Andreja Premium
Milk
– whole milk works best to steam, both in technique and in flavor! Lower fat milks contain mostly
water which will not foam well and will be almost tasteless when steamed. After all your hard work
you will be left with a less than desirable tasting beverage.
Milk
– your whole milk needs to be as cold as possible to ensure the creamiest, sweetest, and best
tasting micro-foam. Once the milk has reached a temperature between 150-160 degrees, you must
stop the process. The longer amount of time you have with the cold milk gives you that extra time to
continue making the milk creamy and sweet tasting. Milk heated above 160 degrees will be burnt and
taste terrible.
Frothing Pitcher
– keeping your stainless steel pitcher in the freezer is another tip which helps keep
the milk at its coldest. The size of your pitcher is relative to the size and number of drinks you will be
preparing at the time. Our recommendation on pitcher choices would be the
“Pro Barista Steaming
Pitcher”
which has become the pitcher of choice of renowned baristas*. These baristas felt the Pro
Barista Steaming Pitcher promoted a user friendly rolling of the milk, which made it simple to create
thick micro-foam for pouring Latte Art.
Amount of Milk
– Too little milk in your frothing pitcher will cause splashing when you turn on the
steam arm; too much milk will cause overflow and make a huge mess. The pitcher must be filled
between 1/3 and
½
full to have the maximum capacity for properly steaming milk. If your pitcher has
a spout, fill it to half an inch below where the spout starts.
Stretching the milk
– refers to the initial heating of the milk and the forceful introduction of air into
the milk (using the steam wand pressure) –
stretching
the consistency of the milk. Stretching
continues until the milk reaches an approximate temperature of 100 degrees (body temperature).
Texturizing the milk
– refers to the next phase of frothing whereby the steam wand is submerged in
the milk and the pressure continues to roll the milk. The process breaks down the large air bubbles
into tiny air bubbles, which then creates the smooth and creamy
texture
that is most desirable.
Technique
As you face your espresso machine, point the steam arm over your drip tray and open up the steam
valve in order to purge out any unwanted water that may have collected inside the wand due to
condensation – you do not want that added to your delicious beverage!
Next, position the steam arm so it is facing directly toward you and slightly angle it 45 degrees from
the base.
Holding your half-filled steam pitcher with the handle facing you, submerge the tip of the steam wand
approximately an inch below the surface of the cold milk. Your pitcher bottom should be parallel with
the countertop. The steam arm should gently rest in the spout of the steam pitcher. Now slightly tilt
the pitcher left, keeping the arm away from the side of the pitcher. Open the steam valve completely
and position the pitcher so the tip is just below the surface of the milk. This action creates the
