The consensus with our team here is that it is better to steam/froth your milk first and then brew your espresso. This especially holds true when using a single boiler espresso machine like the
Froth, Then Brew
Always froth your milk or dairy substitute first, and then brew your pod. Once your beverage is brewed, remove the lid from the frother and pour the frothed milk into your beverage, reserving a little foam to spoon over the top of your beverage.
Frothed milk can hold its shape. Another thing that distinguishes frothed milk from steamed is that you don't need to use steam when frothing milk, which makes milk frothing much easier for home baristas. You don't necessarily have to own an espresso machine with a steam wand. You just need a milk frother.
The first step, when learning how to froth milk using a manual frother, is to choose either hot foam or cold foam; if hot foam is required, the milk should be heated to 140-155°F / 60-68°C before being poured into the carafe.
As the milk warms, the proteins in the milk will expand and 'surround' the air bubbles created by the steam wand. Combined with the sweetness from the melted lactose and thickness from the fats, you are left with the sweet, dense micro-foam you've come to love on your favourite coffee shop drinks.
Instead of steaming the milk, I warm it up in the microwave first. It takes between one and two minutes, depending on the amount – you want it steaming hot but not to the point that it starts to boil. Depending on your microwave, you may need more or less time. You can also warm it on the stove.
Milk's proteins prevent it from frothing properly when warm
The reason warm milk is hard to froth is due to the proteins in milk, which unwind when they become too hot and aren't able to properly create the structure necessary for bubbles to form.
You control the amount of foam by checking how much the milk's level rises in the pitcher. Heat the milk by staying right underneath the milk's surface. Heat the milk to 55-65 °C. Turn off the steam wand when the pitcher is starting to "burn" your fingers (~55-65°C).
Elevate Your Coffee Drinking Experience
Frothed milk in coffee improves its texture and gives it a richer and silkier taste. Further, this layer of rich and dense froth in coffee keeps your beverage hot for longer allowing you to savor it fully and elevating your coffee-drinking experience.
What is the best type of milk for frothing? Whole dairy milk (full-cream milk) creates a thicker, creamier foam when frothed, giving more body to your coffee drink. Low-fat milk and skim milk are much lighter and create larger quantities of foam with larger air bubbles, suitable for a more delicate latte or cappuccino.
Crucially, this process changes the milk's texture: The hot steam introduces tiny bubbles into the milk, turning it creamy and smooth. This thin layer of milk foam lends a subtle, velvety texture to hot chocolate and various espresso drinks, including the flat white, cortado, latte, and cappuccino.
Steam the milk: Heat the steam wand. Once prepared, place the wand just below the surface of the milk about ½ inch from the side, tilting the jug slightly. Keep it in that position for about 5 to 10 seconds, slowly lowering the jug as the milk stretches (expands).
A latte, or also called a caffè latte, is the big brother of the cappuccino, where everything revolves around the soft, silky foam. Usually the latte is made with a single or double shot of espresso (1/3 of your drink) and 2/3 of your drink is steamed milk with a small layer (around 1 cm) of frothed milk.
Frothing technique is all about finding the proper steam tip position relative to the surface of the milk. Too low in the milk and you won't get enough air in. Too high and you'll either get too much air in or make a big mess. So the idea is to start with the steam tip just below the surface of the milk.
Heat the milk.
The heat helps to stabilize the foam so it doesn't fall flat immediately. To do so, either microwave the milk for about 45 seconds, or heat in a saucepan until it reaches 150 degrees F (you can use an instant-read thermometer to check this), just before it reaches a simmer.
For the best results milk should be frothed to somewhere around 130-150 °F. Going past this point towards 150 °F the milk may remain sweet, but the froth will become firmer and take on too much air.
The steam wand on espresso machines heats the milk and adds the air, giving you a lot more control over the process.
Crema is one of the most prized components of a well-made espresso. Caramel-colored and creamy in texture, the foamy puff is created when hot water emulsifies coffee bean oils and floats atop the espresso with smooth little bubbles.
Yes, cold milk is great for frothing as a matter of fact the colder you milk and the fresher it is, the better it will froth. It doesn't matter what type of milk you use, be it nonfat milk, whole fat milk, oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, or any plant based milk it will froth better when cold and fresh.
But while frothed milk has a thick foam, streaming milk creates a finer, more delicate type of foam — which experienced baristas call “microfoam.” Steaming milk creates very small air bubbles, and milk that has been steamed is heavier and acquires a velvety texture.
Always use cold milk just out of the. fridge and a cold frothing jug (storing the jug in the. fridge works great). Hit the link for more tips on milk.