Would you like to make the perfect milk foam at home so that your coffee tastes like it does in your favorite café? Then you've come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide on frothing milk, we'll show you the methods you can use to properly froth milk. We've focused on frothing milk with the steam wand of a portafilter machine, because for us, that's the "supreme discipline" when it comes to producing milk foam.
Frothing milk with a portafilter machine
It's a different taste experience whether you enjoy coffee with just a simple dash of milk or with a sweet-tasting milk foam. For many coffee and espresso lovers, it's no longer just about the perfect crema in the espresso itself, but also about the perfect milk foam. Frothing milk with a portafilter isn't difficult at all. We'll show you how to make the perfect milk foam at home. This will turn you into a real home barista, and with a bit of practice you'll even be able to make your first milk foam heart on your cappuccino . But the perfect milk foam doesn't just require hot air, it requires an espresso machine (portafilter machine) with a steam wand. This will give you the very best results.
Step by step instructions: frothing milk with a portafilter machine
Below you will find step-by-step instructions to help you make the perfect milk foam for latte art using a portafilter machine.
Step 1:
Before frothing, open the steam valve once. This will drain the condensate from the steam wand. Open it until only pure steam comes out. The condensate makes the milk too watery.
Step 2:
Generally, you hold the pot in your left hand. But you can also hold it in your right hand. It is important that one hand remains free to feel the temperature on the pot.
Step 3:
Dip the steam wand into the jug at a slight angle and not straight on. The tip of the wand should also be positioned about one centimeter to the side of the jug rim. The pouring spout can also be used to help. To start, position the steam wand about one centimeter below the surface of the milk. This way, no milk can splash out when starting.
Step 4:
With your free hand, turn on the steam valve. Now move the steam wand just below the surface of the milk. The desired suction is created by dipping the lance at a slight angle. You will now hear a scratching, slurping suction noise. The air is drawn under the milk. The jug must not be swung or moved during this process. The jug must be held still.
Step 5:
The longer the brewing phase lasts, the more foam bubbles are created. The brewing phase varies in length depending on the coffee specialty. For latte art, the brewing phase ends when the milk is lukewarm (30 to 40 degrees Celsius). With your free hand, you can feel the temperature at the bottom of the jug and on the rim of the jug.
Step 6:
For the rolling phase, the tip of the steam wand is dipped into the milk to a depth of about one centimeter. Try to find a position where the milk swirls in a circle through the jug. This breaks up the air bubbles and creates a homogeneous emulsion.
Step 7:
As soon as the desired temperature of 60 to 65 degrees Celsius is reached, close the steam valve. To ensure that the milk foam does not get too hot, invest in a special thermometer for milk jugs at the beginning. It will help you to control the temperature while frothing the milk.
Step 8:
Use a damp sponge cloth to remove any remaining milk foam from the steam wand. Then briefly open the steam valve to blow out the milk that has been drawn in.
Step 9:
Now tap the milk jug lightly on the table to break up the last large milk bubbles that have formed on top. Then swirl the milk jug on the worktop so that the fine-pored milk foam remains in one phase. After about 30 seconds, the milk begins to settle in two phases. Therefore, it is important to rotate the jug until pouring. In other words, you have to "keep the milk happy".
Et voilà! With this milk foam you can pour wonderful motifs into your coffee!
Facts:
The fact that milk can be frothed at all is due to the protein content in the milk. For the usual types of milk from the supermarket, this is relatively similar and is between 3.2 and 3.8 percent. The fat content does not affect the frothing. Low-fat milk can be frothed just as well as milk with a high fat content. This is because the protein content is the same in almost every type of milk. However, fat is a flavor carrier. Whole milk with a high fat content therefore always tastes better. If a coffee specialty is prepared with 3.8 percent whole milk, it tastes more intense overall. No matter which milk you choose: the milk must be cold and should ideally be taken straight from the fridge!
You can buy milk from national dairies. However, it is great if you use milk from regional suppliers. Our milk tip if you come from the Hanover region: Hemme milk from Wedemark, fresh whole milk with a fat content of 3.5%.
How is milk foam made?
When frothing milk, air is swirled into the milk. The result is foam. Foam is a mixture of liquid and air in the form of bubbles. These bubbles can be of different sizes. Therefore, not all foam is the same. A distinction is made between two types of milk foam: coarse-pored and fine-pored milk foam.
Coarse-pored milk foam
On the one hand, there is the firm, dense and coarse-pored foam. This is often the typical milk foam from Italian ice cream parlors with cocoa powder as a topping. This milk foam can be described as two-phase. This means that the liquid hot milk is at the bottom. The actual solid milk foam is on top. This coarse-pored milk foam is usually used for latte macchiato . Served in a glass, this effect with the multiple layers is particularly effective. It can be used to build up gigantic mountains of foam. However, this coarse-pored solid foam is unsuitable for milk foam decoration ( latte art ).
