Follow our guide and learn how to make milk froth, even without a frother or an espresso machine. Milk froth is essential for a wide range of coffee-based drinks such as cappuccino, mochaccino, or latte. But it is also used for milkshakes, smoothies, or even cookies. We tell you everything you need to know to make milk froth, dairy or plant-based.
Which milk for a good froth?
All kinds of milk, whole, semi-skimmed, or skimmed, can froth, even nondairy or plant milk. It is the fat content of your milk that influences the texture of the milk froth: the more fat in the milk the smoother and creamier the frothed milk. For an ideal result for you, the best is to do tests and see which dairy or plant milk gives you the desired texture and the preferred taste.
Which is the best plant milk to froth?
There is plant milk available for all tastes, among them the following are the easiest milk to froth:
- Soy milk is the star of the baristas, first because of the taste and second because it was one of the first to come on the market of plant milk.
- Oat milk is starting to make its mark, easy to froth and its taste is close to that of a classic cow’s milk.
- Coconut and almond milk bring interesting sweet and soft flavors but they are a bit more difficult to froth than the previous plant milk.
For a more in-depth perspective on plant milk frothing, check How to make plant milk froth.
How to make a milk froth without a frother
Making milk froth by hand is easy (well with a bit of work) if you follow a few simple rules.
First, you absolutely need a whisk.
Heat the milk and take it off the stove before it boils. Tilt the pot and whisk the milk vigorously until the milk froths, count 10 minutes. Et voila! Once the milk is frothed use it for your favorite drink: cappuccino, mocha coffee, etc.
How to froth milk in the microwave
You need a microwave-resistant glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Pour some hot milk you want to froth, no more than half of the jar, you need a bit of room to froth the milk. Close and shake vigorously between 30 seconds and a minute.
Remove the lid and put your jar in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds.
The milk froth you get is usually firmer than handmade milk froth.
How to froth milk with a French press coffee maker
Be careful about the quantities, it can be a bit messy. Heat the milk and pour it into the container of your plunger coffee maker or French press. Bring the plunger down and move it back and forth for a minute or 2 to get a nice milk froth.
How to make milk froth with a blender
Same as the others, start by heating your milk. Then whip up your milk with your electric blender or hand blender, if you have one, use a milk frother accessory. It’s much easier and quicker than by hand!
How to froth cold milk
To make a nice milk froth with cold milk, you need a stainless-steel bowl. Chill the bowl for a few minutes in the freezer. Use very cold milk and whip it with an electric or manual whisk.
If you have an espresso machine with a frother or an independent frother, it’s easy to froth cold milk the same way as warm milk.
How to froth milk with an espresso machine
Turn on the steam function of your espresso machine and half fill a pot with milk. Wait about 20 seconds for the machine to come in temperature and for steam to come out of the nozzle. Usually, a signal on the machine tells you that it’s ready.
Turn off the steam function and plunge the nozzle about 2 cm into the pot of milk. Switch back on the steam function and tilt the pot with the milk to facilitate milk frothing. Once the milk is frothed, use it in your desserts, coffee, drinks, etc.
How to froth milk with a milk frother
If you have a moka pot or filter coffee maker or if your espresso machine doesn’t have a frother, you can get an independent milk frother. Milk froth is done in the blink of an eye by simply pressing a button, no elbow grease and you can go about your business.
If you’re a fan of milkshakes, coffee recipes, desserts, smoothies, etc, this tool saves you a lot of time by frothing your milk for you.
Milk froth with the Thermomix
To froth milk with your Thermomix, put milk in the mixing bowl (for 4 cappuccinos about 1/2 pint or 250 g) and start a cycle of 3 minutes at speed 4. Continue with a slower speed of 3 for 3 minutes. Tada… it’s ready!
