How to make the best milk foam with a steam nozzle?
Curious about how to enjoy a delicious cappuccino or latte macchiato with the steam nozzle of your coffee machine? We will explain how to make these coffee specialities in 3 easy steps. With a steam nozzle, you have a lot of influence on the temperature and thickness of the milk foam. With a little practice, you can already enjoy the tastiest coffee specialities!
A good cappuccino consists of milk froth, hot milk and espresso. The ideal ratio is equally divided between all components, so 1/3 milk froth, 1/3 hot milk and 1/3 espresso. As the milk froth sinks slightly after frothing, you automatically get one part hot milk and one part milk foam.
Preparation: use the right milk & milk jug
In our blog ‘Which milk is best for cappuccino?‘ you can read which milk is best to use for making your cappuccino or latte macchiato. A full creamy milk gives the best results. You can froth the milk in a coffee mug, but for best results we recommend a stainless steel milk jug. You have simple milk jugs for less than £10, to more luxurious variants where you can also read the temperature of the contents.
Step 1: fill the milk jug
Fill the milk jug halfway with milk, keeping in mind that there will be air in the milk causing the milk to ‘rise’. If you use more than half the milk, the milk will overflow, which is something you want to avoid.
Step 2: heating up & frothing milk
Make sure your coffee or espresso machine is switched on and ready to use. Press the steam function button, the machine will now heat up. Hold the milk jug with the milk under the steam nozzle so that the end of the steam nozzle is well into the milk. When the steam function has warmed up, turn the steam button from ‘0’ to ‘I’. Hot air is now blown into the milk.
Move the jug back and forth, or hold the jug at an angle so that the milk warms up properly. You hear a hissing sound and the milk starts to bubble a little, good job! You finish frothing when the milk has reached a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius. Don’t have a milk jug with which to read the temperature? Then gently feel the outside of the milk jug, when it is too hot to hold, your milk froth is ready. Reset the steam button from ‘I’ to ‘0’, then remove the milk jug from under the steam nozzle and take the machine out of steam mode.
>> On a DeLonghi Magnifica S, press a coffee button to do this.
Step 3: adding the espresso
Did you know there are two ways to finish your cappuccino?
1: milk first then coffee
This is the easiest way. This is also how it is done in coffee machines that have an integrated milk system or milk jug. You pour the frothed milk into a coffee mug or coffee glass and brew one espresso above. Voilà, time to enjoy a delicious cappuccino!
2: coffee first, then latte (art)
This way, after frothing the milk, you first brew an espresso in your cappuccino mug or glass. You then tap the jug on the counter a few times so that the milk sinks down and the foam rises. You roll the milk back and forth to get any large air bubbles out this way. Next, pour the frothed milk onto the espresso you have just brewed. Here you can pour the milk in such a way as to create beautiful shapes (latte art).
Cleaning the steam nozzle
When you finish making cappuccinos, it is important to clean the steam nozzle immediately. This will prevent milk residues and bacteria from accumulating, as this will have a negative effect on your next cappuccino.
Simply clean the steam nozzle in two steps:
Step 1: Wipe the outside of the steam nozzle with a clean (damp) kitchen towel.
Step 2: Briefly rinse the steam nozzle with hot water.
Are you having trouble with milk residues? Then remove all parts of the steam nozzle from the machine and soak them for about 15 minutes in a solution of 500 ml lukewarm water and 25 ml Eccellente Milk System Cleaner. Then rinse these parts under running tap and replace them on your machine.
So how do you make a latte macchiato?
A latte macchiato differs very little from a cappuccino, so preparing it is just as easy. The big difference is in the amount of milk and how you add it. In a latte, you simply use more milk than in a cappuccino. In addition, the method of preparation differs. With a cappuccino, you officially brew the espresso first and then add the frothed milk, whereas with a latte macchiato you add the espresso to the frothed milk. A latte is even creamier than the cappuccino, so you enjoy the milk even more and the coffee flavour is less prominent.
So how do you make a latte macchiato?
Did you know that it is difficult to froth milk properly when there is limescale in the steam nozzle? Therefore, descale your coffee machine regularly, for example with the Eccellente Descaler for DeLonghi Magnifica S.
