Sometimes I like to have a milky frothy coffee drink, but I don’t have an expensive milk steamer. I also don’t have the time to wait for the milk to heat up on the stove, and I definitely don’t have the arm strength (read: ambition) to whisk away at it to create the froth.
Long ago, our friends at The Kitchn shared a simple way to create milk froth without any of the above. I gave it a whirl, and even though it might not be your classiest foam, it definitely fit the bill for me.
Now that the weather has cooled down, I want milky frothy drinks reintroduced to my mornings. It also reminded me that I never shared this trick with you. So, here you have it! Go enjoy your milky frothy drink, and while you’re at it, try it out with this pumpkin spice syrup when making your pumpkin spice latte. 🙂
- Milk , as much as you typically use in your cup of coffee (or half and half, whipping cream, etc.)
- Mason jar with lid
- Microwave
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Pour milk into mason jar, filling no more than halfway. Secure the lid and shake for 30 seconds. Remove the lid and microwave for another 30 seconds. Using a spoon to hold back the foam, pour the milk into your cup of coffee. Scoop the foam on top. Enjoy!
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Source: The Kitchn
This is amazing! I LOVE frothy milk, but cannot rationalize going to a coffee shop just to get it – I will definitely be trying this!
Man, I can’t believe I’m wishing I had a microwave- that almost never happens! 🙂 Great tip, though.
Awesome trick! Crazy that you can make frothy milk that way…who knew? FYI, Ikea sells this amazing little $2 tool that will totally froth your milk in less than a minute and its probably smaller than your garlic press so fits nicely into a drawer. I just discovered it and its my new favorite gadget! The only thing it can’t do is warm the milk, so its still cool, but after you add the coffee, there’s no waiting for it to cool down, its perfectly drinkable right away! PS I adore your blog
How does the metal lid of a mason jar react in a microwave?
Mandi,
The directions state to remove the lid for the microwave.
Wear safety goggles before trying it.
Pressure will build up radidly as the foam expands. Liquid will force it’s way out violently through the thinnest of escape channels in the lid’s threads. But if the expansion is more rapid then the escape channels permit, the jar will explode with liquid and glass flying all over.
Hi Michael,
Again, as stated in the directions of the recipe, the lid is removed before microwaving. Please do not microwave the milk and jar with the lid on. Thank you.
I was very upset to find that I ruined my nice microwave trying this. The directions to remove the lid were not clear enough and it lit my microwave on fire. 10/10 would not recommend. Major safety violation. This is one unhappy reader.
Hi John, I’m sorry this happened to you. The directions do clearly state to remove the lid.
I cannot wait to try this! Thanks for sharing such a handy tip.
The frother on my espresso machine is a pain in the butt, so I’m looking forward to trying this! Thanks for sharing.
I finally got around to trying this, and it is awesome! Totally works and is my new favorite thing 🙂 Thanks!
Nice! Thanks for sharing! I’ll definitely be using this “recipe” in the near future 😉 On my hot chocolate, though. I’m not too much of a coffee drinker.
DOES NOT WORK!! Don’t waste your time with this.
It absolutely does work and I’ve been drinking cappuccino at home for the past 15 years, and I don’t own a cappuccino machine. You must have done something wrong. You MUST SHAKE THE CONTAINER FOR AT LEAST 2 minutes, ignore the instructions above. When you remove the lid to put in the microwave you should already see the milk foam in the container. You could use it at that point but it’s better to heat and add some air to the foam so it expands. I also chill my milk prior to shaking in the freezer for 3 minutes. Don’t know what the chemical reaction does, but it seems to make more foam. Give it another try using my tips and you won’t be disappointed. I also don’t use a fancy mason jar, just the large plastic deli containers work perfectly. If you are bothered by microwaving in plastic, you can transfer the shaken foam to any other TALL container. THE TALLER THE CONTAINER THE MORE MILK FOAM.
Maybe Anonymous doesn’t know how to use a microwave properly. I just did this and it worked great. I can’t believe how many hours I have spent agonizing and comparing reviews of milk frothers. Thank goodness I am too cheap to actually buy one. Do you knw what happens if you keep it in the microwave longer? It is just that my milk and froth was a little cooler than i wanted and I had to put the cocoa back in the microwave after I used it.
I haven’t tried longer. If you do, come back and let us know how it turned out! 🙂
Does it matter if it’s a pint or quart jar?
Hi Matt,
I think either one would work depending on how much milk you’re using. 🙂
No need for a fancy mason jar. I simply use the large plastic containers from the deli. I add about 1 cup of milk. Chill it in freezer from 2 minutes, and then shake for 2 minutes and microwave. You will have enough foamed milk for two cups.
TIP: When you microwave MAKE SURE TO AND REMOVE THE LID AND WATCH CLOSELY. The reason is the as the milk heats up, it adds air to the milk-foam causing it to rise. If not watched, the milk will rise out of the container and spill all over the floor of your microwave, tip from experience.
What if I use a battery handheld wand frother—are u saying only 30 seconds of using this in cold whole milk poured into a glass beaker, then 30 secs in microwave, will substitute for shaking it in a mason jar? I have a Kuerig machine with minimum setting of 4 ounces—so that’s a quadruple espresso —and I’m trying to still figure out how much milk to start with to make/fake a macchiato …is it a 1:1 ratio of milk and foam to coffee, or a 2:1 ratio.
Wow, This looks yummy recipe. I will try it for sure. Can I ask you what kind of milk frother is perfect for making this recipe? Thanks in advance for giving me the information.
The recipe is for using a jar, not a frother. Thanks.