Foaming milk for a Cappuccino

You are aiming to produce milk that has a frothy, shiny and smooth meringue finish.

  1. Pour sufficient cold milk (rule of thumb 1/3 of a jug) into the ‘belly jug’. Too little will make it hard to reach with the steam wand, and too much will cause the milk to overflow.
  2. Briefly open and close the steam valve to release any unwanted liquid – make sure the wand is pointing away from anyone when you do this.
  3. Place the steam wand under the surface of the milk.
  4. Fully open the steam valve, and move the nozzle towards the top of the milk - this gets air into the milk to make it expand.  You’ll need to lower the jug as the milk expands to ensure the tip of the steam wand stays on the surface of the milk to continue to pull air in.
  5. When the thermometer reaches 40°C (100F) you should submerge the steam wand into the milk and not let any more air in. Continuing to add air to milk after this point creates a dryer and inferior product.
  6. Turn the steam valve off when the thermometer reaches 60°C (140F).
  7. Immediately wipe the steam wand firmly with a clean damp cloth.
  8. Bang the jug on a work surface several times to burst any large bubbles.
  9. Swirl the jug in a circular motion on the counter, to 'polish' the milk. This ensures the foam and milk stays mixed leaving a shiny and smooth finish.

 

The milk is ready to pour. You must pour confidently so the foamed milk covers the top of your espresso.