Mastering your at-home coffee machine is the key to a good brew in the morning, but having the same control over your manual milk steamer wand can sometimes take just as much, if not more, work.
That's why, if you love milky coffees (or even just entertaining those who do), you should think about your choice of milk frother from the beginning of your coffee machine buying journey too.
I've tested dozens of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines for Ideal Home in the last few years and the one thing all of my favourites have in common is a solid built-in milk steamer. If you love lattes and cappuccinos as much as I do, then these are the mistakes you should avoid even before buy your coffee machine as well as after you have it in your kitchen in order to keep the hot drinks flowing seamlessly.
1. Picking the wrong machine
As someone with the great privilege of testing coffee machines for a living, it's an unfortuante truth that my latte art skills are very much lacking. I use the Sage Barista Express Impress everyday for my morning coffee, which has a great manual steam wand, but my microfoam is not really there (thanks wholly to user incompetence).
So, if getting the perfect latte texture is essential to you, then you have three options.
Either learn the barista-level skills you need, opt for an automatic machine (such as Ideal Home's top-rated version, the De'Longhi Rivelia) or get a semi-automatic version with a steamer that does the work for you. In particular, when I tried the Ninja Luxe Café, I absolutely loved its automatic frothing abilities and for its price, it's a total bargain.
I've laid out machines that exemplify those three options below.
This is Sage's most affordable machine – still loved years after its first release – with a manual frother so you can practice latte art to your hearts content. It's an espresso machine, so you'll need to use ground coffee here or invest in a separate grinder.
You can read our Sage Bambino review for the full details.
De'Longhi's exceptionally popular machine the Rivelia is made for those who love coffee convenience. With just the touch of a button, your morning latte can be made for you with zero fuss. Plus, personalised profiles on the machine make that process even easier.
You can read our De'Longhi Rivelia review for the full details.
If you still want to pull your own espresso shots, but you're less confident with milk steaming, this Ninja machine with an integrated automatic steamer will tick every possible box. It's also so easy to get used to – which is why it's my top recommendation for beginners.
You can read our Ninja Cafe Luxe review for the full details.
2. Allowing your milk to overheat
Once you have the right steam wand or milk frother to suit your drinks of choice, the next thing to get right is the process of steaming itself. This will be particularly important to anyone using a manual steam wand.
Stuart Wilson, founder of Lost Sheep Coffee (roasters of truly excellent coffee beans) identifies the biggest mistake people make when steaming milk as 'overheating it or introducing too much air.'
He goes onto say 'Milk should be silky and smooth, not burnt and bubbly. If it’s too hot, you lose that natural sweetness and end up with a flat, burnt taste.'
So how can you prevent that, even if you're still a home barista-in-training?
Stuart says to 'Aim for a temperature around 60–65°C (once its too hot to touch jug, remove hand and count to 5), and focus on creating a fine, velvety microfoam rather than big bubbles.'
'It’s all about control and consistency,' says Stuart. 'Less is often more when it comes to great milk texture. Get the milk spinning round in circles inside the jug and play with introducing air or no air into the milk from the wand. I always recommend Full Fat Milk or Barista Oat for best results.'
I definitely struggle to get the temperature of my milk exactly right from day-to-day. That's why I've been enjoying using a version with an integrated thermometer, like this one from Amazon for £12.31, as a visual guide.
3. Not cleaning it right away
Build-up on your steam wand can be a huge hindrance to the quality of your coffee at home. That's why it's a huge mistake to not stay on top of your cleaning routine.
Isabella Forgione, small appliances expert at AO.com, stresses the importance of cleaning your coffee machine and steam wand straight away.
'If your coffee machine has a milk frother or a steam wand then you’ll want to clean this after each use,' says Isabella. 'Never leave it sitting with dried-on milk as this can harden quickly and ruin the taste of future brews.'
Instead, Isabella advises 'Run a quick blast of steam into a jug of hot water then wipe the wand down with a damp cloth. If you think yours needs a deeper clean, then soak the tip in warm water with a little washing up liquid once a week.'
Getting into a schedule with your coffee machine cleaning in general is always a good idea, but don't forget about your milk frother if you want to keep your drinks top-tier.
With avoiding these mistakes in mind, you can hopefully master your at-home lattes as you never have before and keep yourself from spending money on takeaway coffees!
