With all of the potential health benefits, it’s easy to decide that you would like to own a juicer; however, what can be difficult is deciding which is the best juicer for your needs and intended use.
When you start your research you will be amazed at the different types of makes and models available, from some rather run-of-the-mill juicers to large commercial juicers that can handle repeated use every day. Below, you will find five tips to help you choose the best juicer for your needs.
#1 Decide What You Want the Juicer to Do
While this may seem quite obvious, the truth is, it can be pretty confusing to decide which of the many features you come across will actually be useful and which ones you are not likely to use ever.
There are juicers available that will simply create a glass full of pulp and juice to more innovative models that can help you make pasta dough and nut butters. If you don’t believe that you will use a juicer with the all the extra options, then you are better off not spending the extra money on it.
Most of the juicers with all the “bells and whistles” that perform more than just extracting juice are obviously more expensive. However, for those that love the idea of the added features and accessories, a simple juicer just isn’t enough.
To resist the temptation of buying something that you are never going to use, it is important to make a list of what you want your juicer to do.
#2 Determine Your Budget
Obviously, the cost of a juicer will be a crucial factor in your decision. You can find basic models for under thirty dollars to high end models that can cost over five hundred dollars!
If you determine your budget before you start your search, you will be less likely to make a purchase that you really shouldn’t have. You can also eliminate those models that are much too expensive for the type of juicer you need.
#3 Juicer Comparisons
Now, it’s time to start comparing juicer models. You know what you want your juicer to do. Find that list you created and start searching. A good place to begin is at the manufacturers’ websites.
Most allow you to see the various features of the juicers side by side. Some of the more important things to consider are masticating -v- centrifugal, motor size, whether it is a continuous juicer and if separate accessories are needed.
#4 Read the Juicer Reviews and Ratings
Once you have made a list of models that meet your needs, it’s time to start reading reviews of those models by consumers. You can learn so much about how a juicer performs from someone else who has used it.
Pay attention to the overall number of positive reviews versus the number of negative reviews. Read the comments to see if there seems to be a common thread about a feature or characteristic that is very good or very bad. You can also see if these same consumers feel as though the juicer is a good value for the price.
To me, for obvious resons, consumer reviews carry so much more weight and authority than those found on the manufacturers websites.
#5 Find Out the Warranty Information
For many people, finding the best juicer means finding a great warranty. You want one that covers the juicer in its entirety for at least a year. Most manufacturers will also cover the motor for an even longer time.
If you are purchasing one of the more expensive models of juicers, you’ll find that the warranty can be as long as ten years. It is worth the time to find a juicer that the manufacturer stands behind.
A Few Final Thoughts
When you are looking for the best juicer, the above tips should give you some guidance. Probably the best tip above is the one about juicer comparisons. Anytime you can look at the features of different juicers side-by-side, it’s much easier to make a sound and informed decision.
When you’ve decided what juicer you actually want then you will almost certainly find a better deal at some of the large retail website as opposed to direct from the manufacturers site.
Breville is respected worldwide for providing high quality kitchen appliances with a professional aesthetic, and this Breville BJE200XL review shows the company’s dedication to developing quality products for home and commercial kitchens alike.
The Breville BJE200XL is an excellent mid-level juice extractor that combines a professional design aesthetic with cost-cutting features and construction that makes it an ideal choice for many home kitchens worldwide. It carries many of the same features as its more expensive cousins available under the same Breville brand, and offers a similarly high quality juicing experience.
This juicer is essentially a compact version of the most fully-featured Breville juicers such as the 800XL series. While taking up a much less pronounced space on the kitchen countertop, it still offers much of the same performance as more expensive top-shelf items from Breville and other manufacturers.
Main Features Of The Breville BJE200XL
Compact Design – Measuring it at only 9 pounds, and taking up 9.5 by 8.8 by 16 inches, this juicer is the smallest full-powered juicer made available by Breville. It is considerably smaller than the larger models offered by this and other brands, and provides powerful juicing.
