lattes looking a little less luscious too? Where do you recommend for a guaranteed perfect cup?
Comments (39)
@apetimberlake: have you ever used an industrial espresso machine then tried one of the crappy home ones? It's like, um, I can't really think of a good example right now but if I do, I'll come back and post it here. (it's crappy)
I always assume that a latte is a shot of expresso with hot milk topped with a little frothy milk on top and that a capuccino and expresso and all frothy milk.
Can you enlighten me as to what a true latte recipe is?
@ jack
I think you've made you point already. No need to continue to refer to it in completely unrelated posts over and over again.
Jenna at Mercurio on Bloor Street West(the North side of the street location) makes the best in town in my opinion. She knows her italian-style coffee. In my opinion, the best cappuccino in town. Andorphine + adrenaline effect at the first sip! Just plain awesome.
Here's a nifty diagram illustrating the various dynamic interplays between espresso and milk.
http://nishith.net/blog/content/binary/LatteCappuccinoEspresso_1450E/miscCoffee_thumb2.jpg
ummmm...i think we've been over this but there are plenty of great lattes around:
http://blogto.com/toronto/the_best_cafes_in_toronto_east_side/
http://blogto.com/toronto/the_best_cafes_in_toronto_west_side/
what's lacking is good lattes/coffee in restaurants!
Nick that's awesome! I've had such a hard time trying to explain to people how to make a flat white (I never really watched anyone do it and somehow my description of - it's just goodness in a cup wasn't cutting it direction wise).
@kjn --
One of the dud lattes came from a place on those lists. Which is what made me sad. Because they used to be my favourite latte spot.
@nick d --
Excellent diagram, thanks.
@Sara --
See nick d's diagram. :)
"2-3 lattes a week?
Why not save your cash and get a machine for yourself?"
You can get an espresso machine that will give you pretty decent quality for about $400 to $500. Any less than that and you'll be seriously pushing your luck in terms of quality of your coffee and reliability of the machine. Ones that are good at frothing milk are a different story. Even expensive machines sometimes don't cut it.
Even if you get a good frother, it takes a lot of practice to be good at it.
If you want to do it yourself and don't mind a somewhat non-traditional method, I'd recommend a Nespresso Aeroccino. It's a stand alone milk frother that doesn't use steam and is about as easy and reliable as it gets. Makes a better froth than $5,000+ machines for $100. You just don't have the same control over it like you would with a steam wand.
I also have noticed at certain mega-chain locations that their milk frothing definitely isn't up to par. A flat froth = more milk and less air to espresso ratio(or for me, chai tea) = a bland, watered down taste.
I think most of the problem arises when they make a pail full of frothed milk (and do it poorly) and use it for all their drinks for longer than they really should. Those who get it after its freshly made might get a decent latte, but those who get it after its been sitting for a while just get a dose of warm milk.
rarely disappointed at Manic on College (at Bathurst). Still consistently one of the best places to get a coffee. Worth the detour from my commute to work. The muffins and croissants are also awesome.
Crema on Dundas St. West in the Junction. They use organic milk and offer soymilk as well. By far the best lattes in the area.
Oh, and if anyone tries my advice, just a warning, Aeroccinos are VERY popular and WILL sell out in the Christmas season. You can get them at Home Outfitters, The Bay (maybe not all of them however), Williams-Sonoma and maybe William Ashley China on Bloor. And of course www.nespresso.ca. There's probably youtube videos of it, and if you are curious to see it in person you should check out Williams-Sonoma or the Nespresso store in the basement level of the Bay on Queen.
(No, I don't work for Nespresso)
Manic Coffee, Dark Horse, The Common, and Ezra's Pound still make consistently good lattes. If I am worried that the staff may not be able to create a good latte, Americano, or cappuccino I usually default to a drip coffee which is much more difficult to screw up. You can see my map for good and not-so-good Toronto cafes, with reviews:
http://tinyurl.com/6z36by
I have to say, I still love Jet Fuel. Even thought it has surly service. $3 for a pint glass of heaven (aka latte) is well worth it to me.
