Guide · Espresso machine

How to steam milk with a steam wand.

Good milk foam comes in two phases: a few seconds of air with the tip just below the surface, then a whirlpool that heats the milk to 60 to 65 °C and turns the bubbles into fine microfoam. Here is how it sounds when it works, and what to change when it doesn't.

Cow's milk: 60–65 °CYou can touch the jug for a second, no longer
Air: 5–10 sUntil the jug feels lukewarm
Oat milk: 54–60 °CBarista version, about half the air
Jug: 350 mlFor one drink, milk up to just below the spout

What you need

Espresso machine with a steam wand. No wand? Froth milk without one
Milk jug made of stainless steel, so your hand feels the heat
Cold milk: whole milk gets the creamiest, for plant milk take the barista version
Damp cloth for the wand
Thermometer, if you want to be sure at first

Step by step

1
Fill the jug, purge the wand

Pour cold milk straight from the fridge into the jug, up to just below the spout. It grows as you steam and needs the room. Then open the steam for a moment over the drip tray until no more water comes out: water left in the wand would thin the milk.
2
Tip just below the surface

Tilt the jug slightly and set the tip of the wand just below the surface, a little off center. Then turn on the steam.
3
Add air for 5 to 10 seconds

Now the wand pulls air into the milk. It should sound like paper tearing softly. Lower the jug as the milk rises, so the tip stays just below the surface. Stop adding air once the jug feels lukewarm, after about 5 to 10 seconds. More air for a cappuccino, less for a flat white.
4
Go deeper and let it spin

Raise the jug a little so the tip sits deeper, until the milk spins in a whirlpool. No more air goes in from here. The whirlpool pulls big bubbles under and turns the foam into fine, glossy microfoam.
5
Stop at 60 to 65 °C

Keep your free hand on the side of the jug. When you can only leave it there for a second, the milk is at about 60 to 65 °C. Turn the steam off first, then take the jug away, or the milk sprays. Wipe the wand with a damp cloth right away and purge it briefly.
6
Tap, swirl, pour

Tap the jug once on the counter to pop big bubbles, and swirl the milk until it shines like wet paint. Then pour right away: from a little height first, so the milk dives under the crema, and low and close to the cup at the end.

The espresso comes first, or at the same time if your machine can do both: milk that waits loses its shine. How to pull the shot itself: dial in espresso.

What the sound tells you

You hear most mistakes before you see them. Usually it comes down to how high you hold the jug: that sets how deep the tip sits and how much air goes in.

You hear or see	What is happening	What you do
A soft hiss, like paper tearing	The tip pulls in air, just right	Keep it there until the jug is lukewarm
A high screech	The tip is too deep, no air gets in	Lower the jug a little until it hisses
Slurping, big bubbles, splashing	The tip is too high and pulls in too much air	Raise the jug a little
Stiff foam on top, thin milk below	Too much air, or the milk waited too long	Less air next time, swirl and pour right away
Tastes cooked	Too hot, above 65 °C	Stop earlier, start again with cold milk

Oat milk and other plant milks

Take the barista version: it has more fat and stabilizers and holds up under steam. Regular oat milk foams too, but it separates sooner and the foam stays thinner.

Milk	Stop at	Air
Oat (barista)	54 to 60 °C. Hotter, it turns grainy and separates	About half as long as cow's milk
Almond	Around 55 °C	A little longer: it is thinner and has less protein
Soy	Up to 66 °C	Shorter: it is done about twice as fast

FAQ

What temperature should milk be for a cappuccino?

60 to 65 °C. Hotter milk soon tastes cooked. With oat milk, stop earlier, at 54 to 60 °C.

Do I need a thermometer?

No. Keep your hand on the jug: when you can only leave it there for a second, the milk is at about 60 to 65 °C. A thermometer helps at first, until you know the feeling.

How is the foam different for cappuccino, latte and flat white?

In how much air you add. A cappuccino gets the most: at least 1 cm of foam on top, according to the SCA. Latte and flat white get about half a centimeter of fine foam. A flat white is the smaller drink, so it has less milk.

Which milk foams best?

Whole milk: the fat makes the foam creamy. Skim milk foams fast and a lot, but rarely gets as silky. For plant milk, the barista versions work best.

Can I steam milk twice?

Better not. Heating changes the proteins that hold the foam, and the second time it no longer gets fine. Start with fresh, cold milk.

Sources: the temperatures, times and sounds follow La Marzocco Home and Breville, oat milk follows Clive Coffee, the foam for each drink follows Breville Canada (in French). Breville names 60 to 63 °C as the ideal, La Marzocco 60 to 65 °C.

What you need

Step by step

Fill the jug, purge the wand

Tip just below the surface

Add air for 5 to 10 seconds

Go deeper and let it spin

Stop at 60 to 65 °C

Tap, swirl, pour

What the sound tells you

Oat milk and other plant milks

FAQ

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