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Cappuccino Day: How to make the perfect milk foam || November 8th is "Cappuccino Day," and everything revolves around the popular German hot beverage. On average, we drink three to four cups of coffee a day. And in no other country do people reach for milk-based hot drinks as often as in Germany – preferably in the form of a delicious cappuccino. For the ultimate coffee experience However, it is not only important to pay attention to the right bean, but much more so the perfect milk foam determines whether coffee creations are a "top or a flop".
To celebrate the upcoming "Cappuccino Day," I'll show you how to make perfect milk foam.What needs to be considered? Why is Weihenstephan's barista milk ideally suited for this, and how does it work with the different frothing methods?
With Weihenstephan Barista Milk, milk frothing is effortless.
How to make perfect milk foam – helpful tips and tricks!
Let's start with some good news: you don't need to be a coffee expert or even a trained barista to create the perfect milk foam. While milk foam is a bit of an art in itself, once you understand what's important, nothing stands in the way of your perfect milk foam. But how do you achieve it?
First, you should decide how you want to froth the milk. The selection includes steam nozzles for espresso machines, electric milk frothers and hand frothers.. If you're using a hand mixer or steam wand to froth milk, it's best to also invest in a stainless steel milk pitcher. Thanks to its shape and material, it has the perfect properties to allow the milk to circulate ideally during frothing – much better than in a simple cup.
Before you start frothing, your barista milk should be refrigerated. To create perfect milk foam, heat the UHT milk to a maximum of 62 to 65 degrees Celsius – a small thermometer or a frother with a temperature display can help you with this. Around 65 degrees is the ideal temperature for frothing milk – perfect for creating a beautiful foam. The sweetness the milk develops at this temperature also harmonizes perfectly with the slightly bitter notes of coffee.
(Caution: If the milk gets too hot, the protein will curdle, and the milk will lose its creaminess and sweetness, becoming too watery. Experienced baristas often rely on their hands to gauge the temperature when frothing milk. One hand holds the handle of the milk pitcher, while the other tests the temperature of the base. If it's "just about tolerable" to the touch, the ideal temperature has been reached.)
The actual frothing process happens largely without your intervention; a good steam wand, handheld frother, or electric milk frother does the work for you. Thanks to the properties of barista-quality milk, it transforms almost effortlessly into a glossy, stable, and finely textured milk foam at the appropriate temperature. Tip: The easiest option is a fully automated, electric milk frother. This takes care of the entire frothing process and delivers consistently good results.
It works even without barista training: the perfect milk foam!
Depending on the method, you should also consider the following tips from Weihenstephan Barista Master Tom Schweiger:
1. When frothing in a milk pitcher or frother, pour the milk directly from the refrigerator into the pitcher/frothing device. If you are using a hand mixer, the milk must be heated briefly beforehand (the milk should not exceed 65°C).
2. Important! Clean the electric milk frother thoroughly and dry it completely before use. For hand mixers and steam wands, always ensure the correct amount of milk is in your container – this is the only way to achieve perfect results.
3. Whether you're using a portafilter machine, a fully automatic espresso machine, or a battery-operated handheld milk frother, the frothing process is very similar. First, you should press the steam wand empty to clean it of any condensation. If you're using a handheld milk frother, it must also be very clean and completely dry. Next, immerse the frother or wand about one to two centimeters into the milk and tilt the whisk slightly. This allows air to be ideally incorporated into the milk, significantly increasing its volume. The next step is the "rolling phase"—this is when the milk foam should "roll," meaning the small air bubbles should adhere to the protein. Simply place the frothing head or wand against the side of the pitcher and create a swirling motion. In this so-called "elliptical roll phase", the air bubbles on the surface can be drawn in and the swirling rotation allows the bubbles to be distributed evenly in the milk.
With the right techniques, anyone can make the perfect milk foam!
4. Take your time when frothing! Milk CANNOT be frothed for too long. Unlike cream, which turns into butter if frothed for too long, milk foam doesn't change. Once the aforementioned "rolling phase" is reached, the milk will neither become frothier nor be negatively affected by further frothing. It will remain in this state.
5. One more tip: If you want to create latte art, you should combine the frothed milk with the coffee or espresso immediately after frothing. If you put the pitcher down and wait a moment, the milk foam will quickly separate from the milk. If this happens, it's not a big problem. If you haven't overheated the milk, you can easily mix the milk and milk foam together again with a spoon.
Available in every well-stocked supermarket: Weihenstephan Barista Milk
Weihenstephan Barista Milk
Besides the barista milk frothing technique, there's also some interesting information about the milk itself! To froth milk perfectly, certain criteria must be met. The Weihenstephan dairy has therefore launched Weihenstephan Barista Milk. With this milk, every cappuccino will be a success – perfect milk foam included.
Barista milk is a UHT milk. The "secret" to perfect frothing lies in its fat and protein content. With a fat content of three percent and a protein content of four percent, Weihenstephan Barista Milk has a very special composition. The high protein content results from the enrichment of milk protein – responsible for the structure of the milk foam. (Only with a protein content of at least 3.31 Tp3T can the fine and stable bubbles form that make the milk foam stable.) The more fat the milk contains, the richer the resulting milk foam tastes. With its medium fat content of three percent, Barista Milk harmonizes perfectly with the full-bodied aroma of your coffee.
Like all products from the Weihenstephan dairy, the Barista Milk is processed with particular care and attention, resulting in a rich and creamy taste. Thanks to its special composition, the Barista Milk blends exceptionally well with your coffee. The stable milk foam seamlessly integrates with your coffee.
This barista milk is ideal for storage. Unopened, it keeps for at least three months. Perfect for those of you who want to break the statistics but don't want to drink quite so much coffee and cappuccino. Although the milk was specifically developed for barista use, it's worth mentioning that you can, of course, use it not only for fluffy cappuccino foam, but also for baking and cooking, or simply for enjoying milk in a glass.
This is how you easily create the perfect milk foam…
Get to the milk frothing!
If you'd like to see how I create my very own perfect milk foam – using Weihenstephan barista milk, of course – then be sure to check out my Instagram channel (@biancas_blog). There, I recreate the signature drink from Weihenstephan's own barista master, Tom Schweiger, which is ideal for winter. The drink contains concentrated milk, resulting in extra sweet and even creamier cappuccino foam.
For concentrated milk and Tom's signature drink, simply freeze the barista milk beforehand and let it thaw upside down in its original packaging in a separate container the next day. Since the fats and proteins in the milk melt faster than the water, you'll get what's called "concentrated milk" in your container. You can then froth this as described above and use it for a cappuccino – cool, right? (You won't need the rest of the ice block for your cappuccino.)
Until then, I wish you lots of fun mixing cappuccino, café au lait, bonbon, dry cappuccino, macchiato, piccolo latte, caffè latte, viennois, con panna, caffè mocha, flat white, and mocha breve – all coffee creations that Weihenstephan barista milk can conjure up for you, depending on the ratio, temperature, or preparation method. Anyone who wants to learn more about milk should check out the... Weihenstephan Milk Blog um.
+++ This article was created in cooperation with the Weihenstephan dairy. Thank you! +++
Contact for inquiries
Weihenstephan website – Weihenstephan Barista Milk
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