Grind size chart
Which grind for which brewer, from Turkish to cold brew.
Milk Steaming Calculator
How much milk, which pitcher, and what temperature to stop at. Pick a drink and get the numbers.
milk
Espresso in the drinkg
Steam to60 °C
Milk to steam
70 g
Start with 80 g — steaming adds about 10% volume in foam.
Espresso36 g
Milk70 g
Pitcher350 ml
Stop at60 °C
Total drink106 g
45 °C556575 °C
Pull the pitcher just before the target temperature — carry-over heat adds about 2 °C after you stop.
Why temperature matters so much
Milk sweetness peaks around 60–65 °C. Below that the lactose has not broken down enough and the foam tastes thin; the protein structure has not set and the foam collapses. Above 70 °C the whey proteins denature, the milk tastes cooked and slightly eggy, and the foam goes stiff and dry.
Stop steaming at 58–62 °C for a latte or flat white. The pitcher will keep heating after you shut the steam off, so pull it early rather than late.
Pitcher size rule of thumb
Fill the pitcher to just below the spout's base — roughly 40–50% of its rated volume. That leaves headroom for the vortex and the foam to expand without spilling. Steaming 90 ml in a 600 ml pitcher means the steam wand has nothing to work against and the milk spins too freely; steaming 400 ml in a 350 ml pitcher means it overflows.
| Pitcher | Milk to add | Makes |
|---|---|---|
| 350 ml | 100–170 ml | One cortado or flat white |
| 600 ml | 180–300 ml | One latte or two flat whites |
| 1000 ml | 350–500 ml | Two to three drinks |
Steaming, in order
- Purge the wand for a second to clear condensed water.
- Introduce air early — tip just under the surface for 2–4 seconds, listening for a gentle tearing sound, not a roar.
- Bury the tip and create a rolling vortex until the side of the pitcher is too hot to hold for more than a second or two.
- Stop, wipe immediately, swirl the pitcher to collapse any large bubbles and keep the foam integrated.
Oat milk and other plant milks need slightly less air and stop a degree or two cooler — they scorch at lower temperatures than dairy.
Frequently asked
What temperature should I steam milk to?
60–65 °C for dairy. Stop at 58–60 °C and let carry-over finish the job. Plant milks do better at 55–60 °C.
How much milk for a flat white?
Roughly twice the weight of the espresso — 36 g of espresso takes about 70–75 g of milk. A latte runs about four times the espresso weight.
Why does my milk foam look dry and bubbly?
Too much air introduced late in the steam, or the milk got too hot. Introduce air in the first few seconds only, then keep a tight vortex. If the foam separates, the milk was over-stretched.
Coffee ratio chart
Nine brew methods, dose and water in grams. Printable.
Basket size chart
Correct dose for every espresso basket size.
Starting from the espresso side?
Get your dose and yield right first — the milk only has to match it.