How to make chai latte with basic kitchen utensils?

[julian_thebomb]

I've been trying to create a chai tea latte at home and tried for the first time yesterday. It was terrible. I tried today whirling around the milk in a non- stick saucepan and using 1 chai teabag, some caramel and vanilla powder(nestle) and although the fragrance was nice the all-important milk was still rubbish. I been using Semi-skimmed and I don't have any steaming gear at home. I'm a uni student so I'm not out to buy an expensive machine I hardly use. Does anyone know how I can make a beautiful chai latte at home with basic kitchen utensils?

[HB]

I hear you, my wife is really into chai lattes.

Frothing milk for this drink is no different than for a regular latte, but that of course assumes you have an espresso machine (if you do, Jim provides good instructions on frothing milk). One option worth considering is a stove top frother. I wouldn't call it part of basic kitchen utensils, but it's not an overly expensive accessory. Compared to a good espresso machine, the steam will be wet, but with practice I think it would work reasonably well. Another option I would not recommend are the frothing devices that whip air into the milk. The least expensive look like a narrow French press with a fine mesh; you push the plunger up and down and it injects air into the milk, producing a bland, dry froth. Others have a little "whip" that beats the milk like you beat eggs for a souffle. They suffer the same problem - looks good, tastes boring.

BTW, you may want to check second hand stores for "steam toy" espresso machines (the Krups type that uses steam pressure instead of a pump to brew the espresso). They usually sell for next to nothing used, but steam surprisingly well. To steam, such units need a small metal disk that goes atop the portafilter to block off the brew exit (a blind basket of sorts); if it's a used machine, that's frequently misplaced, so check before you buy...