Frothing or heating milk

Pig Cat

Pig Cat

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Suffolk
Well I am now a coffee addict. Mrs PC very kindly gave me a De'Longhi Magnifica machine for Christmas. I know it's not quite what you purists use, as it does most of the work for you, but it makes a damn fine cup of coffee.

One thing I am having a little trouble with is the milk. I seem to be creating a hybrid somewhere between a cappuccino and a latte. It still tastes great but I'm trying to make the distinction. As I understand it a cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 froth. A latte is 1/3 espresso and 2/3 steamed milk. OK, that's my first question - is this correct?

Now my problem seems to be that when I try to steam the milk I always get some froth. Is this inevitable, in which case for a latte I just need to discard the froth, or does my technique need working on? I have also heard that a milk frothing thermometer is useful. Should I be worrying about this sort of stuff?

All advice would be gratefully appreciated.

PS It is probably worth knowing that my milk jug is rather on the small side. It is similar to this. I suspect that obtaining a larger one might help. <insert wise-crack about big jugs here>
 
a latte should still have some froth on top if not it makes it a flat white, Full fat is the way to go for your milk, The milk will only stretch when it is cold so generate your foam at the start then mix it in while you are fully heating up the milk, a thermometer or a temptag might be a good idea as you should not have to wait for your drink to cool really before you can drink it. Is the foam you are getting big bubble stuff or a nice smooth texture. also think you can go ahead and add a bit more milk for your latte as four or 5 times the amount of coffee is fine for that, your cappuccino amounts look good though. so 120ml milk for a single shot of coffee, your jug should easy do that unless you are making a few at a time.
 
Pig Cat said:
Well I am now a coffee addict.
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Oh hell PC,

You've gone and done it now. Couldn't resist all them damn TSR enablers anymore.....that would be my guess. They are relentless.


Starting threads like these always seems so innocent at first, but after a while............it consumes the OP in many cases. Look at poor Slimbo and his first post in that gruesomely verbose coffee thread. He was just trying to find a good instant coffee, since he'd never before tried any coffee product in his life. Now you got enabler central well settled in and them guys just don't let up. It's sad to see the Mongoose being constantly twisted to their............well, I better stop. Jeeez, he's even speaking Italian now! You kinda get the idea. Heh, between you and me, Slimbo might need us to do an intervention soon.

Prepare yourself to be blowed up real good now,

Martin
 
Pig Cat said:
One thing I am having a little trouble with is the milk. I seem to be creating a hybrid somewhere between a cappuccino and a latte. It still tastes great but I'm trying to make the distinction. As I understand it a cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 froth. A latte is 1/3 espresso and 2/3 steamed milk. OK, that's my first question - is this correct?

Now my problem seems to be that when I try to steam the milk I always get some froth. Is this inevitable, in which case for a latte I just need to discard the froth, or does my technique need working on? I have also heard that a milk frothing thermometer is useful. Should I be worrying about this sort of stuff?
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Your jugs are perfect, erhh, I mean your jug looks fine :) That was the first espresso machine brand I had, but a slightly more semi automatic one. Good machine anyhow.

I think you should try your way to what you like, re how much milk to use and both should have some froth (this is complicated, really, since you most likely can't make real froth/steamed milk with that nostril/machine). You can prob get better at steaming, but eventually you need a real milk steamer to get micro milk foam. I wouldn't say you would need a thermometer, you hold your hand around the bottom of the jug and when it gets really hot to hold you stop ... and since it's you - you stop when you think a normal person would think it's to hot :icon_razz:.

When you steam milk you should try and get the sound off ripping news paper, tch tch tch, you blow hot air into the milk, but not to much, it should mix the milk with hot/humid air. When you have as much milk as you like and if it's not hot enough, you drown the nostril so as little air as possible gets into the milk (again, this could be a problem with your milk steam nostril).

Good luck!
 
Thanks for your advice chaps. Yes I think I might be getting this real bad. What I don't want to happen too soon is for me to ditch this lovely present for individual grinders and espresso makers and milk frothers. Mrs PC would kill me. I am intrigued about why my machine won't make the ideal froth. I assume that it's just not specialist enough. It certainly does it well enough at the moment. Glad to hear my jug is OK. Also, as far as the temp. is concerned I have been using my hand to feel how hot the jug is getting. No Mikael, I'm not Vinny, I burn just like you! I get the impression that the milk temp. thing is kind of common sense, but I have seen a couple of YouTube vids saying the thermometers are useful.
 
Mikael said:
I think you should try your way to what you like, re how much milk to use and both should have some froth (this is complicated, really, since you most likely can't make real froth/steamed milk with that nostril/machine). You can prob get better at steaming, but eventually you need a real milk steamer to get micro milk foam. Good luck!
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What's doin Mikael,

Nice post......I'm just showing PC what he's in store for with you guys helping him....heh.