700 Watt Motor – The powerful 700-watt motor included with this appliance provides up to 14000 RPM of centrifugal juicing power. This makes it one of the most powerful juicers in its size class, with thousands of more RPM than its nearest contender.
Titanium Cutting Disc – With titanium reinforced blades, you can fully expect to enjoy years of use from your Breville BJE200XL without having to sharpen or replace the cutting disc or blades.
Stainless Steel Micromesh Filter – By using a heavy-duty stainless steel micromesh filter, pulp and fibers that you do not want included in your juices can be easily disposed of without requiring any extra labor on your part. The filter is also conveniently dishwasher-safe, making its cleaning a charmingly easy task.
3-inch Circular Feed Tube – The extra large feed-tube is a feature that you would not expect to see on a compact juicer such as this one. Despite its small size, the feed tube is still large enough to throw fruits and vegetables whole into the juicer and let its powerful motor do all the work for them.
One-Year Limited Warranty – Breville is a company that stands behind its products, and, as a result, the company offers a one-year limited warranty for this product that will guarantee it against defects, damage and workmanship faults.
Centered Knife Blade Assembly – By combining the centrifugal engine with a centered knife blade assembly system, this powerful juicer is designed in such a way as to maximize its stability, quietness, and ease of use without sacrificing cutting force.
Easy To Clean – Thanks to dishwasher-safe parts and an included specialized cleaning brush, it is easier than ever to clean your juice extractor and have it easily prepared for the next juicing cycle you need to put it through. Despite the fact that it is built to be compact, it is still very easy to disassemble and clean in mere minutes.
Professional, Minimalist Design Aesthetic – As always, Breville products such as this one are designed with as much functionality as they are with good looks and the Breville BJE200XL is no exception. With a center-stabilized circular cutting disc and stainless steel accents, it will make a fine addition to any kitchen.
Benefits And Drawbacks To This Kitchen Appliance
As usual, there is very little to be said against Breville, as the brand consistently provides high quality items and in this case does so at a very reasonable price. The fact that the BJE200XL offers high-powered juicing capabilities within such a compact package is something that should be celebrated.
The most pronounced benefit that Breville BJE200XL review staff note in comparison with similarly priced juice extractors is the high powered motor that this compact juicer provides. 700 watts at 14000 RPM is more than sufficient for a great majority of fruits, vegetables and other foods that you may want to juice.
The only disadvantage to using this product is the fact that, being compact, its juicing capacity is quite small when compared to the commercial-quality juicers available on the market. This, however, is a selling point for many people who do not want such a large machine taking up space on their countertop, and Breville BJE200XL review tests show that it performs admirably nonetheless.
Breville BJE200XL Review : What Customers Say
Customers who have purchased the Breville BJE200XL are overwhelmingly pleased with the device’s sturdy design, functional and attractive aesthetic and full-powered juicing capabilities. Many a Breville BJE200XL review centers the argument on comparing it to similar juicers in its price range, in which case it consistently beats the competition in nearly every aspect.
The greatest praise for this device comes from customers who wanted a Breville quality juicer without needing to dedicate an entire section of their kitchen countertop to the machine, and this compact juicer does the job perfectly. Its powerful motor and sophisticated design make it a very special product that earns its place in kitchens worldwide.
Another important element that is mentioned in a great number of reviews is the fact that despite carrying a 1-year warranty, the juicer consistently continues juicing at full effectiveness for many years beyond its ostensible shelf life. The titanium-reinforced blades offer years of service without ever needing replacement; a fact that does not go unmentioned in a large number of reviews.
If you are a customer looking to increase your juicing capabilities in a home kitchen or in a professional kitchen environment, you will certainly enjoy the benefits provided by this juicer. Breville BJE200XL review tests have shown that it provides professional-quality juicing without taking up more space than necessary.
