# Steam milk for a latte at home



## AIMoon (Sep 12, 2019)

How do you steam milk for a latte at home?

Milk is an essential ingredient in the life of baristas. The result of a large number of recipes depends directly on how well this ingredient is treated. Today we are going to the most practical part, how to vaporize milk to get a perfect latte!

*Basic tools to vaporize milk*
To carry out the steaming of milk (also known by its English name "steam") it is important to have a series of basic utensils. These are the essential tools:



A stainless steel milk jug. Remember that it has special characteristics, they are manufactured specifically for this purpose.


Milk (our recommendation is to always be whole)


A barista thermometer


A damp cloth


The steam lancet of your professional coffee machine.


*Process to vaporize milk*



Fill your jug with half milk cold. You can check the milk level by looking inside. It must be touching, but not exceeding, the V-shape of the nozzle. Enter the thermometer.


Insert and ignite the vaporizer lancet just a couple of centimeters below the surface of the milk. With this step you are looking for a layer of foam microbubbles to be generated while the milk swirls. The particular sound of the lancet will accompany you in this phase that lasts approximately 5 seconds.


We submerge approximately ½ centimeter of the lancet and tilt the jug slightly so that the steam circulates the milk in a swirl and the bubbles in step 2 are mixed to create a uniform cream. Keep the lancet in operation until the thermometer indicates 60 ° C. Remember that you should not exceed this temperature you will overheat the milk and the Maillard Reaction will be triggered . This cannot happen for anything in the world!


Turn off the lancet and wipe it with a damp cloth to remove any remaining milk.


Hold the milk jug firmly and tap it dry (but soft!) Against a smooth surface. This will settle the milk and break the larger bubbles, returning a uniform appearance to the cream.


This is the time to serve the espressos to which this milk accompanies. The cream will rest and be ready to be used. Before serving it, use your doll set to spin it, very lightly, around the jar.


Serve your best latte with a good pulse.


That's it


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Any videos, where you are the author, of such process?


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## AIMoon (Sep 12, 2019)

I didn't make any videos. I'll try next time ?


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

You don't actually need a thermometer as you can feel when the milk is getting to temp by touch. Thermometers can be inaccurate and lag and I personally could never work with one. The amount of time you'll spend incorporating air depends on the steam wand, number of holes, pressure and amount of milk you're steaming so to say "about 5 seconds" isn't really correct e.g For me it's about 2 seconds.

Also you forgot two steps... 1) Purge Water from the steam wand and Final) Wipe and purge after steaming.

This was about a million times better than your first post.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Personally, temp tags are the most reliable for temperature. As for the rest of the ritual, I imagine we all have own variations.


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## Norvin (Sep 10, 2014)

I thought that you first immerse the wand about half a centimeter for a few seconds to entrain air, then you submerge it further to swirl the milk to get microfoam. Is that where I am going wrong?


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## pgarrish (May 20, 2017)

Rob1 said:


> You don't actually need a thermometer as you can feel when the milk is getting to temp by touch. Thermometers can be inaccurate and lag and I personally could never work with one. The amount of time you'll spend incorporating air depends on the steam wand, number of holes, pressure and amount of milk you're steaming so to say "about 5 seconds" isn't really correct e.g For me it's about 2 seconds.
> 
> Also you forgot two steps... 1) Purge Water from the steam wand and Final) Wipe and purge after steaming.
> 
> This was about a million times better than your first post.


 For softies like me who find it too hot to touch before the milk is up to temp, a thermometer can be a good way of learning how the jug should feel when it is actually hot enough. I've found if I rest my pinkie on the double thickness bit where the handle is attached, thats the ideal place for me, but the thermometer was vital in finding that out.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

AIMoon said:


> Before serving it, use your doll set to spin it, very lightly, around the jar.


 What is this 'doll set'?


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Is this a translation that hasn't quite worked, I wonder ?


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

MildredM said:


> What is this 'doll set'?


Was wondering how to stop getting Barbie's hair in your milk. Or do you whisk with the legs?


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

MildredM said:


> What is this 'doll set'?


google for it - but make sure your Safe Search filter is on...


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## AIMoon (Sep 12, 2019)

Rob1 said:


> You don't actually need a thermometer as you can feel when the milk is getting to temp by touch. Thermometers can be inaccurate and lag and I personally could never work with one. The amount of time you'll spend incorporating air depends on the steam wand, number of holes, pressure and amount of milk you're steaming so to say "about 5 seconds" isn't really correct e.g For me it's about 2 seconds.
> 
> Also you forgot two steps... 1) Purge Water from the steam wand and Final) Wipe and purge after steaming.
> 
> This was about a million times better than your first post.


