Whether or not you use milk in your coffee is a completely personal choice. Personally, sometimes we do… and sometimes we don’t. But if you do choose to use milk in your coffee then it’s great to know how to steam it. Because one way to really elevate the flavour of both the milk and the coffee (and to make it an entirely new thing, really) is to use milk that has been well-steamed.

Beautifully foamed milk has a frothy, marshmallowy texture. It not only lifts the flavour of the coffee, but it also provides a fantastic sensory experience. It’s delicious, unctuous and really worth knowing how to do.

BREW GUIDES: How to Steam Milk

Steaming milk is a mainstay of the work we do at Coffee DRs. But we also steam milk for our own coffees at home. And it’s easy for you to do, too, with our tips and tricks. Our How to Steam Milk Brew Guide is designed to help you become expert milk steamers in your own home.

The Basics

You’ll need:

Beautiful, espresso-style, home-brewed coffee
Fresh milk
A steaming wand, immersion blender or mason jar

The Goal

The goal when you steam milk is to create tiny almost microscopic bubbles in the milk, known as microfoam. This makes it light and frothy, as well as elastic and pourable. Microfoam gives the milk the texture that changes the coffee, and is supremely delicious.

Heated Fresh Milk

To get these tiny bubbles we need to whip air into heated fresh milk. If the milk isn’t fresh it will froth up but the foam won’t be stable and will break down before you’ve had a chance to enjoy your coffee.

When it comes to heating the milk, there is a lot of debate among professionals as to just the right temperature. If the milk is heated to too high a temp it won’t foam up, but more importantly it also will ‘cook’. High heat denatures the proteins (or cooks the milk) changing the flavour and texture (and not in a good way). And if it’s not hot enough, it could bring down the temp in the coffee itself, leaving you with a tepid brew (also not a good thing).

At Coffee DRs (and at home) we heat the milk to just above 55C. This is just the right temp to stop steaming because the milk will keep rising in temperature to just over 60C even after removing the heat element. And that is the perfect temp – where the drink will be hot, but the sweetness and flavour of the coffee won’t be compromised.

When it comes to steaming milk at home there are three main methods – the steam wand, the stovetop and the microwave.

Steps for How to Steam Milk at Home with a Steam Wand

Choose your fresh milk. Start with it cold.
Purge the steam wand.
Pour the milk into a pitcher.
Partially submerge the steam tip about halfway from the centre of the pitcher to the side.
Turn the steam wand on and introduce air into the milk using the method shown in our video (skip straight to 3:45 on the video if you just want to see the relevant information). Remember, it can take some practice to get this right, so make sure you use the tips in the video and pause and repeat each step to get the technique right. (Expert tip: practice your steaming technique on a water/soap mixture, which has the texture of milk and will save you money while you get better at doing the real thing!)
Once you’ve introduced enough air into the milk (refer back to the video at 3:45) submerge the the tip fully and keep using the air to create the circular motion.
When the milk has reach 55C (using a thermometer), turn off the steam and remove the wand.
Give the milk a swirl in the pitcher and a couple of taps against the counter to remove large bubbles.
Use and enjoy immediately!
(And don’t forget to wipe and purge the wand.)

Steps for How to Steam Milk at Home on the Stovetop

Choose your fresh milk.
Heat the milk on the stovetop over low heat stirring constantly. Use your thermometer to ensure you don’t heat it above 55C.
Once you’ve achieved the right temp, remove it from the heat.
Use and enjoy immediately!

Steps to Steaming Milk at Home in the Microwave

Choose your fresh milk.
Heat the milk for 20-30 seconds at a time in the microwave. Check it, and if it’s not hot enough, heat it for another 20 seconds. Continue until the milk is 55C.
Once you’ve achieved the right temp, remove from the microwave.
If you’re frothing further, use the Mason jar technique now.
Use and enjoy immediately!

Frothing with a Mason Jar

Milk that is steamed on a stovetop or in the microwave won’t froth up in the same way as when using a steam wand. But there is a way to achieve microfoam at home without a steam wand. And that’s with the use of a Mason jar.

Steps for How to Froth Milk Using a Mason Jar

Choose your fresh milk.
Pour it into a Mason jar, but only to half full.
Heat the milk in the jar using the microwave method above.
Once it has been heated, screw on a tight fitting lid.
Begin shaking the milk.
Continue shaking until it has about doubled in size.
Use and enjoy immediately.

Our Brew Guides

If you liked our How to Steam Milk Brewing Guide check out our other Brew Guides. You can find out specifics about other brewing methods, including all our tips and tricks.

Steamed milk is an excellent accompaniment to beautiful coffee. Check out our shop for our delicious coffee beans and get practicing today.