The coffee grinder is the most overlooked piece of equipment. Most of the attention goes on the coffee machine and the coffee itself. This is largely due to the fact that so little is understood about the importance of the role the grinder has to play. The coffee grinder is an equal player in the equipment needed to get consistent quality every time.
Once the coffee beans have been roasted, they need to be broken apart. The trick is to capture the aroma and freshness of the coffee just after it has been ground. It’s better to only grind as much coffee as you need. It is possible to store coffee once ground, but for best results, fresh ground is best.
How To Choose A Coffee Grinder Properly
A good quality coffee grinder should always give you the ability to adjust the grind. This is because the rate of extraction (the pour time) will be influenced by how fine the coffee is. You will also be able to control how much sediment there is in each extraction. A finer coffee will give more sediment. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on your taste!
Coffee machines will typically come in two types – the burr grinderand the blade grinder.
The blade grinder tends to be the cheaper option for home use. It’s actually quite hard to get any proper consistency with a blade grinder. This is because you can only control how fine the coffee is by leaving the machine on for longer. The process is the same as grinding bread in a food mixer. You just throw in the beans and the blade will repeatedly cut the coffee beans into smaller sizes.
Burr grinders provide a superior ground coffee. The Burr grinder has two cylindrical plates. Each plate has teeth that will crush the coffee when they rotate. You can adjust the gap between the two plates that will determine how fine the coffee is.
Burr grinders can be further categorised by the speed of the grinder. A high speed direct drive grinder is the cheapest option, although the high speed using the motor directly to drive the plates can give rise to heat. This heat can change the quality of the coffee. A better option is to use a low speed direct drive grinder. This will push the price of the grinder up, as the grinder will need a set of gears to reduce the speed of the plates. The sound of the coffee grinding is also much louder with a low speed grinder.
There are two more considerations after this. The first is weather to choose a grinder with a doser. The doser is a lever that will dose an exact amount of coffee you need per shot and will take the coffee from a chamber that is used to store coffee once it has been ground. For home use, this is not necessary unless you are catering for a large number of people. It could be handy for a dinner party for example. The second, more important consideration is stepped grind adjustment or manual. Manual grind adjustment will allow you to make a slight change to the grind, to allow for changes in room temperature. Yes! It does make a difference! If you don’t have a manual grind setting, don’t worry too much as you can always press harder or lighter when you ‘tamp’ the coffee in the porta filter. This is the handle that contains a basket for you to place the coffee. The ground coffee is pressed by using a handle or a flat surface attached to the coffee machine.
Sounds like a massive amount of information to take in at once. Messing around with the results from your grinder is fun. In time, you will get to know how to handle ground coffee and will start producing some really good results.
The wonderful aroma and taste of brewed coffee is the best way to start the day. Whether you are in a rush to an appointment or just lazing around, a perfectly brewed cup can put you in the right mood to tackle whatever needs to be done.
It is convenient to buy coffee grounds for your morning cup but it will not have the same aroma and taste of freshly ground whole coffee beans. Ground coffee loses flavor and aroma at a fast rate even when you keep it in an airtight container. The longer it stays in the can, the less flavor you get from the brew. To get a fresh cup of coffee with a full-bodied aroma and taste, you should learn how to grind coffee beans properly.
How To Grind Coffee Beans In A Proper Way
The most important gear needed to make good coffee is a good grinder. You may argue that buying good quality coffee beans will surely make a good cup of coffee, but you will not get your quality brew without properly grinding the beans. Coffee aficionados and baristas will tell you that even the best coffee beans will lose some of their flavor and taste if they are poorly ground, and ground coffee that is not immediately brewed oxidizes and starts to become stale.
To get a good cup, you need good beans and the correct grinder. The flavor of the coffee depends largely on the consistency of the grind and the size of the coffee grounds depends on the brewing method that follows. Generally, longer brewing methods that allow contact of the heated water with the coffee will require coarse grounds while brewing that permits short contact like the steam that passes through the coffee in the espresso machine require finer grounds. A coarse grind is suitable for a percolator or French press, a medium grind for automatic drip brewing with flat bottom filters, and a fine grind for espresso and drip brewing with cone-shaped filters.
