Coffee with milk is considered one of the most popular drinks in the world, its preparation has become a cult for some. To make a beautiful and lush foam, professionals use a milk pitcher. Such dishes are produced in various forms and volumes. Let's consider in more detail what pitchers are and how coffee makers use them.
What is a pitcher?
Fans of coffee drinks, who often visit the appropriate institutions, may have noticed that during the preparation of latte or cappuccino, the barista pours milk into a special container, and then whips it. It is this small jug called the jag or pitcher for milk. This is a must-have tool for every coffee maker.
The airy froth that milk turns into after being whipped is called foam. It is used for beautiful decoration of latte, cappuccino and other types of coffee-based drinks.
What is foam for?
Among the barista there are many such craftsmen who have mastered the art of latte art - a special technology for the infusion of milk foam. This allows you to make drawings on the surface of the coffee. To create a pattern, you need to properly prepare the foam. That's just what the pitcher is for.
For whipping milk, it is better to choose a stainless steel appliance. This material allows you to control the temperature, which is especially important when whipping milk into foam. Some manufacturers offer pitchers that have a sharp-pointed nose.
Features of the “Right” Pitcher
On sale you can find different volumes of pitchers for milk. 350 and 500 ml are considered the most popular among the barista. Less common are small jugs of 150, 200 and 250 ml. It should be noted that regardless of the capacity of the pitcher, you can only fill it with milk by half.
A small pitcher allows you to beat two servings of milk for a classic cappuccino at a time. Milk jugs with a capacity of 500 ml or more are recommended for bars with high traffic.
Materials of manufacture
The most durable and environmentally friendly are those made of metal. Vessels with thin walls allow better control of the temperature regime. Milk jugs with thick sides are appreciated for their ability to maintain temperature and the ability to produce stable, lush foam.
Ceramic milk pitchers (photo below) are practically not in demand among coffee makers. Despite the good ability to keep warm, they are very fragile and probably will not last long.
Some professional coffee machines come with plastic pitchers. However, no one who respects his reputation and the work of the barista will not use dishes of dubious quality for making coffee. Milk in such a jug is quickly heated in the process of whipping, which makes the foam uneven and instantly settles. Therefore, it is better to purchase a small pitcher for milk (350 ml) made of stainless steel and delight coffee shop customers with a delicious drink.
What else to look for?
Pitchers may have a handle that makes it convenient to hold the dishes while whipping milk. However, in some models it may not be. Modern jugs usually have heat-insulating linings that allow you to hold the pitcher in any position convenient for the barista.
Ceramic equipment can be without a handle at all. The material does not heat up, which means that you can hold such a pitcher as you like.
Some modern models have such a useful additional option as a built-in thermal sensor. It is located at the bottom of the pitcher and allows you to accurately know the temperature of the milk and prepare foam of excellent consistency.
The presence of a Teflon coating on the inner walls of the milkman eliminates the burning of the product.
Foam Tips
The possibility of obtaining good foam depends on the quality of milk. Therefore, you should not save on the product, it is better to opt for whole or non-fat milk, with fat content from 2.0 to 3.2%. An unnatural powder product should be avoided.
Every barista knows that you can’t use warm milk. This rule applies especially to products that have already undergone whipping. To prepare the froth, it is necessary to use milk chilled to 3-4 ° C. As an experiment, of course, you can try to make foam from warmer milk, but only for the purpose of making sure that it is impossible to get the “right” foam in the end.
The coffee machine should warm up for 10-20 minutes. Before starting cooking, it is imperative to let off steam to check the pressure and to prevent water from entering the milk.
How to make foam?
Pitcher for milk greatly simplifies the task of preparing foam for coffee drinks.
In order for the foam to turn out stable and not fall in a few minutes, it is recommended to observe the following sequence of actions:
- Only half fill the pitcher with chilled milk.
- Position the steam pipe (cappuccino maker) near the pitcher wall. You can lower it over the spout. At the same time, the pitcher needs to be tilted slightly towards himself.
- The angle of the cappuccino should be approximately 45 degrees.
- It is only allowed to turn on the steam supply when the tube is immersed 0.5-1.0 cm in milk. It is better to hold the pitcher by the side wall or bottom to monitor the temperature.
- Steam is turned on at full power. In this case, the milk should rotate clockwise in a circle. A whistling sound indicates that the product has begun to whip. A hissing sound appears when saturated with air. It is important not to miss this moment and lower the pitcher. Without this foam will not appear. The pitcher's immersion level should be lower than that at which large bubbles form.
- As soon as the bottom of the dishes begins to heat up, you should lower the tube deeper and take it away from the wall. It is important that the milk rotation rate is maintained.
- Beat the foam until the pitcher is comfortably held in your hand. The temperature should be between 60-70 ° C.
- The tube is pulled out only after the complete supply of steam.
To make the foam perfect, you need to put the pitcher on the table, make several circular movements in this position and lightly tap the bottom of the dishes on the surface. The foam should become uniform and shiny.