The Milky Coffee Hack You Have to Try

Who doesn’t love a decadent frothy, milky coffee drink? I won’t lie, I usually drink my coffee without milk but there is something so comforting about a nice creamy cappuccino. Sometimes you just want that comfort. Nay, sometimes you need that comfort. Only problem is that I don’t have a milk frother…Which is where this awesome hack comes in. All you really need is a French press!

I can’t remember where I saw this but basically you can froth your own milk by aggressively pumping your French press. Is this good for your French press? Yeah, probably not hey, but it’s worth it. Questionable priorities aside, let’s get into the process.

milky frothy coffee

Everything You Need to Make the Milky Coffee Drink of Your Dreams

moka pot on stove

Well, first of all, this is a coffee drink so unsurprisingly: you need something to make coffee. Use whatever you prefer but I would recommend something that makes a strong shot. A Moka pot or an Aeropress does an awesome job. Do I need to state the obvious at this point and say you also need the actual coffee? Nah, surely not. For this, I’m using the Cape Classic Rwanda from Clay Pigeon Trading but you can honestly use whatever coffee you like.

Next, you will need some milk. It doesn’t matter if it’s regular cows milk or a milk alternative but I will say that oat milk does  mighty fine job. For this one, we used OKJA Oat M*lk. Just something to look out for is that the fat content is important for getting that delicious smooth froth, so I wouldn’t recommend using a low-fat milk for this.

Lastly, you will need your trusty French press and a pot to warm up the milk.

Step By Step Guide

1. Get That Milk Nice and Steamy

Go ahead and put some milk in a pot and pop it on the stove. Make sure you’ve got a decent amount of milk in there because if you have too little, it won’t froth properly. You want to go for a low to medium heat so you can keep an eye on it. Burnt milk is the worst!

You’re aiming for about 65°C on the milk. At that point, you will be dealing with milk that has enough denatured protein to hold a stable foam but you won’t have scorched it to give it a horrible taste. Also, our perception of sweetness is usually best at around 60°C. Meaning that it will probably taste really sweet if you hit the right temperature.

milk and coffee laid out

Obviously, doing this with a thermometer would be best but I know we don’t always have that handy. So the best advice I can give is to get to a point where there is lots of steam coming off of the milk but it isn’t boiling or bubbling or anything like that. Doing a taste test is always a good option as well. If the milk is hot and it tastes nice and sweet, you’re probably good.

heating milk

2. Take Care of the Coffee

It’s time to get your coffee sorted while the milk is heating up. Keep in mind that this is really about how you personally like your coffee. If you like 90% milk with 10% instant coffee, that’s your call. Just get it ready for whatever strength you’re going for.

3. Ya No It’s Arm Day, Brew

pouring the coffee

Once your milk is heated up, transfer it to your French press and pump away. It shouldn’t take too long for it to get all frothy. When you can see a decent amount of frothiness in your milk, you can take the top off and you’ll probably see some pretty large bubbles on top. These large bubbles aren’t really what will give you the best cup so we’re going to try get rid of them to end up with a nice smooth, creamy texture.

The best-case scenario is a texture that looks like wet paint but that’s pretty unlikely when you’re working with a French press instead of a proper milk frother. 

However, you can get quite close by swirling the milk around a little and tapping the French press on the counter. You can also pour the frothed milk back and forth between the pot and french press. This should get rid of most of the big bubbles to give a much smoother milk texture. 

4. Latte Art or Latta Practise Needed

Now for the fun part! You’re going to pour the smooth, frothy milk into your cup that already has your coffee in it. Try starting to pour from high up and then finish with the milk being poured close to your coffee mug. 

Now all that’s left to do is enjoy your coffee!

clay pigeon coffee
girl drinking coffee
cappucino on wood board

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