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Steaming the Milk The last ingredient of the cappuccino and latte (and many other drinks) is steamed milk.Steaming the milk has several benefits. First it heats the milk which is necessary because you will usually be using more milk then espresso and if you didn't heat it, all of your espresso drinks would be cold. Second, steaming actually sweetens the milk, making for a more pleasant drink.
Few sounds are as irritating to me then the sound of milk being improperly steamed in a coffee shop. Typically, the barrista (person making the espresso drink) will pour the milk into the steaming pitcher, set the pitcher down on the espresso machine with the steaming wand all the way in the milk, turn it on and walk away. The screaching sound is clear evidence that this barrista does not know (or care) what they're doing. The result of steaming like this is milk with no texture or foam and tastes scortched and often is so hot that it burns your mouth! It's so easy (and fun) to do it the right way.
To steam the milk properly, start with a cold steaming pitcher, and fill about one third of it with milk. Whole milk is easier to steam than skim. A thermometer is very important. If you don't have one, another way to tell when your milk is hot enough but not too hot is to stop steaming when the steaming pitcher is too hot to hold. However, since I don't like burned fingers, I use a thermometer. You can buy one from some coffee shops that sell coffee equipment or over the internet.
Put the steam wand into the milk and start the steam. Put the tip of the wand deep in the milk at first then gradually bring it shallower to avoid splashing milk all over yourself if it is too shallow to start with. Keep the steam wand just under the surface of the milk and watch your thermometer. Initially you will be doing what is called stretching the milk, which is adding air to it. This is best done initially when the milk is cold. Don't put the tip of the steaming wand so close to the surface of the milk that big bubbles form. You want to hear little hissing sounds with very small bubbles formed.
As the milk expands you will lower the pitcher so that the tip of the steam wand remains just under the surface.When the milk stops stretching, put the steaming wand deeper in the milk to keep on heating it without over stretching it (as big bubbles will start to form) until it is at the proper temperature. Stop when the temperature is 140° to 150° F. Higher temperatures could scald the milk. If a few big bubbles form, tap the steaming pitcher a little on the counter and that will remove most of them.
Again, if your manufacturer’s instructions differ from mine, follow the manufacturer’s as they know their particular machine best. These are simply general instructions.
Do not let the espresso sit; use it right away. It's best to steam the milk first and then make the espresso (if your machine doesn't do both simultaneously) Add a few ounces of steamed milk and a few ounces of froth for a delicious cappuccino, or add more milk and less froth for a latte. |
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