what i do is steam at an angle! so i’ll tilt the pitcher to the left while doing the paper tearing sounds so that a vortex is created inside the pitcher and it usually eliminates all the bubbles. also i like the keep an eye on the temp, i find that 20 degrees is the perfect. after steaming you can tap the pitcher on the counter and then swirl the pitcher to make sure it eliminates all the surface bubbles. i usually do this until i see that the milk has a glossy finish to it!

the newer machines steam like crazy. it's hard to get good foam while in a rush. I've had the best luck holding the pitcher the whole time and getting a good whirlwind.

Our steam wands are fairly “automatic” so you really only need to aerate for a couple of seconds (listen for that paper-tear sound). You’d obviously aerate longer for cappuccinos/more foam, but then you can put the pitcher down on the machine to let the steam wand do it’s thing. The milk should be making a sort of whirlpool spin in the pitcher. You’ll know you’re good when there is NO loud screeching noises, bubbling sounds, etc... you never want that sound; it should be pretty quiet.

Once you’re done steaming, give your milk a couple of light taps on the counter to get rid of any small bubbles that may rise to the surface and swirl the milk until it looks glossy like wet paint. Cappuccinos are going to be more foamy ofc but it should STILL be glossy and thick with no LARGE bubbles. I recommend looking up milk steaming and grooming videos on YouTube; even though most of them are for more traditional manual steam wands you can adapt the same process and techniques to get excellent quality drinks! Also practice with whole milk when it’s slow bc whole milk is so much easier/more forgiving and has a beautiful texture 🥰

I know we’re ~supposed~ to aerate the top for about 3 seconds then submerge the wand and let it do it’s thing BUT I get perfect milk when I kinda aerate from the top and move the cup up and down slightly to submerge the wander deeper and then back toward the top just up and down a little for about 6 seconds and then fully submerge and let it do it’s own thing. Idk if that makes sense but I feel rather than trying to get it perfect in one shot I have a bit more control over it that way.

Also, your milk should not be loud. If it begins to make noise while steaming, grab the cup and pull it down a bit so that the wand is near the top of the milk and you can get a bit more air into it. It should sound more like hot tub jets than a whistle if that makes sense 😂

I agree with what other people said about grooming the milk by tapping and swirling but that works best if it is steamed well first. Overall, don’t stress it too much because it’s one of those things you’ll just get the hang of.

Remember when you first started driving and it was SO hard to park perfectly between the lines? But now you know your car and you just slide right into a spot with little focus. You will get to know your machine and be able to just do it without much thought someday soon ☺️