<p>It's just a matter of tradition, style and skill. Traditionally the thick, hard foam with bigger bubbles is used in Italy for Cappuccini. Same goes for espresso macchiato. Sometimes the milk foam is spooned on top of the espresso. In other countries they often imitated italian style coffee, which is why e.g. in Germany the foam is usually very thick as well. In Australia they developed italian coffee culture further and usually froth more silky (and make flat whites with it).</p>

<p>When it comes to skill, it is much harder to produce silky foam than the "traditional" foam. You have to start with cold milk, then introduce air at first, but also not too much and lastly spin the milk/foam mixture to break up big bubbles and to work the froth into the milk. In order to do all that you have to get the depth of the spout in the milk right, you have to get the angles right and you have to be careful not to heat the milk too much, because otherwise the foam will become too thick and hard (and the milk will get bitter). For the thicker foam you can basically just put the pitcher under the steam wand, let it sit for a while and come back. Not gonna be pretty what you fine there, but it works.</p>

<p>Third wave and specialty coffee shops usually froth the milk to a silky texture, so called micro foam. That's a different style and there several reasons for it why it is done that way. The most important one is that the taste is superior. Frothed milk above 70 degrees starts tasting bitter. Most specialty coffee barista probably froth the milk to somewhere between 62 and 64 degrees. That way you get a sweet taste and micro-foam. For the thicker foam you would need higher temperatures and thus destroy the taste of the milk.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-27T09:53:39.673Z
2018-04-27T09:53:39.673Z
avocado1
<p>I have been visiting various cafes and type of milk foam varies each and every time whether it's normal or silky(that's what I got to know from one of the barista)  make me think about the type of foams that goes with types of coffee. </p>

<p>Is there any such thing or it depends on various cafes and barista's way of making coffee?</p>

<foamed-milk><froth>
What kind of Foam goes best with types of coffee?
The Hungry Dictator
# What kind of Foam goes best with types of coffee?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-04-27)

I have been visiting various cafes and type of milk foam varies each and every time whether it's normal or silky(that's what I got to know from one of the barista) make me think about the type of foams that goes with types of coffee.

Is there any such thing or it depends on various cafes and barista's way of making coffee?

**Tags:** foamed-milk, froth


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-04-27. Score: 2

It's just a matter of tradition, style and skill. Traditionally the thick, hard foam with bigger bubbles is used in Italy for Cappuccini. Same goes for espresso macchiato. Sometimes the milk foam is spooned on top of the espresso. In other countries they often imitated italian style coffee, which is why e.g. in Germany the foam is usually very thick as well. In Australia they developed italian coffee culture further and usually froth more silky (and make flat whites with it).

When it comes to skill, it is much harder to produce silky foam than the "traditional" foam. You have to start with cold milk, then introduce air at first, but also not too much and lastly spin the milk/foam mixture to break up big bubbles and to work the froth into the milk. In order to do all that you have to get the depth of the spout in the milk right, you have to get the angles right and you have to be careful not to heat the milk too much, because otherwise the foam will become too thick and hard (and the milk will get bitter). For the thicker foam you can basically just put the pitcher under the steam wand, let it sit for a while and come back. Not gonna be pretty what you fine there, but it works.

Third wave and specialty coffee shops usually froth the milk to a silky texture, so called micro foam. That's a different style and there several reasons for it why it is done that way. The most important one is that the taste is superior. Frothed milk above 70 degrees starts tasting bitter. Most specialty coffee barista probably froth the milk to somewhere between 62 and 64 degrees. That way you get a sweet taste and micro-foam. For the thicker foam you would need higher temperatures and thus destroy the taste of the milk.


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