Getting the correct size of the coffee grounds is quite subjective. What looks coarse to you may be medium-coarse to others, and the grind you call fine may look medium-fine to another person. Each of us has different tastes, and the taste of the coffee that you brew will depend to some extent on the size of the grind. For best results, you should experiment by varying the size of the coffee grounds that you use for brewing your favorite cup until you get the taste that suits your palate. This means that the grinder you use should have different settings that will allow you to experiment.
Grinders are either a propeller grinder or a coffee mill, also called a burr grinder. The burr grinder produces grounds with a uniform particle size that is ideal for the preparation of coffee, whereas the propeller or blade grinder will give an inconsistent grind.
The burr mill works by grinding the beans between two revolving discs with abrasive or serrated surfaces. The size of the grounds depends on the distance between the discs. Available models of the burr grinder have several settings to choose from so that you can easily set the machine based on the size of grounds you want for drip brewing, the French press, or the espresso machine. Lower settings where the discs are farther apart will result in coarser materials, while the higher settings where the discs are close together will produce smaller or finer material.
The burr grinder has two chambers, one for loading the coffee beans and another that receives the coffee grounds. Usually, the device has a revolving screw that pushes the grounds through. The grinding process does not create much friction that can heat and affect the taste of the coffee, which is one of its advantages over the blade grinder that sometimes produce a burnt taste because of the heating up of the propellers. The downside of the burr grinder is that the process takes longer, particularly when you put the grinder in a higher setting for fine grinds. It is also more expensive than the blade grinder, with some models costing a few hundred dollars.
You can purchase a good blade grinder for $25 dollars or less, and can get good quality grinds too, though not as uniform in particle size. The device has a single chamber equipped with a rotating two-sided single blade that chops the coffee beans. It has a transparent cover that allows you to see inside, and you turn off the blades when the grounds look to be of the right particle size. Users of the blade grinder recommend grinding in bursts to get uniform-sized granules. Of course, the coffee grounds will not be as consistent in size as those produced by the burr, but it will get the job done in much less time.
If you can afford the cost of the burr mill, you are assured of better-flavored coffee grounds because of the consistency of the grind and almost frictionless grinding. You can opt for the manual burr coffee mill that is cheaper than the electric-powered grinder, but the effort to grind a sufficient quantity for your morning coffee can be daunting, particularly when you are still half-asleep.
Coffee aficionados recommend a burr grinder when you are after coarse grounds, say for a French press, because it is difficult to get uniformly coarse grounds from a blade grinder. For medium grinds for drip brewing and for fine grinds, the propeller grinder can produce what you need as long as you grind in short bursts.
Whether you use a burr or a propeller grinder, you can brew a perfect cup of coffee once you have mastered the device – that is knowing which setting to use in the burr grinder and how long to grind the coffee beans in the propeller grinder. What is important is that the coffee grounds go from your grinder directly into your coffee brewer or espresso machine in order to get the fresh taste and aroma of a perfect cup of coffee.
Omega makes a wide variety of kitchen appliances. If you’ve been shopping for a juicer, you’ve almost certainly looked at an Omega. While most other brands make mainly centrifugal juicers, Omega’s focus has been on masticating, “slow” juicers. They’re distinctive for their simple designs and excellent warranty coverage.
They offer masticating juicers from $200-400, in both vertical and horizontal designs. Most of Omega’s horizontal juicers look pretty similar.
However, there are some important differences among their offerings. We’ll help you sort out the differences, and understand what the different specs on each model mean in terms of actual juice results!
We chose three top models from Omega to compare. These are the most popular juicers offered by the company.