I'm going to have to agree somewhat, catherine. I think lately there's been a focus on making the pretty little leaf designs around town. and I find in the hands of lesser baristas, trying the pretty little leaf designs sometimes makes for warm-ish, thin lattes.
If a place makes a shit latte, then tell us so we don't waste our money there. Saying you won't "slander" a place ain't gonna cut it. It isn't libelous to say a cafe makes a shitty coffee if they make a shitty coffee in your opinion. If they make a piece of shit $5 coffee, then let everyone know. Maybe then they'll change it. Even better, some people will be spared the lost cash.
Don't start wussing out on us now BTO!
@Ry-Tron--
One lousy latte does not make a trend, and I'm not going to single out a place that has made consistently excellent lattes for years because of one bad experience.
Feel free to notice my use of the word "yet".
I have noticed the word "yet"....
I think that is a wise choice...Dare I mention having a break in general from
the latte scene..
Okay, maybe that was hasty...
You coffee addicted people are freaks. One wrong..."latte" whatever that is...and y'all freak out. Drink water or beer, save yourself the hassle. Thanks, but no thanks, I'll pass on the coffee offer though.
Catherine, if it was bad enough that you had to complain about it on blogTO, then have the cohunas to single them out.
Otherwise blogTO would be filled with all sorts of one-off articles from people who got a bad burrito last week or about the bad wait service they got at another resto. This sounds like you having a hissy fit because of two bad lattes (which hardly sounds like something is wrong with ALL of Toronto's lattes), but not having the nerve to single them out for fear that they might not serve you another one next time you go in.
If you're going to disturb the shit, don't just leave it on the door step and run. Wait until the door opens, whip it in the guy's face, and then walk away confidently.
I know I'll get beat up for this, but I love starbucks lattes. When they taste like shit, they'll make you a new one with care, and give you a 'free drink next time' coupon.
Maybe not the best lattes in Toronto, but cheap and easily accessible! :)
Coffee in Toronto is a problem, but so is the level of coffee appreciation. People don't know what they like in a coffee so many cafes and restaurants can get away with serving bad brew.
There's nothing wrong with cheap drip. It's an honest drink. The problem with these crap lattes are that they are not cheap and not honest. They're pretentious for the sake of markup.
Oh, and everyone should start ordering Cortados.
I know that Manic and Common both know what it is and make a goodie.
I'm currently enjoying a latte at SPoT Coffee on Bremner Blvd (across from the Skydome [I refuse to call it by it's "proper name"]). It's not the best latte I've had but it doesn't sound like the disaster you're recommending.
The solution is to drink coffee (coffee, espresso, americano - maybe a dry machiatto), not milk (the rest).
I've got to agreed with Ry-Tron here - I'm not really seeing the raison d'?tre for the story. You don't want to name caf?s for fear of condemning them from one bad latt? which is understandable but if you don't think those caf?s have an actual problem that why is there a story being written about them?
IMO Manic Coffee at College/Bathurst makes consistently fantastic coffee but I'm partial to Ella's Uncle on Dundas W too...
Ditto to Crema in the Junction. Whenever I go in there I have the perfect day and I believe it's because of the perfect latte I've consumed earlier.
That's right: perfect.
@Ry-Tron: I was going to give this place a fair shake, and check back in with them to see if it's a one or two-off (e.g. a barista) problem. But the strength of your cajones argument and grade 4 prank analogy have totally won me over.
This is a conversational Monday post about a run of bad lattes; it's not a definitive latte expose. Doesn't seem reasonable to get all bunched up about something the post isn't trying to be.
@all: Thanks for the excellent suggestions. A Barista -- Cortados sound delicious. Ryan L -- you've got me curious about Nespresso Aeroccinos (who you don't work for). :)
Do you even know what a good latte taste like? Did you complain to the baristas or store manager? If a store's latte quality deteriorated and there beans haven't changed, then it's got to be the baristas or the equipment.
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