How can I make a homemade latte taste like a restaurant one? At the moment I prepare lattes at home as follows:


1/3 cup water + 1T ground coffee in Krups espresso machine (looks a bit like this one)
2/3 cup microwave-heated milk (the milk steamer on the machine doesn't work)
5 drops honey


It tastes nice, but not like a restaurant latte, and not just because there's no foam. What is needed to make coffee taste as good as restaurant coffee? This machine doesn't work properly so I'm prepared to buy some new equipment but obviously on a home budget not a restaurant one.


Machine: better to get one that grinds beans?
Ratio of ingredients: does it need to change?
Coffee form: beans / ground coffee?
Coffee strength: experimentation has settled on strong and milky, I don't think this needs to change
Milk: does it have to be steamed? do you get hand steamers?
Fat content of milk: fat free / 2% / full cream?
Container: surely not, restaurant stuff tastes better even in a takeaway paper cup! :)
Other variables?
I find that the milk/foam is the thing that makes all the difference. Most of the domestic coffee machines make a poor job of frothing the milk for Lattes and cappuccinos. I use a steel milk frothing pan like this one:

http://www.saltandpepper.co.uk/cook_shop/brand/Judge/Milk+Preparation,195/2507

I bought mine in Italy 10 years or so ago but I have seen them on our high street since then. It goes on your hob where the milk, UHT or Semi skimmed seems to give the best foam, is heated till it is hot but not boiling and then you use the hand pump to force air through the hot milk and make it thick and foamy, this takes about 15 seconds. I then sugar my black espresso and pour it through the milk to make latte.