For the past 21 years of my life, coffee never existed in my dictionary. I even refused to take a sip from my friends coffee when they offered me a try. I was known as the girl who never drinks coffee. And here I am today, searching out the best coffee and learning how to do a latte.
As you might have guessed, I am an amateur in every aspect of coffee, but thankfully, I have Abbas, my partner who is extremely knowledgeable about coffee.
Starting out as a barista can be frustrating sometimes when you don't know where to start and where you need to improve. So hopefully, my journey will help you along yours as well :)
The Essentials
Having an espresso machine (obviously)
Milk, pitcher, powder of somesort (I use either milo powder or cocoa powder), a damp cloth, a cup.
Steaming the milk
Step 1
use fresh milk that has been chilled in the fridge. I recommend Meiji, farmhouse or greenfield milk.
Step 2
Pour the milk till it reaches the bottom of the stout (the u-shape) of the pitcher.
Step 3
Purge the water by turning on the steamer but don't put the milk in yet.
Step 4
Place the nozzle of the steamer slightly off center about 1 inch into the milk.
Step 5
Turn the knob of the steamer FULLY (the pressure may be higher but it's easier. Trust me, I made the mistake of turning it halfway because i was scared and it just cost me alot of milk and coffee) but it actually really depends on the machine you are using, nomady is a small machine and doesn't have much power but when you use a commercial machine it's best to turn it halfway or even slightly only depending on the machine.
Step 6
you should hear the sound of a high pitched train or a spoilt whistle or a lady ghost screaming, this happens because air is introduce into the milk, try to aerate the milk within the first few seconds of steaming. (according to how what drink you intend to make, ie, cappuccino,latte, flat white)
Step 7
try to get a whirlpool effect in your milk by tilting it to the side. This is to ensure that the milk is velvety throughout.
Step 8
remember to place your free hand at the side of the pitcher to gauge the temperature of the milk. You will know that your milk steamed enough when you can only put your hand on the pitcher for a second due to the heat.
You do not want to burn the milk people, I know we all like our coffee to stay hot for very long while we sit at a cafe but if you steam the milk too hot you would destroy the sweetness in the milk which would in turn affect your drink. Tip: use a really hot cup or use a thermos to keep coffee warm.
Step 9
the first thing to do after steaming your milk is to wipe your steamer. You don't want disgusting milk stains and residue on your steam wand.
Step 10
give your milk a strong tap to the table to remove all the bubbles and swirl it around the pitcher to distribute the foam
What you want to see is a smooth shiny milk. And when you swirl the sides, it should not leave bubbles at the side of the pitcher.
It took me many many tries before I managed to steam my milk properly and pour the latte art. Remember, the milk is one of the vital parts of making delicious coffee, but don't be disheartened when you fail to steam the milk properly or don't manage to do your latte art on your first few tries. PERSEVERANCE IS KEY :)
Here's a good youtube video to watch before attempting to to steam milk
p.s. hope this helped you along :)
