How to Froth Milk with a Pannarello Wand

If you own an espresso machine like Gaggia 102534 Espresso-Color Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine or Philips Saeco HD8327/47 Poemia Top Espresso Machine with a pannarello wand, you might want to get some tips about how to froth using the pannarello wand, also known as the turbo frother. Actually, what you do is keeping the tip well below the surface of the milk, if it gets near the surface it’ll blast big hunks of air and that’ll make a mess with big bubbles and you’ll never get rid of them. We can always get a lot of questions from customers. For example, the first question likes this:
How to get a quality froth utilizing the Pannarello wand?

People will mention that they have a problem getting a creamy froth. They say they’re getting too much air on the froth and they don’t like that. So the top of the froth is cold while the milk underneath may be hot. But, they want to get more of a creamy texture. Some people call it micro froth which is important to get a good creamy froth because that’s the way the froth mixes with the espresso and you get a really creamy drink. The taste is fantastic. So that’s kind of what this article goal is today, to show you how to do that.

What do you need to know on how to froth?

Okay, it’s all about an air hole that is on the side of the Pannarello wand. It’s all a matter of, what you do is you want to inject just the right amount of air, but not too much. So at first you want to froth your milk. When you get enough froth you take your milk and you actually cover up the air hole and there’re no longer sucking air in so it’s not frothing it’s merely heating. So it’s all about timing, making sure you know when to cover the air hole up. There are many styles on lots of different machines. You see it’s all about the air intake hole on that

Step by step

First, you always want to use cold milk. Cold milk always froths best, always do your frothing, which is air injecting when the milk is at its coldest. And you also want to be careful how much milk you put in the pitcher, if you over fill it, it’ll overflow the pitcher or we won’t be able to get it hot enough. So we’ll get about a third full, which is, which would be right about there. And you also want to know that pitcher size is important. If you’re doing a larger one, obviously you want a bigger pitcher, a smaller or one drink, you use a smaller pitcher.

Then, what if you don’t put enough milk in the pitcher, is that going to cause problems as well? If you don’t put enough milk, it won’t cover the air hole soon enough maybe and you might get too much air in the froth. Okay. So you do want to be a little bit cautious about that.

Last, like with all machines, you constantly want to purge any water out of the wand. All have a little different technique. Put the tip well below the surface. Open the steam knob and it’ll start frothing.

How hot do you want to make the milk?

Never over 160 degrees, after that it’s gonna lose all its flavor and it’s not going to be good. I like it about 140, and that’s a nice temperature. When you see the milk’s expanding, you should feel the bottom of the pitcher, get the temperature there.

With this tip, you’ll have all the froth I want, cover the hole, and it’s not going to froth anymore. The hole was right there. Now it’s going to heat the milk. Now if you put your hand on the bottom of the pitcher you feel it, when it gets really hot with the palm of your hand you know you’re about at 160, but I’m a little less than that, cause I like it less than that, but you can see the froth there. You can swoosh it up a little bit, and I always like to swoosh it up a little bit like this before I pour it. Now, that’s a nice froth and it’s extremely easy to do. Then, let’s brew a nice espresso here, and milk’s been sitting for a couple minutes there while you brewed the espresso. So you just need to swish it up to keep it nice and creamy. I’m sure it’ll give you a wonderful flavor.

How to Froth Milk with a Pannarello Wand