 Thank you so much Rob  Oh! crap! that two steps is important which I forgot. Hope next time would be more better. Thanks again for mention those steps.


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## AIMoon (Sep 12, 2019)

Phil104 said:


> Personally, temp tags are the most reliable for temperature. As for the rest of the ritual, I imagine we all have own variations.


 You are absolutely right. "we all have own variations"


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## AIMoon (Sep 12, 2019)

MildredM said:


> What is this 'doll set'?


 'Doll set' means serving set.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

AIMoon said:


> our recommendation is to always be whole)


 When you say 'our' who are you speaking for? If this is just YOUR opinion of view, then it would be better to say 'my'. As it stands it reads like 'our forum'. I would say quite a few here would disagree with quite a few remarks you have made.


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

So, if pitchers are specially designed to steam and micro foam milk then should my plain pitcher be binned? I don't get great results from it.....or is it just the user?


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

nicholasj said:


> So, if pitchers are specially designed to steam and micro foam milk then should my plain pitcher be binned? I don't get great results from it.....or is it just the user?
> 
> <img alt="295A047C-7C68-43D1-8263-710D9C884658.thumb.jpeg.69b87e8c05e211fd51a802a707b9ecff.jpeg" data-fileid="32793" data-src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2019_10/295A047C-7C68-43D1-8263-710D9C884658.thumb.jpeg.69b87e8c05e211fd51a802a707b9ecff.jpeg" src="https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">


It stainless steel so should be fine for steaming milk. The lack of spout won't help with pouring art though.


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## Theblusteryday (Oct 12, 2019)

Fans of the rhinoware milk frothing jugs? These are the bomb in my opinion!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Nicknak (Aug 10, 2018)

Theblusteryday said:


> Fans of the rhinoware milk frothing jugs? These are the bomb in my opinion!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 Bomb is that good or bad ?


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## Theblusteryday (Oct 12, 2019)

Nicknak said:


> Bomb is that good or bad


 that's good!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Nicknak (Aug 10, 2018)

Theblusteryday said:


> that's good!!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 I'm a regular on the the urban dictionary since I joined the forum ????.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Nicknak said:


> I'm a regular on the the urban dictionary since I joined the forum .


Had to check!


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## Theblusteryday (Oct 12, 2019)

Nicknak said:


> I'm a regular on the the urban dictionary since I joined the forum .


Hahah 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Deidre (Aug 13, 2019)

Nicknak said:


> I'm a regular on the the urban dictionary since I joined the forum ????.


 You are not alone!?


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## Deidre (Aug 13, 2019)

ashcroc said:


> Had to check!


 Please tell me, @Nicknak, you are not "A super awesome cool future pharmacist that enjoys punching cats"!?

(The traditional definition of nicknack is much more humane?)


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## Nicknak (Aug 10, 2018)

Deidre said:


> Please tell me, @Nicknak, you are not "A super awesome cool future pharmacist that enjoys punching cats"!?
> 
> (The traditional definition of nicknack is much more humane?)


 Now I'm not a big lover of cats ?.. I'm into working Labs (dogs)?.. I do go through a lot of ibuprofen ? .. Never punched a cat ,but came close when a neighbours one used my car bonnet as a scratching post ?


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Nicknak said:


> I'm a regular on the the urban dictionary since I joined the forum ????.


 Do you find it problematic balancing it on your ZF?!


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## Deidre (Aug 13, 2019)

Nicknak said:


> Now I'm not a big lover of cats ?.. I'm into working Labs (dogs)?.. I do go through a lot of ibuprofen ? .. Never punched a cat ,but came close when a neighbours one used my car bonnet as a scratching post ?


 I have a lab, too, but he doesn't work!?


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## Nicknak (Aug 10, 2018)

MildredM said:


> Do you find it problematic balancing it on your ZF?!


 Especially when I'm on my skateboard as well .


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Nicknak said:


> Especially when I'm on my skateboard as well .
> <img alt="B445FAB3-8159-4E92-84FA-557D10CD76D2.thumb.jpeg.d95f3243d38482d1f59e3f552cfe38ef.jpeg" data-fileid="32800" data-src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2019_10/B445FAB3-8159-4E92-84FA-557D10CD76D2.thumb.jpeg.d95f3243d38482d1f59e3f552cfe38ef.jpeg" src="https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">


You gotta make that your avatar now!


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Nicknak said:


> Especially when I'm on my skateboard as well .
> 
> View attachment 32800


 Nice. Those 5 and a half inch alis?


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Maybe we should start a new thread, a regular Sunday night get down with the boys kind of thing ? yes, I can see that really working ?


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## Nicknak (Aug 10, 2018)

MildredM said:


> Nice. Those 5 and a half inch alis?


 Ails ??? No Velcro..?


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