4 Easy Ways to Froth Milk for Your Instant Coffee at Home

Love making your coffee instantly, but still want to have that coffee shop look? Learn how to easily froth your milk for the best instant coffee.

Frothed milk is made by aerating the milk, which means adding air bubbles. It is frothed when heated up and it can be made in various methods, ranging from hand frothing to machine frothers, and even microwave frothing. Some of these ways are easy to do manually yourself, whereas others will require extra tools.

FROTHED MILK VS. STEAMED MILK

Although very similar, frothed milk and steamed milk have their differences. Frothed milk sits as an additional layer on top of the coffee (think of the milk foam in a cappuccino), whereas steamed milk is mixed with the actual coffee component (such as the milk that is used in lattes). Steamed milk receives less aeration and hence has less bubbles. As a result, steamed milk is also heavier than frothed milk and will have less foamy texture.

Example of drinks made with frothed milk are: cappuccino, espresso (if milk is added), and hot chocolate. On the other hand drinks that are made with steamed milk are: latte, cortado, macchiato, and ristretto.

5 WAYS TO FROTH MILK AT HOME FOR YOUR INSTANT COFFEE

Frothed milk in your coffee doesn’t have to be limited to what you can buy at a coffee shop. You can make your loved drinks in the comfort of your own home using instant coffee. With homemade instant coffee and frothed milk you can make more time for the things you love and spend less time making coffee.

1. Shaking milk in a jar

By using a simple mason jar you can reach that frothed milk consistently in as little as 45 seconds.

Heat up half a cup of milk in a saucepan for a few moments, until the milk begins to warm up (before boiling). Fill a mason jar about 1/3rd of the way with the heated milk. Seal the jar tightly and begin shaking the jar for 30-60 seconds. You can also shake first and then heat it up in the microwave like shown in the video - up to you.

The air shaken in the milk will add small air bubbles that are needed to give the milk that thick and heavy consistency. The more you shake the jar, the more volume the milk will have as it builds multiple layers.

This will not only save you precious time, but will also give you a great workout. :) 

2. Whisk by hand

If shaking a jar for prolonged periods isn’t for you, consider whisking the milk by hand instead.

Just like in the mason jar method, the milk needs to be heated up in a saucepan beforehand as well. The heat will help your milk form thicker and keep the air bubbles more intact. Once the milk is heated, whisk it from side to side by using a whisker or a fork until it foams. Move the foam on top of your coffee drink and voila, you have a delicious instant coffee.

3. Use a milk frother

Milk frothers are the coffee versions of immersion blenders for soups. They form a vortex in the middle of your brew to evenly disperse the steam throughout the milk. It aerates the milk and forms a thick and heavy foam layer.

Milk frothers come in different versions, such as handheld, manual, and automatic. The handheld milk frother is a battery powered wand that spins the drink until it reaches it desired consistency. These wands are cordless and can be moved anywhere as they pack easily.

The manual milk frother requires human power to make the foam by pumping the milk up and down until it reaches its thickness level, like a french press would. This method is most commonly used to form foam for art in brews, such as those found on lattes.

The automatic milk frothers are a hands-free option for frothing milk. The frother turns on easily with a quick button and provides a high level of milk foam. For the best creamy consistency, it is best to use an automatic frother. 

4. “Pulled Tea” method

The “Pulled Tea” method is a Malaysian method to froth milk. It consists of pouring liquid from one container to another to aerate the liquid at least four times. The more times the liquid is poured, the more air is added to it. You can either do it just for the coffee, or for the instant coffee and milk mixed together. 

Once your milk is frothed using one of the mentioned methods, brew a delicious cup of Waka instant coffee, and add the frothed milk on top. Enjoy!

Try our delicious instant coffee here.