cimarronEric wrote:Milk steaming thermometers all seem to have a red line on 140° and a green zone from 150-160°, the idea being that you stop when it hits 140 and will carry into the green zone. My experience with customers is they virtually all want their hot drinks HOT (if not "can you make that extra hot?"....) rather than tasty.
I agree that milk drinks are much better in the 120° range - sweeter and more clear.

mfogliet wrote: My concern is the bad internet advice to target a high temperature that takes away from the best taste experience.

In this case, "Bad internet advice" appears to mainly be rooted in what folks in the commercial world must do - another instance of what works in a business setting isn't the best practice for the home. My son the *bucks barista reports that their milk temp target (for all drinks apparently) is 160F. Enough said.

VisionScientist wrote: I should really start using a thermometer to better calibrate myself.

Quite right. Is isn't very hard to learn what a given reading feels like. It's fun and useful to check yourself with the thermometer once in a while to see if you've "drifted". I found I had a tendency to unconsciously wander up the temperature scale over time.

earlgrey_44 wrote:My son the *bucks barista reports that their milk temp target (for all drinks apparently) is 160F.

All drinks *unless the customer specifies. You can get an extra hot (190F) or a kids drink (130F). Otherwise, yes. All drinks are steamed to 160F.

earlgrey_44 wrote:It's fun and useful to check yourself with the thermometer once in a while to see if you've "drifted".

This is how I suspect most baristas do it. Go by feel and taste and every once in a while, maybe based on a taste flaw or while training, check your final temperature with a thermometer.