stormblaz Senior Member Joined: 29 Nov 2012 Posts: 3 Location: Hialeah Expertise: Just starting
Posted Thu Nov 29, 2012, 7:58pm Subject: How to make the perfect Froth or crema?!
It says to use skim milk or fat free milk, since it makes more air and gives it much more easiness for crema or froth to create, but do you put warm milk?? cold?? and how long in the steam pipe of the coffee machine? i have a really good espresso machine and it makes perfect froth as it describes, but some tips would be appreciated!
This is up to your taste. Supposedly, it is easier to make froth with milk that have a lower fat content. Although, this is at a cost of the taste of the drink. I find that using 2% milk gives me the best balance of taste and froth, but this is just IMHO.
The milk you use should be as cold as possible before you consider frothing it because you want some time and "room" to build up foam.
stormblaz Said:
and how long in the steam pipe of the coffee machine?
The milk should reach a temperature where the steaming pitcher gets too hot to hold, or you can use a steaming thermometer, stopping at around 160 F or 71 C if you want to be precise. (Steaming thermometers will have a zone which indicates when you should stop.) If you start smelling a sickly sweet smell, the milk is caramelizing and you should stop steaming immediately.
Coffeenoobie Senior Member Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Posts: 2,320 Location: PNW Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: N S Oscar Grinder: Vario W
Posted Fri Nov 30, 2012, 12:12am Subject: Re: How to make the perfect Froth or crema?!
And stop well below the temp you want. Depending on the machine and how much milk you might want to stop as much as 10-20 degrees below the target number.
Coffeenoobie
Buying advice: GRINDER GRINDER GRINDER. Don't cheap out on the grinder. My coffee treasure map... Click Here (maps.google.com)
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,724 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Fri Nov 30, 2012, 9:00am Subject: Re: How to make the perfect Froth or crema?!
qualin Said:
The milk should reach a temperature where the steaming pitcher gets too hot to hold, or you can use a steaming thermometer, stopping at around 160 F or 71 C if you want to be precise.
milk scalds at 170F many baristi recommend stopping at about 135-140F, for 'drink here" beverages because then it's drinkable. For "to go" they often recommend stopping closer to 150F, so it stays hot longer. For hands on technique (no thermometer), I find that too hot to hold = too hot to drink, so I actually stop sooner than that. Several years ago, 2-time US Barista Champion Heather Perry did a "got milk" commercial where she said stop at 135F because that's a good drinking temperature.
Coffeenoobie Said:
And stop well below the temp you want. Depending on the machine and how much milk you might want to stop as much as 10-20 degrees below the target number.
+1, the temp will appear to drift up after you stop because of the lag inherent in the thermometer (i.e., the milk is hotter than the thermometer is telling you).
Oh, and one other thing...froth is something you do with milk, introducing microbubbles of air by placing a steam wand into cold milk, thereby creating a foam. crema is a phenomenon that happens during espresso extraction, it looks like brown foam on top of the coffee, and occurs due to carbon dioxide release from the coffee grounds during extraction.
Coffeenoobie Senior Member Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Posts: 2,320 Location: PNW Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: N S Oscar Grinder: Vario W
Posted Fri Nov 30, 2012, 12:45pm Subject: Re: How to make the perfect Froth or crema?!
I aim for 130-140 and think 150 is ok. But lately, using unrestricted tip, I am working to keep it under 150. I think 160 is too hot. One of the ways I know that the coffee shop near me is doing stuff too hot is I can't drink the espresso right away even in a paper cup. I can drink it right from my machine in a heated cup but I can't drink theirs for quite a while. Even blowing and waiting I burned myself on their coffee.
Coffeenoobie
Buying advice: GRINDER GRINDER GRINDER. Don't cheap out on the grinder. My coffee treasure map... Click Here (maps.google.com)
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