The process of making milk is pretty simple too. You pour your milk in and use the steam wand to change its texture.
Steaming Process Overview
In terms of steaming, this starts by positioning the wand. It’s actually physically set for two modes: pull it down to enter cappuccino mode and then pull it up to switch to hot milk mode. How the steam is poured in varies based off which setting you choose. Once that’s done, heat is all handled by machine itself.
First up, grab a jug of fresh and cold milk from fridge. For best richness use whole milk.
Don’t overfill your jug, as you’ll want to leave a good deal of space for the milk to expand. Once the steam meets the milk, the milk’s volume will increase dramaticly.
The area are neat and tidy when you leave it.
You cannot start until the machine is at temp. There’s a little panel with buttons, including a steam button that you press and then wait for light to show it’s ready. That means inside of the boiler has heated up sufficiently.
Don’t start too soon. It’ll ruin the texture, so you need patience.
Now that you’ve got your light on, let’s get going.
The steam knob is turned on. The wand are set for cappuccino. Now it is time. You press the button and wait for the light to come on; once it does, you turn the knob and voila: stream starts flowing. Air and steam pour out of the wand in a hiss.
Hold your pitcher tilted just slightly so that it forms a vortex inside. That will break up big bubbles and circulate the milk. As the milk steams, it thickens and gets denser until it’s foamy like wet paint, exactly what you’re aiming for with a latte.
When it’s simply hot milk that’s required, the process vary a bit. Less air is added to the upper wand setting. You get a thin sheet of foam atop some warmed liquid. It is smooth but not frothy.
That warm liquid gets poured into a ceramic mug. The white contrast well against the dark coffee and is pleasing to look at.
The before and after picture really shows what I mean. On the left is a classic cappuccino: thick, dry foam in one mug. On the right, there is a lighter, creamier layer of milk. This sit on top of the hot milk. The textures are totally different.
You sip the former like it’s a treat; you drink the latter as a milky coffee drink. Same machine. The wand is in a different position.
Finally, cleaning. Because milk will dry rapidly on metal surfaces, make sure to wipe your wand clean as soon as you are done with it. Using a damp paper towel, just wipe away any residue and keep those holes open for your next use. If you don’t do this, your nozzle will get clogged. This is a fast habit to adopt.
It’s all so easy. It takes a couple of minutes from start to finish. And it’s not like you should of be some kind of science whiz to make it happen.
Wand control is intuitive. Turning on the wand are handled by pulling the wand up or down and then turning the knob. No menus to click through. Just pull, twist, and then wait for light.
Using this makes your morning routine better. The foam holds together more, the coffee is more delicious, and there’s no messing around with other settings.