In our in-depth Omega juicers reviews, we’ll lay out all the important features of each model, and bring you a concise overview of what people are saying about these juicers online.
We’ll help you figure out whether these juicers are really worth your money, and narrow down which one will be perfect for you!
At the bottom of the page, we’ve put together a guide to help you shop for an Omega juicer. It gives you a few key things to think about as you shop, and lays out some useful comparisons to help you compare Omega juicers to the rest of the market.
Omega’s most popular offering is also Amazon’s top-selling masticating juicer. The J8006 is popular thanks to its super low-speed motor, high torque system, and versatile attachment set. It’s our favorite all-purpose masticating juicer from Omega.
Pros: Omega J8006
It’s super simple to use. With only 4 main parts, the Omega takes a lot of the hassle out of assembly and takedown. It’s also easy to clean after you’re done. The plastic parts rinse clean, while the pulp screen comes with a brush for scrubbing out the holes.
The motor runs at a super-slow 80 rpm, to minimize oxidation and prevent any heat damage to juice as you go.
Thanks to the slow speed and minimized oxidation, juice from the J8006 can last up to 72 hours without degradation! Most juice from centrifugal machines starts to turn bad after only a few hours.
GE’s special plastic compound used to make the auger is designed to last 8X as long as traditional materials. The auger design in the J8006 is also updated over the J8004/5. It has less wobble and play, which stops the auger from coming in contact with the pulp screen by accident (this was one complaint some users had with the older models).
It wastes very little juice. Previous buyers said that pulp comes out very dry. That’s thanks in large part to the dual-stage juicing system. After the produce is wrung out on the auger, it goes through a secondary pressing system to make sure no juice ends up in the pulp bin.
As for the juice itself, reviewers said it’s thick, full, and rich! They complimented its color, taste, and texture, saying it “appears bolder/brighter and without foam.”
This model comes with lots of attachments to help it live up to the “Nutrition Center” moniker. There are several nozzles for making homemade pasta with the auger. There’s also a food processor attachment for mincing, grinding, and chopping. The homogenizer attachment lets you make nut butters, pastes, and baby foods, with a special grinder head for coffee and spices.
The J8006-also has a few smart upgrades over the previous model (J8005). It has a bigger juice bowl, a bigger pulp bin, a built-in handle, and a cover over the base of the machine.
The J8006 is covered by a 15-year warranty. That wallops any competition from centrifugal juicers, and is pretty impressive among masticating models, as well (even other Omegas!). By contrast, the J8005 (older model) has only a 10-year warranty period.
Cons: Omega J8006
Previous buyers said that while the auger does hold up well, there’s an initial break-in period. They said that the cutting edges wore down a bit at first, then stayed the same.
The feed chute is fairly small. Of course, you’re not going to be able to fit large chunks through any masticating juicer. However, some previous buyers said the chute was smaller than other models they had used.
Reviewers had mixed experiences with Omega customer service. They said that in the case that they needed replacement parts, they found that these were often backordered.
It’s not the best choice for wheatgrass. Reviewers said that wheatgrass caused motor strain, and in some cases cracked plastic parts. That’s probably going to be the case with any plastic auger and pulp screen system. If you juice a lot of wheatgrass, we’d recommend buying a triturating juicer (see one here on our home page).
2. Omega J8004 Slow Speed Masticating Juicer
The J8004 is a tried and tested commercial juicer with a great track record. We like it because it’s simple, no-nonsense, and provides many of the same basic features as the newer Omega models.
And because it’s an older model, it’s a lot more affordable. We’ve found that you’ll save about $50 versus the J8006.
Pros: Omega J8004
The J8004 is designed to be used commercially. Overall, it has much better reliability ratings from previous buyers than the J8005 and J8006.
It has the same simple, 4-part design as the J8006 and J8005. Previous buyers especially liked how easy the J8004 is to take apart and clean. One juicer wrote, “You could literally take it apart with your eyes closed. There are no tools and no tricks to taking it apart.”
