Steaming Silky Milk at Home

Use cold milk straight from the fridge and a cold stainless pitcher. Fill it to just below the bottom of the spout. Cold milk gives you more time to texture before it gets too hot.

Purge the wand, then place the tip just under the surface. You should hear a gentle tearing or hissing as air is drawn in — that is “stretching”. After a few seconds, raise the pitcher slightly so the tip is deeper and the milk starts to spin in a whirlpool. Spinning breaks big bubbles into tiny ones.

Stop at around 55–65°C (130–150°F), when the pitcher becomes too hot to hold comfortably. Hotter milk loses sweetness and texture.

Small habits make a big difference.