Everyone loves the froth of warm milk on top of the coffee they are drinking. If you want to warm yourself up on a cold day by sipping a macchiato or mocha, you can use a milk foam maker to make a barista-style foam. By selecting, preparing, and making your own milk foam, you can imitate an expensive coffee drink at home.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Selecting and Preparing Milk
Step 1. Buy fresh milk
Check the expiration date of store-bought milk. Choose milk that has a long expiration date. Old milk has more glycerol, a natural substance that makes it difficult for milk foam to retain its bubbles.
Step 2. Use low-fat milk if you are just learning how to make foam
Replace the milk with a high-fat variant once you are quite proficient. The chemical structure of low-fat milk is better for retaining foam at room temperature.
Alternatively, you can use any type of milk to add to the drink, then scoop up the foam on top with a spoon
Step 3. Pour the milk into the carafe of the manual foaming milk maker
Fill the carafe or other container (such as the one in an electric foam maker, not a manual one) until the milk fills 1/3 of the container. This will give the milk plenty of room to expand as it froths.
Step 4. Cool the carafe filled with milk
Place the carafe in the refrigerator to cool the milk. This is especially important if you buy UHT milk that is not normally refrigerated. Dip a spoon in the milk after 30 minutes, then place it on your wrist to test the temperature. Remove the carafe from the refrigerator once the milk inside is cool to the touch.
- You can remove the foam from the warm milk, but the foam is only a little. It's best to make a froth from cold milk, then heat the foam if you want to serve it hot.
- There is no specific temperature benchmark to determine how cold milk can be used.
Method 2 of 4: Manually Evaporating Milk
Step 1. Replace the foam maker cap
Check the rim of the carafe to make sure that the top is securely fastened so that there is no gap between the mouth of the carafe and the lid. A lid that doesn't fit tightly can cause a mess when you're trying to get the milk froth out!
Step 2. Shake the carafe handle up and down for 30 seconds
Hold the carafe firmly with your non-dominant hand as you pump the plunger into the milk with your dominant hand. The more foam that is formed, the more force is required to pump it. This is normal.
Step 3. Check the consistency of the foam
Lift the top of the carafe and watch for the milk inside. Some people like to use thin milk foam, while others like thick foam. If the milk has not reached the desired consistency, pump again for another 30 seconds.
Do not pump milk by hand for more than a minute. Excessive foaming can cause air bubbles that have already formed to burst
Step 4. Remove the carafe cover
Tap the whisk on the end of the plunger against the end of the carafe to return any remaining froth stuck to the container.
Step 5. Stir the carafe in one circular motion
Tap the bottom of the carafe against the table once to remove any very large water bubbles. The foam will shrink a bit, but that's okay. The milk froth is now ready to be heated and served.
Method 3 of 4: Using an Electric Foamer
Step 1. Hold the froth maker vertically with your head in the milk
Check that the tool head is completely submerged, then turn it on.
If the device is equipped with a speed setting, use the high speed mode
Step 2. Move the foam maker circularly for 30 seconds
Keep the head near the bottom of the carafe as the foam begins to form. You will see bubbles popping up.
Step 3. Replace with an up and down motion for 30 seconds
Keep the froth head under the surface of the milk to avoid splashing. The milk will appear more foamy during the last 30 seconds. Turn off the tool.
Step 4. Tap the froth maker against the side of the container to bring back any remaining foam
Foam made with the help of electric tools will feel smoother. So don't stir or tap your carafe. The milk is now ready to be warmed and served.
Method 4 of 4: Heating and Serving the Milk Foam
Step 1. Heat the milk foam in the microwave for 30-40 seconds
If the carafe is metal, slowly pour your milk into a special microwave container. If your carafe is heat resistant, place it in the microwave. Check the milk every 30 seconds until it reaches the desired temperature.
Overheating milk can cause it to boil and change the taste. Do not heat the milk to its boiling point
Step 2. Remove the milk from the microwave
Wear oven mitts or a kitchen towel to remove the hot dish in the microwave. You have to assume that the milk tastes really hot – maybe really hot! – to prevent the risk of being injured accidentally.
Step 3. Use a spoon to transfer the foam into your favorite coffee drink
If you want to add hot milk to your coffee as a complement to the foam, slowly pour the milk into the glass so that the foam doesn't crumble.