The white plastic exterior gives it a classic look, like many older kitchen appliances you’ll be familiar with.
Under the hood, it’s fairly similar to the J8005 and J8006 as well, with an 80 rpm motor speed and gear reduction system. The drive system levels out to about 2HP, just like the other two machines.
Much like the J8006, there’s a GE Ultem auger, and a dual stage juicing system. This produces pulp that’s just as dry–and juice that’s just as rich–as the J8006.
It comes with many of the same attachments as the J8006, including several pasta nozzles, a homogenizer for making pastes and butters, and a food processor for grinding and chopping.
There’s also a special fruit juice nozzle, which isn’t included on the more expensive J8006. We particularly like the fruit juice attachment, since it addresses one of the main problems with masticating juicers. Usually, they don’t do well with very juicy fruit, like citrus or plums. The J8004 can handle those with no problem.
Cons: Omega J8004
Because the casing and other plastic parts are white, you’ll have to be careful to avoid staining. We’d recommend finishing each juicing session with a lemon. This does a lot of the cleaning work for you, and adds a nice zip to your batch of juice. It’ll also preserve the color of your juice for storage! As long as you rinse all the parts each time you juice, previous buyers said stains aren’t too much of an issue.
The one real flaw for this machine in terms of durability is the pulp screen/filter. This cone-shaped attachment is mainly made of plastic, with a smaller metal mesh section at the end. Several previous buyers wrote that the plastic segment cracked on their juicers after prolonged use.
It doesn’t come with the spice grinder attachment that comes with the J8006.
Some reviewers said that the auger had a fair amount of play, which allowed it to occasionally come in contact with the pulp screen. This could damage the auger over time. According to our research, this is an isolated issue.
The warranty is for 10 years, as opposed to the 15-year coverage on the J8006.
3. Omega J8005
The J8005 is nearly identical to the J8006, but sells for around the same price as the J8004. It’s an older model, but we think you’re getting pretty much the same quality as the J8006 for a good $50 cheaper.
Pros: Omega J8005
It’s exactly the same size as the J8006, and has the same outer body. This model has a chrome and black plastic finish, with a transparent juicing nozzle. It also comes with the same built-in handle for storage and disassembly.
Under the hood, it’s much the same story. The motor runs at the same 80 rpm as the other Nutrition Centers, for better enzyme content and minimized heat and oxidation damage.
Overall, buyers were very impressed by the motor and operation. One wrote, “This is a fantastic, quiet, sturdy juicer.”
Cleaning this model is just as easy as the other two. It has the same 4-part assembly and included pulp brush. One reviewer wrote, “I cannot tell you how nice it is cleaning this versus my Breville.”
This model comes with the same attachment set as the J8006. It also includes the coffee/spice/grain grinder attachment that’s missing from the J8004. Plus, you get the pasta nozzles, food processor, and homogenizer insert.
It’s just as efficient as the J8006. One reviewer who owned this model as well as a centrifugal juicer said that in his testing, the Omega saved 50% more juice from the pulp bin.
Cons: Omega J8005
Unlike the J8004, this model doesn’t come with the special fruit juicer attachment. While that’s not a huge loss, it does mean the J8005 won’t do quite as good a job on soft fruits and citrus. Previous buyers said it only has a harder time with lots of juicy fruits at once. We always recommend alternating textures when you juice.
Which Omega Juicer Is Perfect For You?
The J8005 is a great choice for budget buyers. It provides all the key benefits of a masticating juicer, at the price of a centrifugal juicer. Even though it’s a frugal purchase, you’re not skimping on any features. You’ll be able to make pasta, sauces, nut butters and more. How’s that for a bargain?
If you’re going to be juicing more fruits than vegetables, we strongly recommend getting the J8004. It has a special soft fruit attachment that makes it better suited to handling citrus, pears, and tomatoes than the other Nutrition Centers. The J8004 also has a better reliability record than the other two, so it’s the best choice for people who are going to be juicing a bunch of produce every day.
