As you drink coffee from cafes, you may find out that you are interested in recreating the latte and cappuccino drinks you see. Well, it's not difficult, it gets easy with a little practice. The good thing about brewing these drinks at home is that you get to control the amount of foam that is created. It could be a light layer of foam on the coffee or a fluffy cloud of frothed milk. 

Coffee + Milk = Your favorite drink. 

Coffee pairs well with milk because the milk gives a flavor complexity that works well with the delicious flavors of coffee. When you add milk to coffee, the milk will create a profound flavor profile that will fully highlight the natural chocolatey, caramel, or nutty notes of the coffee. This is because milk has chemical composition- has sugars, protein and fats. 

These compounds develop the taste and texture we feel and taste when we add milk to our coffee drinks.  When the milk is steamed, each compound breaks down. The milk, when broken down and caramelized, helps to sweeten the milk. For the protein, it will help to hold the air in the milk, stiffening the bubbles and giving it a lighter body. The fats will eventually melt and create a smooth appearance that you love and gives a mouthfeel once taken. 

STEAMED MILK AND FROTHED MILK- WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Which one do you prefer, an espresso drink with a huge mold of milk foam on the coffee or do you like your coffee to have a thin layer of bubbles with hot milk? If you use an espresso maker that comes with a steam wand, the difference here will be how deep you will place the tip of your wand into the steaming pitcher. 

If you want the foam on the drink to be much, you should keep the wand just below the surface of the milk. Air will be drawn into the milk together with the steam. The result here is that large bubbles will be created leaving you with frothy, thick milk. 

Note that you have to move the wand a bit lower in the frothing pitcher for some seconds. This will make the milk heat evenly. You have to leave the tip very close to the top of the milk. Don't get confused, as you practice, you’ll observe more things. You’ll start listening to the steam draw air into the milk.  

As you froth, you'll see more bubbles as the milk expands. It will climb to the side of the frothing pitcher. Buy a pitcher that is large enough that it can be filled with 1/3 with cold milk. This is to avoid creating a mess when the milk starts expanding. If you have an espresso machine that has a wand that is specifically designed to pull air into the milk while you steam, then you don't need to bother about the above. This type of wand will make the frothing almost foolproof. 

But the good thing here is that you can steam milk with any type of wand, you just have to keep practicing. If you like steamed milk that has no mold of foam, it's pretty easy. Leave the steam wand to be fully submerged into the milk. The tip of the steam wand has to be near the side pitcher. This will help heat the milk and you’ll get the tiny bubbles you want. These bubbles are also known as microfoams. It will give the steamed milk a silky consistency and only tiny layers of bubbles will be on top of the drink. If you want to be a pro in latte art, you have to master this technique.  

As you steam the milk with the frothing pitcher you will notice that the milk will double in volume. You’ll enjoy the sweet flavor and creamy texture of the steamed milk in your flat white or cappuccino. If you discover that there are still large bubbles remaining on the surface of the milk, tap the pitcher against a surface, you could use a countertop, then swirl the steamed milk gently around the pitcher. This technique helps to remove unwanted large bubbles. 

WHAT KIND OF MILK IS GOOD FOR STEAMING? 

Ensure that you always use fresh milk- the freshest ever. If the milk is older, the ability to foam will deteriorate. You don't want this. If the milk is not so fresh, you can do almost anything with it- you can bake, make chocolate milk, add it to cereal. But you won't get the same results in your coffee unless you use fresh milk. Just like coffee beans, the milk should be fresh- used within a week.  

Note that the fat content of the milk will affect the flavor and texture you get from the coffee. If you are aiming to get more foam or stiff bubbles, buy soy milk. This is because it has higher protein content which creates bubbles that retain air. And it contains sugar that will give your coffee an extra hint of sweetness. 

If you want to use whole milk, it's good too. It contains extra butterfat that will give you a thicker and creamier consistency. You will also get lofts in your foam. Steaming whole milk will take a little extra effort. But if you really want steamed milk that has the lightest layer of microfoam, whole milk is good because it's creamier.  If you drink coconut milk, it's a good option. It contains fat that makes it creamy when steamed and will give a tropical flavor to your latte or cappuccino. 

HOW TO STEAM MILK WITHOUT AN ESPRESSO MACHINE 

You want to make espresso but you also want to add frothed milk to it. Phew, your espresso machine doesn't have a steam wand? How are you going to solve this? 🤔. There is good news, you can steam milk using other ordinary kitchen equipment.  

HOW TO STEAM WITH A FRENCH PRESS 

Heat milk to 65 C to 70 °C. Measure the milk you need and put it into the French press. Ensure that the milk is higher than the steel filter. Now pump the plunger up and down. Start slowly, then push quickly. This will create bubbles in the milk. You can pour it into your drink or spoon the bubbles and enjoy the drink. 

HOW TO STEAM IN A MICROWAVE 

Here, you have to measure the milk into a jar that has a lid. It has to be a tight lid. - a jam jar or a mason jar will do the job perfectly. Palace the lid on the and shake it vigorously. 

At this point, the milk will be frothy. Now remove the lid gently so the milk won't spill, pop the mason jar in the microwave. It will heat the proteins in your milk and set the foam as you want. Spoon the foam into your coffee, relax on your couch and enjoy your coffee. 

USE A MILK FROTHER 

You can buy a frother to heat your milk. It will give you bubbles. You can buy an inexpensive one that will require you to heat the milk separately or a more expensive one that is dedicated to frothing the milk perfectly with its heater. 

HOW TO STEAM WITH A SAUCEPAN AND A WHISK 

Measure the milk you want to use, add it to the saucepan and place it on a stove. It should be a medium heat setting. As the milk heats, beat it fast with a whisk (the kind you use to beat whipped cream). Be careful not to spill or splatter milk all over the kitchen and the stove. 

Now you know how to steam milk for your latte, cappuccino, or flat white with or without a steam wand. Whichever method you decide to use, always remember that heating slowly will make the sugar develop fast and the milk will have a sweet taste. If you steam too fast, the milk will burn and the taste will be ruined. 

Also, note that you can steam your milk properly and the drink won't come out delicious because you didn't use fresh coffee beans to pull the shot of espresso. That will be such a waste of time. Why not save yourself the trouble and order freshly roasted coffee beans from known roasters like us. At Coffee hero, we roast every day and the beans are delivered a few hours after it's been roasted. We also FREE SHIPPING. Get some coffee beans here.