PC, que the faint sound track from 'Jaws' in the background.


Dodgy
 
Cheers Dodge, yeah, well, it's like very important to do it right. PC's now in the Mac 3 world of espresso machines and we all know how this will end, but like he says, he's in a very tight spot right now and for some time to come and we all will have to help him through this period in life :D

Pig Cat said:
I am intrigued about why my machine won't make the ideal froth. I assume that it's just not specialist enough. It certainly does it well enough at the moment.

Glad to hear my jug is OK. Also, as far as the temp. is concerned I have been using my hand to feel how hot the jug is getting. No Mikael, I'm not Vinny, I burn just like you! I get the impression that the milk temp. thing is kind of common sense, but I have seen a couple of YouTube vids saying the thermometers are useful.
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Yep, not special enough, it really can't handle the milk as you should, but it'll do nicely for now and if it makes you feel any better - a massive amount of cafe's can't make proper milk foam.

Yes, you'll burn, but will you like it or not and maybe keep your hand there anyhow ... :angel:
 
dodgy said:
Mikael said:
I think you should try your way to what you like, re how much milk to use and both should have some froth (this is complicated, really, since you most likely can't make real froth/steamed milk with that nostril/machine). You can prob get better at steaming, but eventually you need a real milk steamer to get micro milk foam. Good luck!
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What's doin Mikael,

Nice post......I'm just showing PC what he's in store for with you guys enabling him....heh.

PC, que the faint sound track from 'Jaws' in the background.


Dodgy
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Hmmm...perhaps that screechy violin thing from Psycho sets the tone for the terror I'm now feeling. It's not the journey I'm scared of, it's Mrs PC's reaction to my putting the Delonghi on eBay. Our Dolce Gusto machine has already been sent to the garage.

Mikael said:
Yep, not special enough, it really can't handle the milk as you should, but it'll do nicely for now and if it makes you feel any better - a massive amount of cafe's can't make proper milk foam.
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So please reassure me. Better to make milk to the best of my ability with a less-than-special machine than make shite foam using a superstar?

This is all a bit too much like making the perfect lather for comfort. I do wonder if there is some strange male obsession with this kind of thing. :s
 
Pig Cat said:
[Hmmm...perhaps that screechy violin thing from Psycho sets the tone for the terror I'm now feeling. It's not the journey I'm scared of, it's Mrs PC's reaction to my putting the Delonghi on eBay. Our Dolce Gusto machine has already been sent to the garage.
Click to expand...


Yep about Psycho, except the violins haven't reached the crazy part yet. Have Mrs PC read this thread with you so the upcoming Delongi decision isn't quite as impossible for her to understand....hopefully.

Hah, Mikael's one of them there very smooth and extremely helpful enablers. Gotta love that.

Dodgy
 
dodgy said:
Hah, Mikael's one of them there very smooth and extremely helpful enablers. Gotta love that.
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Yup, it's all about subliminal messages. That crazy Roschash (sp?) test thread has got me looking at perfect coffees every day for months now. So that's how he operates! :mad:
 
No, no - I'm here to help you, Adam! :)

You can get decent foam, it's the design of the nozzle and how it gets the foam that's not the best in these kind of machines. As I remember it, the Delonghi didn't have the worst mouthpiece, but it was 7-8 years ago, so I don't recall exactly and maybe they have a new design now. But it's also about the boiler, the pressure and transport pipes in the machine.
 
Ha ha I laughed a lot reading this!!!
I use a .6 litre jug.
I use full fat milk.
Mikael describes the ch ch ch sound perfectly.
I dip the wand deep in the milk to start. Always holding the jug at 45 degrees.
Then up to the top for the cha cha cha.
Milk only foams at the lower temp range.
More cha cha cha. Milk volumises and warms.
I dip wand after milk is warm
To mix the foam with the milk to make smooth smooth microfoam.
Then I finish with a bit of cha cha cha too
Wand out.
Swirl jug. Bang jug to remove bubbles. The big ones.
Then pour.
There are Americans here so be careful what you say.
Most of them seem innocent at first but like all good dealers they tempt you in and are then helpless.
Yrs
 
Slick said:
There are Americans here so be careful what you say.
Most of them seem innocent at first but like all good dealers they tempt you in and are then helpless.
Yrs
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Don't worry Tim. Freedom to discuss banging and jugs was the reason we moved away from 'the other place'. It turns out that 'real gentlemen' are allowed to be a bit naughty now and again.

Thanks for your advice, though it did make me feel a little dizzy. Do you sing The Hokey Cokey while you prepare your milk?
 
Ha!
Yes hokey cokey is fine.
Or Yankee doodle dandy.
Yes it's sounds a bit of a palaver doesn't it.
It all works out well though.
I read a fan article about milk.
Everything very cold including jugs.
Jugs. Wand dipping in and out.
A good bang and plenty of froth to finish.
Welcome to ......
Coffee porn.
 
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