How to Steam Milk

Is there anything more exciting than New Espresso Machine Day? This blog post will provide an outline on how to steam milk on your Rancilio Homeline espresso machine.

How to Steam Milk  

  1. Prepare Your Milk: Pour cold milk into a steaming pitcher, filling it to about a finger’s width beneath the base of the spout. 
  2. Purge the Steam Wand: Before each use, purge the steam wand by turning the steam knob on and off to remove any condensation or sitting water. We recommend wrapping a towel around the wand to block steam and avoid getting burned. 
  3. Position the Wand: Using the spout of your pitcher as a guide, fully submerge the tip of the steam wand below the surface of the milk. Then, tilt your pitcher to an angle so the tip of the steam wand lies between the center and the wall of the jug. 
  4. Steam Your Milk:
    • Turn the steam wand on to full power. 
    • Lower the jug slightly to let in small amounts of air. This incorporates air bubbles into the milk. This will ideally sound like a slight ripping sound - screeching will indicate that there is either too much air or not enough. Note: the more air you incorporate during this stage, the foamier your milk will be.
    • Once you have enough foam, fully submerge the steam wand tip beneath the surface and create a whirlpool in your pitcher to incorporate the air into the entire amount of milk. You can do this by angling the steam tip towards the wall of the jug. This stage of steaming can be referred to as ‘polishing’ your milk.
    • Once you have reached your desired temperature, turn off the steam wand, and remove the wand from the milk. 
  5. Clean the Steam Wand: Purge the steam wand again to clear any milk from inside the wand, and wipe down the outside of the wand with a damp towel to clean.
  6. Final Finishes: Tap the milk on a flat surface to break up any large air bubbles, then swirl it around to make it glossy before pouring. 

 

Steaming on the Silvia Classic

The Silvia Classic is a single boiler, this means you cannot steam while pulling a shot of espresso. This is because the single boiler has to switch temperatures and functionality between the two brewing modes.

To steam milk on the Silvia Classic, you will press the steam button to the 'ON' position. The red light by the brew button will indicate the boiler is not yet ready. When the light switches to green, the steam boiler is ready for use. Using the steam knob, you can start steaming. 

You can either pull your espresso shot before or after steaming. We recommend steaming first, as there will be less time waiting for the temperature change. You will just need to make sure the steam button is 'OFF' before pulling your espresso.

 

Steaming on the Silvia Pro X

The Silvia Pro X features dual boilers which means that you can steam milk and pull espresso shot simultaneously. This feature is helpful for better bar flow, back-to-back drinks, and a beautiful finish on your latte!

To make sure your steam boiler is on and up to temperature before steaming your milk, confirm that the light above the steam knob is lit and not flashing. If it's not lit, you need to switch the steam boiler to the 'ON' position. The steam button is found on the left side of the front of your machine, in between the coffee and water buttons. Once turned on, the small light above the steam knob will begin flashing. When the light is a solid glow, that means the steam boiler has reached the correct temperature and is ready for use. The light may also start flashing when it needs a minute to come up to temperature after steaming a number of drinks back-to-back.