Steaming Milk

Steaming Milk is a Major Part of Coffee Culture

• Should I add milk or foam into my coffee?
• Foaming milk at home
• What kind of milk makes the best foam?
• What besides foamed milk?

Steaming milk is part of the beverage menu in every restaurant. The lists have drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites and a variety of other coffee drinks made with a specific type or amount of foamed milk. Nowadays a lot of the drinks can also be made with oat, soy or coconut milk.

The most typical way of steaming milk is the espresso machine steam wand that blows hot steam into the milk. The warm steam simultaneously heats and froths the milk. However, if you don’t have a full-blown espresso machine at home (like the huge ones you see at coffee shops), it is probably cheaper to consider some other options.

Should I add milk or foam into my coffee?

Artisan roasted coffees have a really versatile flavour world compared to other coffees. Because of this, we recommend you try the coffees black, because milk can make it harder to taste flavours of the coffee. But the most important thing is, to have your coffee how you like it.

If you do want to add something to your coffee, the only choices aren’t milk, cream and sugar. Nowadays it is possible to make milk foam easily at home.

Steaming or foaming milk at home

The milk can be warmed up separately in the microwave or on the stovetop, or you can also use cold milk. However, cold milk can be quite challenging to foam. Different ways of preparing milk foam at home are:

• A milk frother that looks a lot like a french press (or even using your french press).
• A small manual or electric whisk specifically made for foaming milk.
• Putting some milk in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and shaking the container between the microwaving.

What kind of milk makes the best foam?

If you want to use cow milk, the best foam comes from whole milk, because of the fat. Lighter milk can also be foamed, but the foam isn’t as steady as the full milk froth. On the other hand, not many people want to make their drinks with whipped cream.

Lately, the market has been flooded with different substitutes for milk, such as soy milk, oat milk and coconut milk. Oatmilk makes a great foam (at least Oatly). On the other hand, soy and coconut milk are rarely designed to be frothed, though some professional versions of these can be available at the bigger grocery stores.

What besides foamed milk?

Tuning or modifying your coffee is all the rave around the world. Even though coffee on its own is delicious, it is sometimes fun to tune with your coffee!

You can sprinkle cinnamon, cocoa powder or even put chocolate sauce on top of your coffee or coffee drink. You can also add ice cream or whipped cream. Another way to tune the way your coffee tastes is by adding a flavoured syrup (such as mint or coconut), that are often available in well-equipped grocery stores and some coffee chains.

What kind of drinks have you made? Comment below or send us a picture on Instagram or Twitter!
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