I have worked in cafés for ten years, and since 2024 I have owned and run a third-wave café with Edward Miller. I draw on that preparation experience when writing drink guides, with measured quantities and practical advice for home readers.

For espresso milk drinks, I settle the espresso dose and beverage weight first and measure the milk instead of pouring by eye. When the balance is off, I change one thing, usually the milk, and make it again. Where the recipe allows, I taste it plain before adding sugar.

I like milk drinks where coffee and milk arrive together from the first sip, with lightly textured milk rather than a separate cap of foam. That preference helps explain my practical choices; different drinks need different textures. I use online sources to check history, regional names and nutrition figures, while the preparation notes draw on my own experience.