Cappuccino, Latte, Macchiato, Flat White, etc all have one thing in common – Frothed Milk. If you’re trying to replicate one of these barista specialties at home, and have found yourself stuck at the stage of perfecting the milk frothing, do not worry.
Milk not frothing perfectly can happen due to a bunch of reasons, when rectified will result in freshly frothed milk. Learn everything there is to know about why your milk isn’t frothing, what mistakes could be avoided, and the best tips for the perfect froth.
What Is Frothed Milk?
‘Frothed milk’ is the process of incorporating air into milk in order to create tiny bubbles which then turn into a light and foamy texture, which is used as a topping on delicious coffee beverages like cappuccinos or lattes.
You can either use a milk frother to create these delicious cloud-like textures or also use other techniques and equipment which are usually easily available at your home. To understand best how milk froths and what mistakes you could be making during the process, it is imperative for you to understand the science behind frothing milk.
Why Does Milk Foam? The Science Behind Frothing Milk
Every ingredient that you use in your kitchen, reacts a certain way due to some reason or the other. There is a whole science behind why milk reacts to air and heat the way it does and how it foams.
The process of foaming milk involves incorporating air into the milk while heating it. This causes the milk to create spheres around the air and then the protein in the milk stabilizes the bubbles that are the milk foam. Let’s look at the main factors responsible for the soft creamy foam on your cappuccino and latte.
Milk Nutrients
Milk is a complex liquid and consists of several chemical compounds. Any kind of milk will have three basic macronutrients – Protein, Fats, and Carbohydrates. The protein in the milk is one of the most important contributing factors that result in foamy milk.
When frothing milk air is incorporated into the milk, during this process the protein in the milk forms spheres around the milk and stabilizes the bubbles in the form of milk foam. The fats in the milk impact the quality of the milk more than the quantity of foam in the milk. All forms of milk can foam regardless of their fat content.
The underlying difference here is that milk with higher fat content such as whole milk will create a more soft and creamy foam. While milk with less or no fat content such as skim milk will create dry foam.
Temperature
The temperature at which the milk is steamed or frothed can adversely affect the milk foam. If you foam milk at a lower temperature than the one recommended the foam will be thin and the bubbles will not be stable.
If you overheat the milk while frothing the protein will unwind and also result in unstable milk foam. Therefore to achieve the perfect foam, the heating temperature of milk makes a huge difference. The ideal temperature when frothing whole milk is between 139℉ to 150℉.
Here Are 6 Reasons Why Your Milk Isn’t Frothing
Now that we are clear on the science behind milk frothing, here are 6 possible reasons why your milk isn’t frothing and how you can make them better-
1. Not Heating The Milk
If you are trying to froth milk at room temperature you are making a huge mistake. As we mentioned earlier, it is paramount for the milk to be at the correct temperature to froth properly. When frothing milk for hot beverages, make sure to heat the milk to the right temperature.
Emphasis on the word ‘heat’ and not boil or overheat. You can use a kitchen thermometer to measure the correct milk temperature (139℉ to 150℉) or heat it until it is warm but not boiling. Frothing milk properly is a technique and you master it only with practice, patience, and time.
This is not applicable when using an electric milk frother, as you do not need to heat milk on your own. It is quite possible that you’re making mistakes, but keep at it and you will surely be able to master the art of frothing milk perfectly for your morning coffee.
When making cold foam, it is necessary to use chilled milk and not room-temperature milk. Frothed chilled milk or cold foam works excellently with iced coffees, cold brew, etc. There is a number of ways you can do this, but using a milk frother is one of the most sorted methods – Here are the 8 best milk frothers for cold foam.
2. Not Using Fresh Milk
This point was a given, but worth mentioning; since many people continue making this mistake. If you are trying to froth milk that is not fresh and has been in your refrigerator for a few days, chances are it won’t work.
Another thing is if you have already heated and foamed the milk once, do not try foaming it again – it will not work. Once the milk is heated the protein gets denatured and without protein, you cannot get milk foam as it is one of the main factors when frothing milk.
