How to Foam Milk for Coffee at Home | BlindMan Coffee

If you have a cafetière - we have the answer!

"A latte, please" - the most spoken words when asking for a coffee in UK coffee shops. Followed closely, probably, by cappuccino and flat white. Some baristas make a better job of it than others but the thing they all have in common is these coffees are all very milky. That foamed milk is one thing that is tricky to make at home unless you have an espresso machine with a steam wand built for the job. So how do you do it?

There is an easy, convenient work-around that will quickly give you creamy foamed milk - once you've practiced a couple of times.

Simply pour your warm to hot-ish milk into a cafetière (no more than 1/2 full as the milk is going to expand when it foams) and rapidly swoosh the plunger up and down through the milk for a few seconds. Almost straight away you'll see bubbles appearing. Keep going for a few more seconds, lift the plunger out and swirling the jug - you'll see thick tight milk foam in there!   

Pro Barista Tip: trainee baristas use this little trick to practice foaming their milk using the espresso machines steam wand - without actually using milk. To do it at home for excellent results without wasting milk, add warm/hot-ish water to your cafetière to about 1/3rd, add a single tiny drop of washing up liquid to the water and swoosh your plunger up and down. When you're getting it right you'll see the liquid turning in to a tight white foam - and no wasted milk. Just don't drink it!!