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Milk Frothing at Home: Tips for Dairy and Plant Milk
Learn how to froth milk in different ways and how to adapt techniques for different types of milk.
Published September 5, 2022
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Asharita D'Silva
Coffee experts@Era of We
If you want to make your own lattes and cappuccinos at home, you will need to know how to froth milk, whether with a steamer, a froth wand, or another technique. Frothing milk for your coffee is a fairly simple task once you get the hang of it, but you will need to spend some time practicing.
Read on to find out how to froth milk with a handheld frother and other tools. Hopefully, by the end of this guide, you will feel comfortable enough to start making your own frothed milk at home!
Why Do You Need Frothed Milk?
Frothed milk is milk which has been aerated, meaning it contains many small air bubbles. Milk froth is an important part of many coffee drinks, most notably cappuccino and latte. The frothed milk serves to add texture and airiness to your coffee and give it a dense yet fluffy mouthfeel.
When you foam milk, it undergoes structural changes. Cow milk, which is most commonly used (even with the rise of plant milk, but more on that later), is a complex, nutrient-dense liquid that contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, and minerals. Milk proteins are essential to forming an emulsion, since one end of the protein is hydrophobic (repels water) and the other end is hydrophilic (attracts water).
When you foam milk, it forces air and water vapor into the milk while also heating it. Heat causes the denaturation of proteins, which changes their structure. All this together means that milk proteins create stabilized spheres around the air, which creates air pockets that make milk froth so light and airy.
However, to froth milk properly you need to make sure you do it right. Too much heat, and you’ll spoil the milk. Too little, and it may not aerate properly. There are many ways to create milk froth and milk foam, whether you use a froth wand, handheld blender, whisk, or a professional steam wand.
3 Best Ways to Froth Milk at Home
Before you get started with frothing milk at home, let’s go through some of the basics. First, what kind of milk will you be using? In this guide, we’re using dairy milk but plant milk can also be used with certain tweaks to the technique. Whole fat dairy milk is the best to start with since it has a high fat content that makes it easier to froth. Plant milk is harder to froth because it has a low fat content.
Second, make sure to heat your milk before you froth. No need to get it boiling, but it should be hot to the touch. Third, consider what kind of bubbles you want in your drink. Lattes should have smaller bubbles and thicker milk, while drinks like cappuccinos and macchiatos need larger bubbles.
Finally, let’s get started!
1. Frothing milk with a French Press
If you already have a French Press for brewing, this is an easy and convenient method for you. Frothing milk with a French Press is perfect for slow mornings when there’s no rush since it might take you a while to get the right texture of froth. The results may vary, especially if you use plant milk, but it works great in a pinch.
For the best results, use small amounts of milk starting with 1 cup. Heat the milk to a scalding temperature (around 150°F or 65°C) and transfer to the French Press once hot. Use quick, short plunges to pump the milk and create the froth. Pump for 30 seconds for dairy milk, and shorter for plant milk (especially oat milk which can deflate if pumped too much). Transfer to a milk jug and tap lightly to release the larger air bubbles. Voila! Your milk froth is ready.
2. Frothing milk with a whisk
If you have no tools at all, a whisk will suffice. Granted, it won’t be as light or bubbly as frothing with a wand or other tool but it gets the job done. This is a real arm workout though, so be prepared to stand and whisk for a while.
There’s not much of a trick to this method. Simply heat up your milk, whisk vigorously until bubbles form, and then transfer to a milk pitcher. If the bubbles are too large, tap the pitcher lightly on the kitchen counter to get rid of them. This method may take longer but the results are satisfactory enough.
3. How to Use a Milk Frother Wand
A milk frother wand is a great tool to have if you brew a lot at home. It’s quicker, you can froth more milk at once, and it even works for plant milk. It can be costly though, so consider your budget before you invest in a frother wand.
As always, start by scalding your milk. Once the milk is hot, transfer it to a long container. Hold the container at an angle and place the frother just under the surface of the milk. Turn on the frother wand and move it up and down for about 20 seconds or till the foamy bubbles form. Break up any large bubbles with light tapping.
For lattes, you don’t need much foam so don’t froth the milk for too long. This will make it harder for the milk to mix with the coffee. Froth for a shorter time and let it rest for 30 seconds to 1 minute before adding to your coffee. For cappuccinos and macchiatos, you need a lot of foam so froth the milk longer.
If you have an espresso machine at home, check out this guide on how to use a steam wand to froth milk.
Best Practices for Making Milk Froth
If you're new to frothing milk, it would be best to start with a 12 oz pitcher, which is about 350 ml. It has enough volume for a large latte and is easy to handle. Experts and Baristas recommend starting with cold milk since it gives you longer to work with the milk and it aerates better than room temperature milk. If you think 350 ml is too much, you can always go for a smaller volume but remember that the milk will expand as it froths so your container should be big enough.
These are the three key aspects to consider when making milk froth:
1. Temperature
The purpose behind frothing milk is to create a sweet, creamy texture. Heating the milk will increase sweetness, but only up to a certain point. Milk is sweetest between 135-150°F. You can use a kitchen or special frothing thermometer or go by touch- the perfect temperature is just when the outside of the pitcher becomes uncomfortable to touch.
2. Frothing Technique
The secret to a good frothing technique is finding the proper frothing wand position relative to the milk surface. If you insert the frothing wand too low into the milk, you won’t be able to get enough air in. If it’s too high, you will spill milk everywhere and possibly get too much air into the milk. You can find the ideal position by starting with the wand tip just below the surface of the milk. Adjust the position as you go along, and pay attention to the rips which indicate more air being pulled into the milk.
3. Milk Type
Lastly, how your froth turns out is all about the type of milk you use. Fat content plays an important role in forming the milk froth, so something like cow milk which has a high fat content will froth easier. Variations of dairy milk, like half-and-half, skimmed milk, and creamer all have their own peculiarities when it comes to frothing. Plant-based milks like almond milk and oat milk need delicate handling if you want to froth them.
Almond milk is one of the most popular milk alternatives in coffee shops. One of the reasons may be that almond milk gives a lovely froth which is both delicate and long-lasting. Some people say it leaves a bit of a bittersweet aftertaste, but that’s up to personal preference.
Oat milk is notoriously finicky to froth and has to be worked on for longer. The milk is also prone to splitting which can be disheartening for beginners.
Ultimately, getting the perfect milk froth requires patience and practice, and lots of it. You may have to practice every day and maybe waste a lot of milk and coffee in the process, but if you stick to it and follow these tips, you’ll be a pro in no time.
About the author
Asharita D'Silva
Join me in discovering the wonderful world of coffee! As a writer, coffee is my fuel and newfound passion. I love writing about new coffees, sustainability, and coffee culture around the world. I'm always discovering new things about coffee and the industry, which I share with the great community here at Era Of We.
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