Mmmm...foamy
August 28th 2006 13:16
My coffee machine at home sits atop my kitchen bench like a stainless steel God. It should do too as it's the focal point of my kitchen, my apartment, my entire life really. As soon I rise each morning, my palate anticipates the first touch of rich coffee infused with creamy foam, beautifully balanced with just the right amount of acid and sweetness (that is of course if I get it right). It's all too easy to stuff the whole process up royally and end up with a cup of mud that tastes not unlike battery acid. Where to begin though. As most coffee based drinks incorporate milk in some way, let's talk foam.
Many people are under the impression that milk should be frothed with an up-down motion and that's fine. Notice that the constant up-down action reminds you of something though? And how very apt it is. Forget the up-down crappola, that's for amateurs. We need to start with the jug. Get yourself a decent stainless steel jug with at least a 600 ml capacity.
Do NOT keep it in the fridge. Begin with your jug at room temperature. Half fill it with milk - let's forget low-fat and soy milk. Good coffee deserves good milk but if you must - get the best darn low-fat or soy milk that you can. Milk is best heated to between 60 and 65 degrees so it's strongly recommended that you get yourself a milk frothing thermometre.
This little baby costs about 10 bucks and it'll save you a lot of scalded milk -
paying for itself in no time.
Now - foam-time.
1. Dip your wand into the milk (that's your STEAM wand into the MILK jug...pervert.) Lower the head into the surface (about a centimetre) and heat the milk for about 20 seconds.
2. Slowly bring the tip of the wand to the surface so that it's resting just on the top. The wand should be angled so as to create a 'whirlpool' effect in the jug. As the milk foams the level will rise so lower the jug slowly - always keeping the wands' tip just on the surface (this will ensure that you don't get huge bad-ass bubbles in your foam - very unsexy.)
3. When you've reached 65 (sounds a little like an eighties time-travel movie here) dip the wand into the milk one last time and switch of the steamer. Clean the wand immediately with a sponge - there's nothing worse than old milk on your wand-tip. Any large bubbles can be removed by banging the jug down on the benchtop a couple of times.
4. Now...swirl the milk in the jug. You want to blend the heated milk with the foam. If you have to scoop out the foam at the end with a spoon you just 'aint Barista material so forget it! Continue swirling right up until the moment you're about to pour. Now...I'm assuming that you've prepped your espresso shot here so work with me. Pour the milk into the centre of the cup / glass. The silky heated milk should fill the receptacle and the foamiest part of the mix should top it off perfectly (the quantities will vary depending on what you're making but we'll talk varieties later). Perfecto!
Do NOT keep it in the fridge. Begin with your jug at room temperature. Half fill it with milk - let's forget low-fat and soy milk. Good coffee deserves good milk but if you must - get the best darn low-fat or soy milk that you can. Milk is best heated to between 60 and 65 degrees so it's strongly recommended that you get yourself a milk frothing thermometre.
This little baby costs about 10 bucks and it'll save you a lot of scalded milk -
paying for itself in no time.
Now - foam-time.
1. Dip your wand into the milk (that's your STEAM wand into the MILK jug...pervert.) Lower the head into the surface (about a centimetre) and heat the milk for about 20 seconds.
2. Slowly bring the tip of the wand to the surface so that it's resting just on the top. The wand should be angled so as to create a 'whirlpool' effect in the jug. As the milk foams the level will rise so lower the jug slowly - always keeping the wands' tip just on the surface (this will ensure that you don't get huge bad-ass bubbles in your foam - very unsexy.)
3. When you've reached 65 (sounds a little like an eighties time-travel movie here) dip the wand into the milk one last time and switch of the steamer. Clean the wand immediately with a sponge - there's nothing worse than old milk on your wand-tip. Any large bubbles can be removed by banging the jug down on the benchtop a couple of times.
4. Now...swirl the milk in the jug. You want to blend the heated milk with the foam. If you have to scoop out the foam at the end with a spoon you just 'aint Barista material so forget it! Continue swirling right up until the moment you're about to pour. Now...I'm assuming that you've prepped your espresso shot here so work with me. Pour the milk into the centre of the cup / glass. The silky heated milk should fill the receptacle and the foamiest part of the mix should top it off perfectly (the quantities will vary depending on what you're making but we'll talk varieties later). Perfecto!
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Comment by amy
Dig your sense of humour, but you should probably get some hypnosis and figure out just where that coffee fetish comes from!! Kinky!