Can You Add Sugar To Milk Before Steaming? Read This FIRST!

If the idea of sweet creamy coffee sounds good to you, you have probably wondered if you could remove the extra step of dissolving sugar with coffee and add it straight to your milk before steaming it. 

The answer is – You should not add sugar to milk before steaming it. Adding sugar to milk can cause the sugar to interfere with the natural process of steaming milk, resulting in unstable steamed milk without any thickness or foam in it. The sugar crystals can also melt in the pitcher, creating a huge mess.

Why You Should Avoid Adding Sugar?

The number one reason why we and any other pro-barista would recommend you to not add sugar to milk before steaming is simply due to the effects sugar has when it comes in contact with heat. 

In the case of steaming, milk is exposed to the steam from the steam wand. This causes the fats and the lactose (the sugar present in the milk) to break down which expands and becomes tiny bubbles or foam.

When you decide to add sugar to milk it interferes with the above process of fats and sugar breaking down and can give you an unstable foam. Not only that, but sugar will also start melting when exposed to such a high degree of steam and will stick around on your frothing pitcher and also your steam wand leaving quite a mess behind.

When sugar comes in contact with heat or steam, it will break down the sugar into glucose and fructose. As you continue to heat it over a longer period of time it also causes it loses its water and change color and form into different elements like caramel. Therefore, adding raw sugar is definitely not recommended as the sugar crystals can melt and leave a huge mess behind.

How To Sweeten The Milk Foam If Not Sugar?

If you have seen a barista make coffee up close, you will see that they steam the milk without anything else in the pitcher. To sweeten the milk they normally would add it directly to the cup. But, what if you need to make sweetened milk foam?

You sure cannot add sugar to milk before steaming it then how do you make sweet milk foam without adding sugar? It’s quite simple really, you use sugar syrup or simple syrup. Simple syrup is basically a liquid sweetener that is made by dissolving sugar and water. 

Since the sugar and water are dissolved together in heat already and have a very thick consistency, it dissolves evenly when added to milk foam. It will also not have the same effect on milk steaming as raw sugar.

Difference Between Frothing And Steaming Milk

We have come to the above conclusion by keeping “steaming milk” in mind. It is important to note that steam milk is different than frothing milk. If you decide to add sugar while frothing milk it might have different effects than a milk steamer. Here is the difference between the two of them.

The main difference between a Milk frother and a Milk steamer is that frothing milk creates very light and airy milk foam while steaming milk heats the milk and slightly aerates it resulting in microfoam which creates a shiny velvety texture.

Key Differences:

To understand how frothed milk is different from steamed milk, let’s discuss some key differential points:

Process

The process of steaming milk is a little more complicated than frothing milk. During the process of steaming, the milk is heated and is exposed to steam. Due to the high pressure of the steamer, the fats in the milk expand and create foam.

While with frothing milk, the air is incorporated in the milk which creates larger air bubbles in the milk resulting in light and airy foam.

Texture

Frothed Milk has a light and airy structure. It is more suitable for drinks like cappuccino as it requires milk foam in larger quantities. When frothing milk it doubles in volume and creates larger air bubbles and milk foam.

On the other hand, the texture of steamed milk is thick and velvety. The process of exposing steam to the milk creates smaller bubbles in the milk so it does not double in volume. Steamed milk is perfect for drinks like a latte or flat white.

Temperature

With frothed Milk, there can be both cold as well as hot milk froth. But, with steamed milk, it is always hot.

Want to know more about the differences between the two – find it here!

What Happens When You Steam Milk?

The process of steaming milk involves heating the milk and slightly aerating it creating small air bubbles. Unlike frothing milk this process does not result in frothy foam. Steaming milk produces a very delicate foam called microfoam. This makes the texture of the milk heavier and velvety, suitable for drinks like a latte.

When you steam milk you are essentially incorporating air into the milk and heating it. When using a steam wand, you would notice a jet of steam come out through the holes of the steaming nozzle. These cause the milk to whisk at a fast pace and incorporate air into the milk.

The proteins in the milk as is exposed to air and heat start to expand and form air bubbles. The fat present in the milk defines the thick mouthfeel you experience when having a latte. This is what happens when you steam milk!

The Correct Method Of Steaming Milk

The first step is to pour the milk into a metallic pitcher. Do not overfill the pitcher with milk since it will expand in volume. Next, submerge the tip of the steam wand just below the surface of the milk and turn on the steam. 

The steamer wand will start making a loud hissing noise at this point. During this process, the steam blows bubbles, which helps in incorporating air into the milk. After enough air has been pulled into the milk and bubbles have been formed, submerge the wand a little down to the surface, this will create a whirlpool-like motion in the milk. 

This will help in steaming the milk and breaking down the bigger bubbles into tiny foam also known as microfoam. Once the Milk reaches 140℉, turn off the steamer and keep the pitcher aside for a few seconds. Pour the steamed milk on top of your espresso and enjoy a creamy latte!

Can You Add Sugar To Milk While Frothing It Using A Milk Frother?

You cannot add raw sugar to your milk frother but you definitely can add powdered sugar or simple syrup to the frother. The frothing disc in a milk frother is not very strong and the sugar crystals can melt with the heat and get stuck on it, eventually ruining the frother. 

If you do not have a frother that has non-stick interiors, we would recommend avoiding adding sugar. We all know, that milk alone is a hard substance to clean at times. In case the sugar sticks to the inner wall of the frother, it can get very difficult to clean it.

When Can You Add Raw Sugar To Milk Before Frothing?

Using a milk frother and milk steamer are not the only ways to froth milk. It can be frothed using a number of methods. Here are 9 ways you can froth milk without a milk frother. If you prefer adding raw sugar or brown sugar to your milk for coffee, you can add it using these methods.

Let’s walk you through 2 simple options for you to add sugar to milk before steaming-

1. When using a french press – One of the best ways to froth milk without a frother is to use a french press. You can add sugar to milk before frothing when using a french press. Add warm milk and sugar to the pitcher. Cover the lid and plunge multiple times until milk is frothy. 

2. Using a blender – You can also add sugar with milk in a blender. Follow the steps in the above-linked article and blend milk at high speed to get thick foam. This works perfectly for cold or icy beverages.

Final Thoughts

We hope you are now clear on whether you could add sugar to milk before steaming milk. Now you know adding sugar to milk before steaming would do more good than bad, After all, we do not want anything getting in the way of that creamy delicate milk foam. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)