Milk Frothing in a McDonald's Hot Cup
- Compass Coffee
- Sponsor
Cool. One question, what are you doing with a McDonald's coffee cup




Mike McGinness, Head Bean (Owner/Roast Master)
http://www.CompassCoffeeRoasting.com
http://www.CompassCoffeeRoasting.com
- cannonfodder (original poster)
- Team HB
I am the local IT manager for one of McDonalds largest distribution companies. We cover 9 states in the US, a good part of the Asia Pacific rim, Australia, the UK, south America, and the list goes on.
So I use their hot cups to pull shots into and froth. No pitchers to wash or cups to clean, I just toss them in the trash when I am finished. That machine and a Mazzer Mini are in my office, so the front office smells wonderful most of the day. I especially enjoy it when we have a tour of the facility and they stop by my office to introduce me. I get a lot of shocked faces, oooo, aaaa's when they get a whiff of the aroma lofting from my office.
I have tried latte art, but the best I can manage is a simple apple. You can squeeze the sides together to get a pseudo spout, but it just doesn't work. That is OK though, I will drink blobs all day long as long as they are tasty.
It was just a demonstration of microfoaming as there have been a lot of questions about it lately. Once you get the hang of it, you can froth in almost any container.
So I use their hot cups to pull shots into and froth. No pitchers to wash or cups to clean, I just toss them in the trash when I am finished. That machine and a Mazzer Mini are in my office, so the front office smells wonderful most of the day. I especially enjoy it when we have a tour of the facility and they stop by my office to introduce me. I get a lot of shocked faces, oooo, aaaa's when they get a whiff of the aroma lofting from my office.
I have tried latte art, but the best I can manage is a simple apple. You can squeeze the sides together to get a pseudo spout, but it just doesn't work. That is OK though, I will drink blobs all day long as long as they are tasty.
It was just a demonstration of microfoaming as there have been a lot of questions about it lately. Once you get the hang of it, you can froth in almost any container.
Dave Stephens
Thats quite cool, though I have to confess that the professional in me is inwardly yelling "Wipe the steam wand!" at the end there....
Sorry - I am like a nagging mother.....
Sorry - I am like a nagging mother.....
- HB
- Admin
That's funny, I thought the same thing.King Seven wrote:Thats quite cool, though I have to confess that the professional in me is inwardly yelling "Wipe the steam wand!" at the end there....

Dan Kehn
- cannonfodder (original poster)
- Team HB
What do you think I did the moment after I hit the record stop button?
Dave Stephens
I have no doubt you did, and it is probably more a comment on my inability to switch off from training mode!
OK, true confession: I know it's cheating but sometimes I'm just in a hurry for a cappa and I do the same thing- grab a coffee mug, pour in cold whole milk and then steam/stretch it right in the cup. Pull my double shot directly into that cup of nice velvety steamed milk, give it a slight stir and call it a day-
If cannonfodder can steam in a McDonalds cup, then I should be allowed to steam in one of the S*bucks coffee cups we have laying around the kitchen!...

If cannonfodder can steam in a McDonalds cup, then I should be allowed to steam in one of the S*bucks coffee cups we have laying around the kitchen!...


In fact - that hot cup is not all that different from a straight walled pitcher, is it?
I think i will go to md's and ask for a cup of water - in a hot cup -
I think i will go to md's and ask for a cup of water - in a hot cup -