Simila Cyprus

How to Make the Perfect Frappe ! 

How to Make the Perfect Frappe

By Andreas Kitsios

Frappe coffee is arguably the most popular drink on the island of Cyprus. Not only is it a must if you are hanging out at the beach, it is the default order at any local cafe, especially in the summer. Here is a quick guide to preparing a delicious frappe from the comfort of your own home.

The secret to a great frappe is the right combination of the following:

• An adequate foam "head"

• Enough water and/or milk on the bottom

• The right taste, according to your preference

The foam is probably the most critical part, as it is the essence of the frappe and it is important for it to be large enough to settle slowly and small enough to allow you to pour adequate water and/or milk in order to be able to actually enjoy the drink.

If you follow the easy steps below, you should quickly become a master frappe maker!
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Tools and Ingredients

You will need the following in order to make a frappe:

• A frappe mixer
• Instant coffee in granule or powder form (any brand will do)
• Sugar (optional)
• Cold water
• Cold milk (optional)
• Ice cubes
• A tall glass
• A tea-spoon
• A drinking straw

Alternative Tools

If you don't have a large frappe mixer, a small handheld (battery or outlet-powered) mixer or regular shaker will do, but I suggest the large frappe mixer if you can get a hold of one. They are available at almost every supermarket and at many electric appliance shops.

1. Preparing the Frappe Mix

Put 1-2 tea-spoons of coffee in your glass, depending on the size of the glass you are using and how strong you want your coffee. For the glass I used in this case, the suggested dosage is 2 teaspoons of coffee.

If you like your frappe a bit sweet, this is where you would also add the sugar. Depending on how sweet you like your frappe, use the following as a guide:

Sketo (Plain) - No sugar
Metrio (Medium) - 1-2 teaspoons of sugar
Glyko (Sweet) - 2-4 teaspoons of sugar

Note: If you are using a shaker, you will need to use the shaker glass for this step.



Pour 1-2 fingers of water in the glass. Be careful not to put too  much or else the foam will take most of the space in your glass. Putting too little will result in too little foam, which is also not desirable.

Note: If you are using a shaker, then at this point you would also add the ice-cubes. Add 2-3 large or 4-6 small ice cubes before shaking vigorously for about a minute.

2. Mixing Your Frappe

Mix your frappe using the highest setting on your mixer. Depending on how strong your mixer is, you will need between 10-30 seconds of mixing.



Mix until enough foam develops to occupy at least 1/3 of your glass, or until the foam has turned a very light color and has stopped developing.



Your frappe foam should look something like this once you are done mixing.

Note: If you are using a shaker, after mixing pour your frappe foam and ice cubes in your drinking glass. 

3. Choose Your Finish

Depending on how you like to drink it, you can use different proportions of water and milk to finish your frappe.



Pour the amount of water you would like.



Pour the amount of milk you would like.

As a general rule, the below are the suggested quantities of water and milk:

Mavro (Black) - 100% water
Ligo Gala (A bit of milk) - Add just a little bit of milk
Miso-Miso (Half-Half) - 50% water, 50% milk
Olo Gala (All Milk) - 100% milk

You should also be aware that, depending on what type of milk you use, whether it's skimmed, semi-skimmed or full-fat.this will affect the consistency and taste of your frappe. For example, a few people that like to drink their frappe with a little bit of full-fat milk, will need a bit more quantity of milk if skimmed or semi-skimmed milk is used.

When taking orders from Cypriot friends for frappe, they will ask most probably ask for it using the naming conventions used above. So, a person who would like to drink a frappe without sugar or milk would order it as "sketo, mavro" and a person wishing to have one with a little bit of sugar and half milk would order a "metrio, miso-miso".



Your frappe is almost done! It should have developed a foam head and the water/milk should have settled at the bottom of the glass Make sure you leave some room for ice cubes. Use 2-3 large ice cubes or more if you are planning to drink it slowly.

4. Enjoy!

Add your straw, stir so the liquids mix well and start sipping on your delicious frappe!

As it sits, your frappe will get stronger in taste as more coffee particles settle and mix with the water/milk below. Consequently, the foam head will slowly shrink. You can enjoy your frappe for quite long as it will keep cold for almost an hour, depending on the room/outside temperature. 

Some people also like to top up their frappe by adding water/milk after they have drank some of it.  The foam should retain some amount of coffee and you can keep drinking the refill, although it will be weaker in taste.