Due to my cappuccino and latte frothing addiction as of late I'm looking to see how I can improve my frothing skills...

I use a Dalla Corte Mini (which has a separate steam boiler)...

I use half-fat milk (would whole-milk be better??)

The problem I have sometimes (more often than not) is that when I froth the milk, I get nice microfoam (although it tends to be quite stiff / difficult to pour)... but at the very bottom there's still "normal" - unfrothed - milk in the pitcher...
so when I start the to pour (although my pouring of milk isn't very good yet) there first comes out a good bit of unsteamed milk.

what I can do is to swirl the milkfoam a little and then the foamy stuff flows better into the cup, but not without first "milk-filling" the coffee...

Sometimes I manage to get almost 100% foam (especially since changing the tip to a 4-hole 1,2mm)... but it's still inconsistent and I'm not too sure on the WHY or the HOW.

any input highly appreciated.

keep in mind - my ultimate frothing-goal is lovely latte art...

thanks


Daniel

It sounds like you need to do some remixing. While this is far from an exceptional pour, my entry for Latte Art Challenge(d) demonstrates:

your description of "stiff" foam with milk underneath indicates that you have dramatically over-stretched your milk.

you need to only stretch until the milk is:
a - no longer cold (latte)
b - starting to warm (capp)

at that point you need to steam, not stretch, the milk until it reaches your desired temp (I tend to suggest beginners shoot for a lower temp - say 135f).

throughout, make sure that the tip doesn't break the surface (producing big-ass bubbles), and aim for the creation of a whirlpool like vortex within the pitcher.

Um, if your foam is stiff, it is not microfoam.

As the others have stated, it sounds like you are stretching the milk too long. It normally only takes 10-15 seconds of stretching on a typical home machine, big boiler machines take even less time. You may not be getting a good rolling vortex in the pitcher as well. If the milk is not really rolling in the pitcher it will not fully incorporate. Try stretching less, find the wand/pitcher angle that gets the milk rolling vigorously in the pitcher and stop steaming around 135-140F.

Thanks for all the insight provided here!

matter of fact I got a much better idea now about what I should be doing and what not

but I need MORE MILK

best

Daniel

Thanks again...

after steaming well over a liter of milk (or was that closer to two? ) since my previous post here I finally made it: MICROFOAM

That paint-like stuff... makes your coffee really more "fluffy", different tasting...

The main "issue" was speed.... I really did steam the stuff far too long in fear of not getting foam...
but I guess I really underestimated the Dalla Corte Mini with her dedicated steam boiler here...


Now I can start working on the actual pouring... and maybe in a couple of months I'll even get latte art.... who knows.