How to Froth Milk in a French Press?

Sometimes, you crave a cappuccino or latte, but you feel too lazy to go to a coffee shop. Does it sound familiar? Some people think it is impossible to make high-quality milk froth without a coffee machine. Still, there is one thing that can be helpful in it. At home, you can use your French press to make persistent milk froth for any beverage aside from just brewing coffee or tea. In fact, it’s even easier than it may seem.

The first thing to do is to heat your milk. Here, I’d like to share some helpful tips on what kind of milk is preferable. It is better to use 2.5% milk. This fat content is the most optimal, while milk with higher fat content is difficult to froth. Skimmed milk is good for frothing as well because it also contains the protein needed to form bubbles. However, the content of fat in the product is still important since it adds texture to drinks and affects their taste. A cappuccino made with skimmed milk has a pronounced but unstable coffee taste. Also, you can use vegetable milk and obtain even more froth than expected.

You can heat milk either on a stove or in a microwave. The most important thing is that you don’t bring it to a boil; otherwise, its structure will completely change. If you have a special thermometer, you can check the temperature that should be around 65°C or 149°F. If there is no such a thermometer at home, then you should watch the milk and take it off the stove right when you notice a little steam forming over the surface, but there are no bubbles yet. Now, pour some hot water into your French press to warm it up and prevent the milk from cooling after you pour it.

Pour one-third of the milk. If you pour more milk, your French press will overflow. After frothing, the milk volume will almost double. Put a plunger into the French press and start frothing milk with rapid hand movements. You need to move the mesh screen up and down, just touching the milk surface without reaching the glass bottom. Move the plunger for several seconds until you get the required froth.

If you follow these recommendations, you’ll get milk with persistent froth that won’t dissipate. Remove the plunger, stir your milk, and add it to your coffee.

I recommend that you pour the milk slowly and stir it evenly. Use it immediately after frothing because it is prone to layering over time.

This is one of the most convenient and classic methods for frothing milk at home.