Finally, the J8006 is our recommendation for people who want the best versatility and performance. It has the longest warranty coverage of any Omega juicer, as well as key updates to the auger and motor setup. It’s the best Omega juicer on the market.
The VRT 330 modifies Omega’s popular masticating juicer design for a vertical format.
The motor in this model works at the same slow 330 rpm, and has the same dual stage juicing system.
The key benefit of the vertical setup is that you don’t have to do quite as much prep work, and won’t have to do quite as much grunt work pushing produce through the auger!
The smaller footprint also allows the VRT 330 to fit more easily in your kitchen.
One smart feature we love about this model is the automatic cleaning function for the pulp screen. It keeps things moving through without you having to stop to clean the screen frequently.
While it doesn’t have the versatility of the Nutrition Centers, the VRT 330 is a great choice for people who want the nutritional benefits of a masticating juicer with some of the convenience and ease of use of a centrifugal juicer.
Frothed, foamed and steamed milk are used in many espresso drinks and hot milk drinks (such as milk steamers). With a little practice, you can froth milk, foam milk and steam milk to add texture and flavor to your drinks at home. These recipes outline how to prepare various types of heated an texturized milk (or cow milk alternatives, such as soy milk) using a stovetop or an espresso machine.
How To Foam Milk On A Stove
Typically, in a coffee shop, milk is foamed with an espresso machine’s steam wand (an attachment that shoots hot, pressurized steam through a tube to quickly heat liquid while adding small air bubbles into the liquid). It’s a handy tool to have. However, you don’t need an espresso machine with a steam wand attachment to make foamed milk. All you need is a saucepan, a stove top, a whisk and, of course, milk.
This recipe outlines how to foam milk on an electric or gas burner in 15 minutes.
Foamed milk is often used in espresso drinks like caffe breves, flat whites and cappuccinos. Place the tip of the wand just under the surface of the milk. Keep it near the inner side of the pitcher to create a vortex with the milk. Lindsey Goodwin
How To Froth Milk With A Steam Wand
If you have an espresso machine with a steam wand, frothing milk is much faster than using a stove top.
Frothed milk is an essential component for latte art on caffe lattes. It is also used in equal measure with steamed milk in your typical cappuccino, and it can be used to add texture and richness to hot chocolate.
Compared to steamed milk and other types of texturized milk, frothed milk is considered to be “dry”. This means it is less liquidy and more able to hold its shape and texture in latte art, and it has a different mouthfeel than other types of heated milk.
How To Steam Milk (Video)
This video includes tips and techniques for steaming milk with an espresso steam wand.
Steamed milk is used in cappuccinos (along with frothed milk) and it is used to give flat whites their characteristically smooth, “flat” texture and appearance.
Tips For Foaming, Frothing And Steaming Milk
Start with fresh, cold milk.
Use a little more milk than you want to include in the actual drink — there will be some waste in the process of preparing the milk.
Add heat quickly. (For example, if using an electric stove, preheat the burner.)
Strive for an even texture, but be patient — getting a consistently even texture takes a lot of practice!
If you’re using a steam wand, play around with varying the depth of the wand and its proximity to the edge of the pitcher. Similarly, if you’re using a whisk and a stove top, whisk closer to the surface for more air or deeper in the saucepan for less air. This will create different types of currents in the milk and heat / texturize it in different ways. As you learn to steam / foam / froth milk, knowing about these interactions between the steam and the milk will help you.
If you have a few large bubbles in your foamed, frothed or steamed milk, you can get rid of them by firmly tapping the heating vessel down on a counter top. This brings the bubbles to the surface of the liquid and encourages them to pop.
Many drink recipes call for steamed and frothed milk, or some other mixture of types of heated, texturized milk. As you practice these skills, you’ll learn to identify different styles of milk and make them in the appropriate proportion.