3. Not Frothing Long Enough
Say, you started frothing your milk using a handheld milk frother, you whisk the wand for around 30 seconds to 40 seconds and expect it to double in size – this just won’t happen. When using anything other than an electric frother (automatic), frothing milk takes time.
If you are using a handheld frother or a french press, or a manual frother, whatever it may be; you need to be patient with it. Continue whisking the milk for at least a minute or two. Since the whisk in a manual frother is small it takes time to incorporate enough air in the milk to make it frothy in seconds.
4. Heating The Milk Too Much
As important as it is to heat the milk, it is also very important to not overheat it. Milk begins scalding at 165 degrees, hence it is crucial to watch out for the milk temperature. 9 out of 10 times people are going wrong with the milk temperature, hence it is important that both heating to the correct temperature and not overheating the milk must be kept in mind at all times.
5. Not Using The Correct Type Of Milk
Different types of milk react differently, and hence it is important to use the correct type of milk. Usually, every milk type vegan or non-vegan has basic frothing properties like fat and protein. However certain factors might influence how certain milk type is better than the other.
Whole milk creates a thick and denser foam due to its high-fat content. On the other hand, skim milk produces a much lighter foam, it also creates a huge volume when foaming. On testing both these milk we found that skim milk is easier to froth and gives better results than whole milk.
6. Not Holding The Frother Wand In The Right Position
This scenario is ideal when you are using a handheld frother or steaming wand that comes with an espresso machine. When you do not hold the frothing wand in the correct position it creates difficulty in frothing milk.
In the case of a steaming wand, if the wand is so low that it touching the pitcher, that it is making a screeching noise, you are doing it all wrong. The right way to do this is to hold the wand just below the surface of the milk not above, nor too low.
The same theory applies to handheld frothers, do not hold the frother too low in the milk cup or pitcher so it disturbs the surface of the pitcher, and neither hold the whisk on top of the milk, so it splashes all over. Hold it right below the surface of the milk. Tilting the milk pitcher a little also does wonder when facing issues when frothing milk with a frother wand.
Best Methods To Froth Milk – Best Tips For Beginners For Milk Frothing
If you make sure that all things mentioned above are proper, you will be able to froth your milk easily. If still facing difficulties, here are a few tips that can make the process of milk frothing easy for you-
1. Use a frothing pitcher – Frothing Pitcher is a stainless steel vessel shaped like a jug with a pour spout on the top. The reason, why a frothing pitcher makes your job ten times easier when frothing milk is that it is structured in a way that when frothing milk, it does not splash milk around.
Secondly, if you are attempting to make latte art, a pitcher with a sharp spout will help the milk foam flow easily. Even when you are using an electric milk frother, you shall still get one as the milk carafe in the electric frothers is hug and not the best when trying to make latte art. This frothing pitcher from De’Longhi is going to be a good fit for your needs.
2. Use a kitchen thermometer – We explained the importance of milk being at an accurate temperature to be able to foam perfectly. A kitchen thermometer seems like the right choice for this purpose. Using a thermometer prevents you from making mistakes.
3. Tilt the pitcher a little – We mentioned this earlier, but this method works like a magic, when using handheld frothers try tilting the pitcher a little. This ensures that the whisk at the bottom of the wand touches the milk in its entirety and helps froth milk better.
Is Steaming Milk The Same As Frothing Milk?
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 milk 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.
Read more about the difference between a Milk Frother and a Milk Steamer here.
Final Thoughts
Milk Foam is what makes these specialty coffee beverages extra special. To make these delicious drinks at home, one must follow the right techniques. We discussed in detail what mistakes you could be making and some other tips for frothing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Both hot and cold milk works well for frothing, When making milk foam for hotter beverages it is best to heat milk and when making cold foam chilled milk works the best. When using a milk steamer always use cold milk.
All types of milk can create milk foam, However, skim milk works the best as it gives a light and soft foam and is also higher in volume. In the case of whole milk, it is creamier and thicker.
The best temperature for frothing milk is between 140 to 155 degrees.
It can take up to 40 to 60 seconds to get good-quality milk foam.
