Steamed milk is too bubbly or has large bubbles
Milk foam looks coarse and airy with visible large bubbles rather than smooth, glossy microfoam.
Applies to: Espresso machine, Cappuccino, Latte, Flat white
Safety note
The steam wand and the milk jug both get hot enough to burn skin quickly. Keep hands clear of the wand tip while steam is flowing, and use a cloth or handle rather than gripping the jug body directly once it's warm.
Likely causes and adjustments
Try one adjustment at a time so you know what actually changed the result. Start with the first cause below — if it doesn't help, reveal the next.
Cause 1 of 2 · Commonly the cause
Air introduced too aggressively or for too long
Does the foam look coarse from early on, or only after steaming for a while?
Introduce air only briefly at the start, then focus on spinning the milk to break bubbles down into microfoam.
Related issues
Work it out
Interactive tools that take you through this one change at a time.
Learn the technique
Step-by-step guides to the skills this problem comes from.
- Steaming milkProduce hot milk with a fine, integrated foam that pours as one liquid rather than as foam sitting on milk.
- Making microfoamReduce the air in steamed milk to bubbles too small to see, so the foam and the liquid behave as one substance.
- Frothing milk without a steam wandGet a usable milk foam using an electric frother, a whisk, a French press or a jar, and know what each can and cannot produce.