Everything You Need To Know To Steam Great Milk

Steaming milk is one of the core tasks of a barista and something I've often been asked about by many people making coffee at home recently. I hope this guide helps to explain the process, some of the science behind it, and answer the most common troubleshooting questions.

For more info and advice on steaming milk:

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:35 Steaming technique overview
2:08 Theory of the steaming process: heat
3:16 Blowing Bubbles and Texturing
3:55 Step by step guide
7:07 Run-through in real-time
9:08 Science of milk foam
11:35 Foam troubleshooting
14:21 Temperature
16:25 Alternative milks
17:26 Steam wand tips: pressure vs flow
18:50 James' cappuccino & outro

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[thaliagillott]

Only James could put out a 20 minute video on steaming milk and have me watch it all

[victorruiz]

"Let's briefly talk about the science of milk's foam."
That's why I am here. Never disappointed.

[ericsalem]

This man’s ability to get me even more invested in coffee than I already am every video is unreal.

[RajSingh-sjbp]

I have watched so many videos about foaming milk and this is the first one that actually explains what you are trying to do rather than just showing you the steps without any explanation of what’s happening in the milk. Thanks, James!

[ninal]

You got me on whipping milk with a French press already.

[lloix]

I've watched a lot of milk steaming guides, but this is the first time I got to see it with a glass pitcher, and it is tremendously more helpful than the diagrams or animated mockups I've seen. I hope the next video will be on how to pour, which is my biggest hurdle at the moment.

[selwynhofmeyr]

at 70, Im just beginning to learn this art. THANKS FOR YOU VIDEOS

[sofees]

it’s 3 am and i’m watching a video on milk

[ryanlloyd]

That visual in the glass jug is going to be a huge help. I’ve struggled with milk on my Gaggia even since I added a PID to it. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep improving with these tips.

[musicmann]

This is one of those things that I've never done correctly and would always be disappointed in my results. For some reason, instead of researching how to do it better, I just hardly bothered with it. This video described the process very clearly and I could immediately recognize what I had been doing wrong in the past. Really excellent. Thanks so much!

[FlexWheeler]

Watched your video, did everything you explained, first try it worked perfectly, that shiny silky milky heaven with a double shot of espresso. Made my day, thank you James.

[libertyts]

At this stage I think I have been getting the steaming right about 75-80% of the time, but couldn't quite figure out why it failed the other times. Your beautifully in-depth explanation has me thinking through the process more clearly and with more purpose. Much appreciated James, your dive into the extra\science of the process, as always, really helps people like me that just want to know... Why?

[Parker]

Finally, the beginner's guide that knows how to teach. Thank you for the demonstration by using a clear jug!! that's"exactly" what beginners wanted to see. I've learned more from James than from a barista course.

[mmmkmkmkmable]

I love how we finish the how to steam milk tutorial and it's less than half way through the video. The coffee science parts are what makes James stand out as a content creator.

[rebekaruxandra]

I’ve been a barista for two years before becoming a nurse. I knew everything that you have already said yet I still watch the whole video and was comforting 🥹🥰 I have such a passion for coffee that my husband had to buy me a coffee machine at home so I can have that joy of making my own amazing coffee every morning 🥰

[pamagee]

I figured this all out on my own over the years but hearing it explained so carefully is like poetry

[Superfly]

My goodness, James.

It should be no surprise to anyone, but you simply made the definite instruction video on steaming milk.
I acknowledge this is the end game boss of milk steaming guides.

I absolutely REVELED in it!

[likelivingstones]

I love how much you went in to the science of steaming milk. That is so often overlooked in milk steaming videos. There are great videos out there, but most of them talk only about technique and don't quite explain why we do things the way we do. This is gold.

[kirbsmeister]

This video has made such a dramatic improvement for me. I've still got a long way to go but I feel like I finally got more detail than just "create a vortex and keep the wand just below the surface".

[rowenalim]

I am a student barista and I'll be having my pre assessment tomorrow but I am still having difficulty getting the right micro foam for my latte... watching your video really helped to fine tune my process and I would like to thank you for that... hopefully I'll do well and earn my certificate as a barista 😍🤞