Notes on Frothing Milk:
When producing foamed and steamed milk for a cappuccino the temperature is the most important area to concentrate on. The optimum temperature for foamed milk is 68-70C. I strongly suggest getting a thermometer to use, this helps to educate your brain on what sounds, touch and smell you experience to get the milk to the correct temperature. Most people find that once that have got used to foaming with the thermometer, after a while they no longer need it as they recognise the signs that tell them the milk is ready.
Ok, fill your milk jug up just under half way full. Make sure the milk is nice and cold as this will give you more time to get the texture and volume you require before you reach your target temp. Now open up your steam arm and purge the wand before you start. This gets rid of any moisture gathered in the steam arm since it was last used. Now put your steam arm into the jug, tilt the jug slightly and have the steam arm on the side of the jug (not the middle). The tip should be just below the surface of the milk. Now open up the steam arm fully, and as you do that drop the jug very slightly so you inject a little air and break the surface of the milk. This helps to kick start the milk moving. It is important to remember that you are not foaming the milk and creating bubbles, you are actually doing what is called “stretching” the milk. The most important part of this is the rapid whirlpool motion you create as the milk spins in the jug. Every 8-10 seconds gently drop the jug lower and just break the surface and you create a spitting noise, then move back below the surface again. This helps add a little density to the milk. If you drop the jug too far you get large bubbles and some louder rasping noises. The secret is patience and that thermometer, as the temperature increases the volume of the milk starts to grow. Most milk thermometers have about a 10C lag time on them (meaning that if you turn off steam at about 60C it will continue to rise to approx 70C) On domestic machines the lag time may not be as long due to less steam pressure. I suggest you experiment to see what your individual machine does.
Once your milk is up to temperature, bang your milk jug on a hard surface to help remove any of the large bubbles that may have gathered. Having done this, you then want to “texture” the milk. This is basically a method of mixing the steamed milk, and the foamed milk on top together. Using a flat surface, start to swirl the jug in circles, and you will start to see the milk change from a slightly dull surface, to a very silky looking substance. You may still have a lump in the middle – keep going until it disappears. Once it’s gone, you will have what looks and reacts like pouring cream. Take the milk to your cup, and gently using a spoon or spatula, guide out the foam, and the milk gently together; this will give you a nice even balance of foam and milk onto your cappuccino. Once you become more comfortable with what you are doing, you will start to use a gentle rocking action with your wrist on pouring to achieve the same results. If you get this right, you will produce some of the silkiest, smoothest milk you have ever seen, it will taste extremely creamy, and will have a very slight sweet taste to it. This will also bring out the natural notes of the coffee you are drinking, rather than “burnt” milk which will actually flatten and make your coffee taste bitter. What I have written above is purely a guide for what I teach people on a commercial machine. It’s not the easiest thing to teach via type, and a domestic machine will react differently to a commercial machine. However I hope after reading this it gives a few of you the taste to go have a try. You will crack it with practice, just be patient it’s worth it!
) until its the right colour
I paid £19 a year or so ago
