Steam milk

Steam and hot water (the manual)

The manual's steps.

1. Check steam is enabled and up to temperature on the display.
2. Open the steam lever for about 3 seconds into the drip tray to clear the water.
3. Put the tip under the surface of the milk and open the steam lever. Keep the tip under while steaming.
4. Close it, purge into the drip tray, and wipe the wand with a soft microfibre cloth.
5. For hot water, hold a container with a heat-proof handle under the nozzle, open the hot-water lever, and close it to stop.
6. Leave the hot-water wand over the drip tray.

For a large amount of hot water, switch the machine off first so cold water is not pumped in. It refills the boiler at switch-on. For better foam, see the perfect milk.

Stretch the milk

ECM's "Tips for proper milk frothing", from the manual.

1. Use cold, fresh milk, about 1.5 % or 3 % fat. Homogenised milk is fine.
2. Use a metal jug of at least 0.5 litre, narrow and tall rather than wide.
3. Open the steam lever for about 5 seconds into the drip tray, to clear the water and get dry steam.
4. Fill the jug a third full. Hold the tip in the middle of the jug, just below the surface.
5. Open the steam lever slowly and keep the jug still.
6. After a few seconds you hear a light sucking sound: that is the foam forming. Lower the jug as the milk rises, keeping the tip just under the surface.

Finish and polish

Still ECM's tips.

1. When you have enough foam, sink the whole tip into the milk for a moment.
2. Close the steam lever.
3. Tap the jug on the worktop, then swirl it, to bring large bubbles up and leave a compact, smooth foam.
4. Purge a little steam into the drip tray so the tip holes do not clog.
5. Wipe the wand with a slightly damp cloth.

The manual: milk proteins froth up to about 65 °C; above that the milk does not froth any further, so make the foam early and finish heating with the tip sunk.

ECM Synchronika II: every job