Frothing Milk By Hand

What is a consistent method to froth milk if I do not have a steam wand? I have tried things like a whisk and an Aerolatte with mixed success.

Best Answer

I've used a french press with good success when a steam wand was not available. Pour some warm milk in and froth away. You're not going to get the same shimmery-silky texture that a steam wand will do, but it'll be pretty decent.

The combination of a wide surface area and lots of small holes is excellent for introducing lots of air into the milk and keeping the bubbles really fine.

Pictures about "Frothing Milk By Hand"

Frothing Milk By Hand - Side view crop anonymous barista in white shirt preparing to steam milk in frothing pitcher using professional coffee machine steam wand

Frothing Milk By Hand - Crop bartender in apron preparing aromatic cappuccino in cup while pouring foam of milk into ceramic cup in coffeehouse

Frothing Milk By Hand - Close-Up Photo of Person Feeding a Kitten

Can u froth milk by hand?

You can use a hand-held immersion blender, a regular stand blender, or just a jar with a lid to make foamy frothed milk like your favorite coffee shop.

How do you froth milk without a frother?

To froth the milk without a frother: Pour the milk into a large jar with a lid. Ideally, fill no more than a third of the jar. Screw the lid on tightly, and shake the jar vigorously until the milk is frothy and has roughly doubled in volume. This should take 30 to 60 seconds.

How do you manually froth milk?

All you need to froth milk at home is a mason jar and a microwave. Simply pour milk into the jar, close the lid and shake until the milk froths up. Next, remove the lid and nuke the jar for 30 seconds.

More answers regarding frothing Milk By Hand

Answer 2

Even with a steam wand, I prefer to use a French press looking device to froth my milk, and now that I broke it, a whisk. The idea is to inject small bubbles into cold milk and then microwave it to grow the bubbles. In the French press glass (or some other heat resistant and microwave proof container) fill a quarter high with cold milk, place the whisk handle between your palms and twirl it back in forth, frothing the milk. Place the milk in the microwave and heat on high. Watch it carefully as it will expand rapidly. As soon as it does, remove your frothed milk

Answer 3

Harold McGee outlines a suitably geeky way in On Food And Cooking:

Put milk (the creamier the better) in a microwave-safe jar with a screw-top lid. (I use the plastic containers that attach to my food processor.) You need a decent amount -- more than a tablespoon -- but don't fill the jar more than half way.
Put the lid on the jar and shake it vigorously for about half a minute, until it doubles in volume. This adds air bubbles to the milk (hence the increase in volume).
Remove the lid and microwave on high for about 30 seconds. This stabilises the foam.
Scoop the foam out of the jar with a spoon. There'll be some warm milk at the bottom, which you could add to the drink.

Answer 4

If you want an emergency tool (I used it to make cappuccinos when camping ), try to use a small plastic bottle: just put in 1/3 of milk and shake hard for 1-2 minutes. After all, the real problem to solve is to make small air bubbles in the milk. I noticed it works best with semi skimmed milk, maybe the higher proteins/lipids ratio is helping here. No difference whatsoever using cold (from fridge) or warm milk.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Ketut Subiyanto, Ketut Subiyanto, Ketut Subiyanto, Emrah AYVALI