Texturing extremely small amounts of milk

Kelsey

My wife has decided to cut back on the milk (we'll make an espresso lover of her yet) and this morning made a drink introduced to me by a London friend:

3/4 long black (hot water, then an espresso poured over it) + a little less than 100ml of milk.

Needless to say, I had a lot of MACRO froth going on!

My usually technique failed me - any pointers for working with such small amounts?

UNM

I can offer many suggestions. firstly - drink coffee, not milk. problem solved if you must drink milk, then just pour the required amount out the container into cup. tell her it is the latest gourmet coffee experience. If you need the milk warmed, zap in microwave for 20 seconds. If you need milk warm and textured,  then texture the amount that best suits your machine/jug/technique and pour excess down the drain. Current technology has resulted in cows that make gallons of the stuff. It is not in short supply. Why invent problems?

Kelsey

Aversion to waste, I suppose! My cunning plan is to get her onto the path I took - reduce milk, move to long blacks and finally into pure unadulterated espresso. Stage one is complete, but I still want to have some small opportunity to practice my dismally poor latte art.

Lacehim

Easy.  Don't steam it.  Just put a dash of cold milk in which will mellow the taste like a milk based drink.  Think Nescaf

UNM

so like I said, the only thing you change is, pour some down the sink. If you got something that works otherwise, change the simplest part

Kelsey

Fair enough! The milk is hard enou to get gift as it is - lactose free milk is a bugger to texture.

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1357520466:

My wife has decided to cut back on the milk (we'll make an espresso lover of her yet) and this morning made a drink introduced to me by a London friend: 3/4 long black (hot water, then an espresso poured over it) + a little less than 100ml of milk. Needless to say, I had a lot of MACRO froth going on! My usually technique failed me - any pointers for working with such small amounts?

I have on occasions needed to microfoam small amounts of milk On these occasions I found that tube like container was beneficial as a tube gives the milk greater depth

conikal

I make Piccolo's, so often i am texturing <100 ml ...its a bu66er ! But a small jug improves the results significantly. Try to use a small jug that you can fill  half full and if necessary block all except one of the steam tip holes ( or get a single hole tip ) Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Kelsey

I've been considering getting both a one-hole and a four-hole tip - I also have trouble texturing 700ml+ if I have guests! The tube's a good idea KK

Ronin

I'd start with a smaller jug and less steam. Same steam tip & adjust steam pressure down with the tap only, not the machine itself. Oh and remember to practice. Let us know how you go K

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1357594767:

I have on occasions needed to microfoam small amounts of milk On these occasions I found that tube like container was beneficial as a tube gives the milk greater depth

I should add to my above post The reason I mentioned a tube like vessel is because its similar to the small Ibrik I use just for this purpose An Ibrik comes in many different styles and one style is long narrow So if you purchase one you will have a multy purpose vessel to steam small amounts of milk and make Greek/Turkish coffee  :thumb: And it's easy to pour basic art with it as well KK

Seeya Latte

The lowest I can go with some level of confidence is 125-150ml in a 300ml jug(let) / any less and it's fun to watch

askthecoffeeguy

at home I've got a small but tall and narrow milk jug which rightly speaking is probably for cold milk as the spout is long, narrow, and 'restricted' which works wonders with smaller volumes of milk - something to do with allowing the milk to texture without the steam pressure overpowering the milk I guess... P

ringo

what do people use for long macs/short macs.  It's quite a waste of milk.

askthecoffeeguy

on 1362304997:

what do people use for long macs/short macs.  It's quite a waste of milk.

at work I try to make a cafe latte as well so that I have just enough milk or both and therefore no or minimal wastage p