Ever wondered why that coffee shop latte, cortado or cappuccino felt so much more luxurious and indulgent than anything you could make easily at home?
Well, firstly; it’s because someone made it especially for you! And there’s nothing like being looked after, hey? But more than that, it’s because of the perfectly executed frothed milk sitting on the top of your coffee, bringing richness and mouthfeel in every single sip.
For those keen for this indulgence without having to visit a cafe, a coffee with frothed milk might feel like a treat only available for those with espresso machines or milk frothers.
Which leaves us wondering; is it possible to froth milk without a specialised machine?
As it turns out, you can froth milk at home without needing a fancy espresso machine. It’s simple; you can purchase a standalone milk frother, use a hand mixer or even a French press, or simply put your milk into a jar and shake it until it’s frothed. Wow!
While there are several ways to froth milk without an espresso machine, there are a few important factors to look at before you begin to froth. Here is our IDEAL guide on how to froth milk without an espresso machine.
Milk Frothing Basics: What Makes A Good Frothed Milk?
When warm milk is churned or stirred at high speed, air is pulled into the liquid itself. The air becomes trapped in the warm milk, creating bubbles that rise to the top. The longer the milk is frothed, the more bubbles occur, giving it that classic light and frothy appearance, and suave mouthfeel.
Of course, frothed milk isn’t just about the milk itself – several aspects lead to desirable results, here. A higher fat level is one of the keys to well-frothed milk. Whole milk – or semi-skimmed, at a push – works best because it has more fat, making the finished froth thick and luscious.
It’s also important to warm your milk before frothing. Usually, you want to heat your milk to 60-68℃ (140-155℉) before frothing it. Heating the milk ensures that you will get some foam and that the bubbles will stay voluminous for longer. Some types of milk won’t froth at all if they’re cold.
The most important thing is to use milk that’s as fresh as possible. If your milk (dairy or otherwise) has been in the fridge for a while, losing its vivacity, it might not froth up even with a specialised tool or machine. Fresh milk is obviously more healthy than sour or spoiled milk, too – what’s not to love?
Read: 7 surprising benefits of drinking coffee
Ways To Froth Milk Without An Espresso Machine
Milk is easy enough to get a hold of, sure, but if you don’t have an espresso machine to steam your milk, you might have been drinking your coffee with regular creamer lately. Don’t worry – that’s unnecessary, and there are several ways to froth milk easily at home.
French Press
Do you make your coffee in a French press? Once you’ve made the coffee, clean your press and pour your heated milk into it. All you need to do is pump the press up and down quickly until the milk froths. After that, you’ll be able to use it in your coffee as usual.
The French press makes excellently frothed milk, but it does need to be cleaned between each use. Because of this, many people choose to froth their milk differently or purchase a second French press for their frothed milk.
Standalone Milk Frother
Another way to froth your milk is with a standalone milk frother. Although it’s not usually ideal to invest in a single appliance for just one purpose, a milk frother can save you tons of time if you have coffee every day. It’s simple to use and won’t take much extra work, and is much less expensive than buying an espresso machine!
A handheld, battery powered milk frother usually comes in at under £15 and can fit anywhere in your cabinets.
There are also some great electric milk frothers out there. These are, however, considerably more expensive. According to the Independent, some of the most best milk frothers of 2022 include:
- Lavazza’s milkEasy milk frother, which boasts a compact design meaning it doesn’t take up much room on your kitchen countertop.
- Smeg’s retro design milk frother, which adds some classic cool to your countertop.
As we’ve mentioned, though, this represents a considerable investment, with the former clocking in at £59 and the latter at £149.
There are more than several frothers available, and all have different pros and cons. If you make lattes or other speciality coffees that rely on frothed milk, this one’s a no-brainer.
An Electric Mixer
Of course, you can do the same thing with an electric mixer. If you have a hand mixer for baking, pour your milk into a bowl for it and use the hand mixer to whip up the milk until it’s frothed. It’s a great way to make frothed milk without having to make any new purchases, make no mistake.
Whilst an electric mixer certainly does the job, it won’t be quite as bubbly as a standalone frother or a French press. This is because the electric mixer has larger paddles and can’t rotate quite as quickly, so the milk won’t froth as much. If you can, get a whisk attachment for the mixer, which creates more of a stir and froth technique.
Whisk Or Jar
Reminding us of an old Thin Lizzy standard, a whisk or jar is another fantastic, totally analogue option for frothing milk.
Of course, not everyone has an electric mixer. There are two completely manual methods for this (which mirror the French press method). First, you can pour your warm milk into a bowl and froth it by hand with a whisk. This works well but can be extremely tiring after a while (or, a great arm work-out, depending on how you look at it!).
The second method is to pour your warm milk into a glass jar, seal it shut, and shake it until the milk is frothed. Wrap a towel around the jar or hold it with a pot holder so you don’t burn yourself on the heated milk. Either way, you will get handmade, frothy milk within a few minutes.
What Milk Is Best for Frothing?
Ideally, whole dairy milk is the best for frothing. This is because it holds the bubbles and the frothed texture better because it’s both high in protein and fat, which is most important to creating and retaining air bubbles in frother milk.
You can try a basic frothed milk with your coffee or go for something more exotic. Try this copycat pumpkin spice latte with frothed milk on top for a change from your regular cup of coffee.
Non-dairy milk is generally much lower in protein, making it harder to froth (but not impossible). If you need to froth non-dairy milk, the best tasting options are coconut milk and almond milk. Oat milk is the non-dairy milk with the best level and ratio of fat and protein, while almond milk also has some fat in it. Decisions, decisions.
The Bottom Of The Cup
You don’t need a second mortgage to make a good latte at home. Now that you know so many ways to froth milk without an espresso machine, you can make the best barista-style coffee at home. Now, when can we expect an invite round for a cup?