Froth milk - how to do it

Frothing milk is an essential technique in coffee culture that can make a big difference to both the taste and texture of a coffee drink. Frothed milk is quickly heated milk into which you then introduce air to create a soft and creamy texture.

To achieve good frothed milk, you need a steam function. To be able to froth milk at home with good results, a machine with sufficient boiler capacity is usually required, preferably around 1.5 liters or more. In smaller home machines, the boiler is often only a few deciliters and also needs to hold hot water for brewing coffee.

Of course, there is a difference between frothing milk with a good home machine and with a large café machine that has a boiler volume of over 20 liters. Above all, it is about capacity and how quickly the steam is built up. At the same time, both can provide a consistent result of high quality, even if it often takes a little longer at home.

How do you froth milk like a pro?

Here you can read more about how to succeed in frothing milk at home like a real pro, to get a perfectly balanced coffee drink.

1. Preparations

Choose the right pitcher

Number of drinks / size of pitcher

1. Cappuccino or Latte 35–60 cl
2. Caffè Latte 100 cl

The right amount of milk

• Always use cold milk: Never froth milk that has already been heated once.
• Fill sufficiently: It is difficult to get good frothed milk if there is only a couple of centimeters at the bottom. Fill the pitcher so that you have a good depth to work with.

Sync with the coffee

For best results, the milk and coffee should be ready at the same time:

1. Pour the cold milk into the pitcher.
2. Start your espresso.
3. Start frothing the milk immediately.

Then the espresso will be perfect when the milk is finished.

2. Frothing the milk

Steam wand & grip

1. Lower the steam wand along the side of the pitcher, angled so that the steam initiates a vortex
2. Keep the tip submerged in milk; if you start too close to the surface, it may splash
3. Hold the handle of the pitcher with one hand and rest the other hand on the side, so that you can feel the temperature

Turn on the steam

1. Turn on the steam at full power
2. Lower the pitcher until you hear a hissing sound
3. Raise the pitcher after a few seconds of hissing sound. Now enough foam has been created, and the milk just needs some extra heat

Turn off the steam

1. Turn off the steam when the pitcher feels quite hot to hold

• The milk has now reached a temperature of about 60 degrees

Keep in mind

• A vertical vortex is preferable as the foam usually becomes fuller and better
• A horizontal vortex also works well and is significantly easier to achieve

Good to know

• If large bubbles are created because the tip got too close to the surface, they will disappear quickly in the rotating milk
• When it hisses, foam is created!

Tip!

• Turn off the steam completely before removing the tip from the milk, otherwise large bubbles may occur
• Purge and wipe the steam wand with a damp Latte cloth after you have finished frothing