Why we Steam Milk
Steaming milk is an essential skill for all baristas to learn, whether professional or amateur – but is a difficult skill to master. Properly steamed milk not only enhances the flavour and texture of your coffee with different steaming techniques required for each drink, but also serves as the foundation for creating beautiful latte art. Using steam to heat and texture the milk allows heat and air to be incorporated within the milk, binding tiny air bubbles to the milk and creating a silky microfoam that not only enhances the texture, but also the body and taste of the coffee by countering the flavour of the bitter compounds. Mastering their milk steaming technique allows baristas to serve higher quality coffees that taste great and look beautiful on a more consistent basis.
Why Baristas Struggle to Learn Milk Steaming
Many inexperienced baristas struggle with steaming milk early on because they are not taught the fundamental basics and theory behind steaming milk, and can tend to overcomplicate the process and miss the forest for the trees. Because they are never taught the basics, new baristas can often overheat the milk which will begin to cook it and create undesirable flavours, incorporate too much or too little air into the milk which can make the steaming process incredibly loud and create the wrong texture, and not break down the bubbles into a smooth silky microfoam which leads to a bubbly and unstable texture which will not let you pour latte art patterns.
Learning how to properly steam milk for delicious drinks, great texture and latte art, starts with finding a simple and repeatable technique.
Learning How to Steam Milk – A Repeatable Technique
For a visual demonstration of the milk steaming technique we recommend, keep reading check out the short 3 minute video above. The purpose of this technique is to set the foundation for your baristas to position the jug and steam wand properly so that we are first creating a vortex inside the milk, and secondly using the vortex to incorporate and break down air bubbles into a smooth microfoam.
Jug Size
Start by selecting a suitable jug for the size of the drink you are preparing. Fill the jug with milk up to the level of the bottom of the spout.
Jug and Steam Wand Positioning
Hold the jug in your dominant hand and face the machine straight on. Point the jug directly at the machine, pulling the steam wand out at about a 45° angle. Use the spout of the jug and the steam wand as your two points of contact to lock in your position. Ensure the tip of the steam wand is directly in the center of the jug and slightly submerged under the surface of the milk.
Creating the Vortex
Tilt the jug slightly so that the steam wand is about a third away from the edge of the jug. Place your non-dominant hand on the bottom side of the jug to hold it in place. Initiate the steam process by using your non-dominant hand to turn on the steam. The angled position of the steam wand helps create a vortex or whirlpool motion in the milk, aiding in incorporating air and breaking down bubbles.
Incorporating Air
As the vortex forms, slowly and slightly lower the jug to raise the tip of the steam wand above the surface, allowing air to incorporate into the milk and create foam. Once enough air is incorporated, return the jug to its starting position while maintaining the same angle and contact points.
How to Gauge Temperature
Your non-dominant hand serves as the temperature guide. Milk should be steamed to about 60 to 65°C (140 to 149°F). When the jug becomes too hot to hold, it’s an indicator that the milk is at the right temperature. Remove your hand and turn off the steam immediately.
Cleaning and Polishing
After steaming, wait for the steam to fully power down before removing the jug. Wipe down the steam wand with a damp cloth and purge any residual milk or trapped air. If large bubbles remain, gently tap the jug on the counter and swirl the milk to incorporate the foam.
How to Speed Up the Learning Process
Improving your milk steaming ability takes time, practice and patience, but starting with a simple and repeatable technique is a great step in quickly mastering the process. Some others things you can do to get better, faster, is to practice regularly, learn from others (including watching training videos and shadowing experts), use quality equipment, and staying patient.
Join a Barista Training Class
Introductory barista courses are fantastic at teaching proper milk steaming technique, troubleshooting, and discovering how to pour a number of patterns. Consider engaging in SCA Barista Training with your wholesale coffee company to kickstart your learning process with some of the best in the industry. Learn more about Barista Courses here -> SCA Training.
Use Automated Milk Steaming Equipment
Automating the milk steaming process is the ultimate hack to letting any barista serve incredible quality coffees at the push of a button, and massively speeds up the process in learning how to pour latte art. Standalone options are available such as the Perfect Moose or Uber Milk, but for a premium coffee machine that steams milk to a high quality for you, look at the automatic options from Eversys.