How to froth milk without a steam wand.
What you need
Milk frother: a handheld whisk or a standalone frother Steel jug with a pointed spout, if you want to pour latte art Thermometer and microwave, if you use a whisk Cold milk: whole milk or the barista version of a plant milk
With a handheld whisk
- 1
Warm the milk to 55–60 °C
The microwave is easiest: in a mug or glass, never in the steel jug. Stir once halfway.
- 2
Pour it into the jug
Leave some room at the top. Once air gets in, the milk rises.
- 3
Add air, just below the surface
Dip the head just under the surface, then switch on. 5 to 10 seconds is enough, a few more for a cappuccino.
- 4
Go deeper until it spins
Now go deeper and a little off center, and let the milk spin until no big bubbles are left. Switch off before you lift the whisk out.
- 5
Tap and swirl
Tap the jug once on the counter and swirl the milk until it shines like wet paint.
- 6
Pour right away
Pour from a little height first, then low and close to the cup. Rinse the head right after, and keep the handle dry.
With a standalone frother
- 1
Cold milk up to the line
Pour it straight from the fridge, between the min and max lines. If there are two max lines, the lower one is for foam.
- 2
Pick the program
Go for less air for a flat white or latte, more for a cappuccino.
- 3
Let it run
It warms and froths on its own and stops by itself. Make your coffee in the meantime.
- 4
Swirl, pour, rinse
Swirl the jug, pour right away, then rinse it out. The base never goes under water.
When it doesn't work
-
Big bubbles, splashing Your whisk is too high. Hold it just under the surface. -
Dry, stiff foam Too much air. Add air for less time and go deeper sooner. -
Tastes cooked It got too hot. Stay at 65 °C or below and check with a thermometer. -
Only lukewarm Warm the milk to 60 °C, and rinse jug and cup with hot water first.
Three ways to froth milk
-
Handheld whisk You warm the milk yourself and froth it in the jug. It's the cheapest way, and with a fine mesh head it's good enough for latte art. -
Steamer A small boiler makes steam, and you froth like with a wand. You'll need to learn the café technique, and the device costs a lot more than a whisk. Stovetop models are under pressure. Only open them once the pressure is off and they have cooled down. -
Standalone frother Pour in cold milk and press a button. The foam comes out the same every time. The device takes up space, though, and needs rinsing out after each use.
What the video shows
Handheld whisks: with a fine mesh head (OutIn LattoGo, NanoFoamer) the milk gets really fine. He warms it in the microwave: 50 seconds at 800 watts, a stir, then 30 more seconds. He doesn't say how much milk that was. Standalone frothers: the NanoFoamer Pro has the most settings and makes café-style foam. On the Dreo All-in-1 the electronics sit in the base, so you just rinse the jug. Steamers: the Flair Wizard for the stove makes strong steam and very fine milk; the Morning Dream is the most high-tech. Both cost far more than a whisk. Plant milk: in his experience, barista versions froth with almost the same technique.