Fine-pored milk foam
On the other hand, there is the liquid, creamy and fine-pored milk foam. It consists of microfine air bubbles. That is why experts also speak of microfoam. This microfoam has a silky, shiny surface. No individual bubbles can be seen with the naked eye. This type of milk foam is single-phase. There is no separation of milk and foam. The air bubbles are evenly distributed from top to bottom.
This milk foam is suitable for drawing pictures ( latte art ) on the surface of the coffee.
Make your own milk foam – the right technique with the steam wand
Anyone who wants to prepare milk foam like a professional should use the steam wand of a portafilter machine for optimal foam results. All you need to do is acquire some basic knowledge.
The two phases of frothing milk with a portafilter: pulling and rolling phase
Frothing milk with a portafilter can be divided into two successive phases: the pulling and rolling phases.
The brewing phase when frothing milk with a portafilter
During the brewing phase, air is drawn under the cold milk by steam pressure. The steam wand only needs to be held just below the surface of the milk. However, the wand should be placed slightly at an angle and not straight into the jug. Also make sure that the wand is not positioned in the center, but to the side of the edge of the jug. You can also use the pouring spout to help. Place the steam wand in the pouring spout so that the tip is just about one centimeter from the edge of the jug.
If the steam tap is opened and the position is correct, a scratching, slurping sound can be heard during the drawing phase. This is when the desired foam bubbles are created. At the same time, the milk jug must be slowly moved downwards so that the steam wand is always just above the surface of the milk. This allows the air to continue to get under the milk and the amount of foam increases. Remember: the longer the drawing phase lasts, the more foam is created. When the milk has reached hand temperature (at around 30 to a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius), the rolling phase begins.
The rolling phase when frothing milk with a portafilter
For the rolling phase, the steam wand is dipped about 1 to 2 centimeters below the surface of the milk so that no more air is drawn in. You should no longer be able to hear any slurping noises. The steam pressure causes the milk to rotate. The foam bubbles that are created are broken up by the rolling motion of the milk and distributed evenly. Roll until the milk has reached 60 to 65 degrees Celsius. After frothing the milk, we recommend tapping the milk jug once on the kitchen countertop. This will burst any air bubbles that are too large in the milk foam. You should then swirl the jug so that all the components in the jug combine with one another. If you have done everything correctly, the milk foam should have a silky, shiny surface.
Preparatory steps
Make sure you have clean and cold milk jugs. Please do not use jugs that are still hot in the dishwasher. The milk you use should always be fresh and chilled. The ideal starting temperature for milk is around 4 to 8 degrees Celsius (refrigerator temperature). Room temperature is not good for frothing. The reason for this is that the warm-up time is shortened. The result is that the milk does not start rolling properly due to the short time and the air bubbles are not evenly distributed. The rule is: the colder the milk, the longer it takes to froth the milk. But the easier it is to achieve a perfect milk foam result.
The correct filling quantity in the milk jug
When frothing milk, it is important to ensure that the jug is filled to the correct level. The milk is poured in until just below the spout. This is the best filling range. In general, however, the milk jug should be filled at least one third full with milk, but not more than half full.
If you fill it with too little milk, the milk will heat up too quickly and it will be difficult to get the milk into the rolling phase. The jug should also not be filled above the spout, as frothing creates volume. Then there is no room for the foam that has formed and the milk will spill over.
Practice frothing milk with a portafilter
Often, especially when you first try, you don't succeed in frothing the milk to the desired result. Unfortunately, milk that has already been frothed cannot be frothed again. To avoid wasting so much milk, you can practice with a little trick. Fill the jug halfway with cold water. Add a tablespoon of cold milk. With this very diluted milk, you can actually create milk froth. The froth won't taste like anything, but it's great for practicing.
Another option is to add a splash of washing-up liquid to the water instead of milk. Visually, the foamed washing-up water looks very similar to milk foam. So be careful, please do not drink it!
Try out the different immersion depths with the steam lance. You can now observe what happens. If the steam lance is just below the surface, foam will form. If the lance is immersed deeper, the liquid will swirl and heat up.
Cleaning after frothing milk with portafilter
The steam wand should be cleaned immediately after each frothing process. If the steam valve is closed, a vacuum is created. This sucks some milk into the lance. Therefore, you blow some steam through again after the frothing process. If you forget, milk residue will settle on the inside of the lance. The outside of the lance is wiped with a damp sponge. This prevents milk residue from drying out. This is more difficult to remove. Tip: Clean the milk frothing jug and steam wand immediately after use to avoid stubborn milk residue.