Ahhh....those are great suggestions. I tried them and shot the following video:




Normally, I start with the tip submerged then turn on the steam but it's a little hard to shoot the video and steam milk one handed.

Do I need to sink the tip more? Tilt the jug more/less?

It looks like you need more steam power? Are you above 1? If you are then there should be more milk swirling going on.

The motion looks correct. You can clearly see the rolling milk in the back of the pitcher. You may try surfing the tip just a hair higher at the beginning so you incorporate more air and get more microfoam, but you have it. Now it is an issue of practice but you are almost there.

I just did another video with my lever machine, another shot and milk frothing. I will edit them tonight and post them to my lever thread in the lever machine forum.

I'm still getting hit and miss results steaming with my Vetrano as well, but something occurred to me today that may be a total newbie question and I just had to ask:

Do you always steam milk the same way regardless of what type of drink you're making? Do you steam differently for a latte and a cappuccino, or is the milk just poured differently to deliver more or less foam?

Thanks,

Andrew

No, the milk for a cappuccino has a longer stretching period to allow for the introduction of more air. That translates into a higher temperature transition point between different drinks. I don't use a thermometer nowadays, but for cappuccinos the stretching phase continues in earnest until 100F (some claim as high as 140F) and only 80F for lattes.

From listening to your video's soundtrack, I agree with Dave, the wand is positioned about 2-3mm too low during the initial stretch (really I'm not joking, "the zone" is really that small). If you haven't done so, try storing the pitcher in the freezer. It adds 10-15 seconds of stretch time.

For lattes, and my pitiful attempt at art, I find anything beyond 80F too dry and viscous. It just does not pour as nicely for me. I usually stop around 70-80F. For cappuccinos it is about another 3 seconds to develop the thicker head. I have never tried stretching to 140F. I would think you would end up with something like Starbuck's dry, arid, I am drinking sawdust, foam.

I just uploaded a frothing session on my lever machine in the lever machine forum.

Glad to know I'm on the right track.

I read about the hint to stretch less than you think, but I'll gradually increase the stretch position.

The pitcher is a 12oz pitcher, stored in the freezer. That video was with skim milk (it was expired so I was going to throw it out, anyway), but I usually use 2%.

Back to practicing (and looking at CF's video).

Sure...rub it in, CF

Well, it was not intended to be a taunt. If you look closely at the tip, you will see a very tiny dark spot. That is where the top hole in the steam wand is just barely breaching the surface, or rather the force of the steam coming from that top steam wand hole creating a very teeny tiny vortex at the end of the steam tip. That is where the air is introduced into the milk. Same rolling action you were getting, but the tip is just a hair higher in the milk.

Once you get the hang of it, microfoam will become second nature. You will wonder why it was so hard to get the hang of. You can froth milk in almost any container once you learn you machine, hence the McDonald's cup.

Oh crap!! I just broke the first rule of coffee roasting, pay attention and don't get distracted. I just incinerated a batch of Brazil Poco Fundo while typing this.