Fabulous Frothy Milk
Being able to froth milk is pretty important if you want to drink lattes, and cappuccinos. To deliver the perfect froth you will need a pitcher, an espresso machine with a steam arm (or wand), milk and a thermometer.
As with making the perfect espresso it will take time to perfectly froth milk but here are some of the basics to get you started.
Producing The Perfect Froth
The Pitcher
Size of pitcher is quite important. A 600ml jug will be as large as you need to go, any larger and you will struggle to get the temperature right. If you also want to get creative with latte art then you need to have a pitcher with a shapely defined spout.
Milk
The milk should be cold and taken straight from the fridge.
Using The Steam Wand
This will take some practise but tip the pitcher at an angle so that the wand sits just under the surface of the milk. You should hear a sucking, tearing noise.
Latte Art
For lattes you then need to move the tip of the wand closer to the surface of the milk. This will produce a denser foam.
Heating The Milk
Once you have increased the volume of the milk dip the wand in to get the temperature of the milk right. A thermometer here can really help. You want to heat the milk to no more than 70 degrees c, it is important to note that this is the temperature at which protein curdles and foam will be destroyed. If you don’t have a thermometer then you will start to get used to how hot the pitcher feels against your hand as you are frothing and when it is right to stop.