Ever wondered how to make that luxurious cold foam on your favorite coffee drinks at home? Cold foam is quickly becoming a favorite among coffee enthusiasts and casual drinkers, thanks to its velvety texture and the growing popularity of cold coffee drinks such as lattes, cold brews, and iced teas in trendy cafés. Characterized by its light and airy consistency, it adds a luxurious element to beverages without significantly increasing their calorie content.
Whether you’re a long-time fan of this foamy creation or simply curious to try it, you’ll be excited to know that making cold foam at home is simple.
This guide will detail how to make cold foam, explore various ways to incorporate it into your drinks, and suggest exciting flavor variations to level up your coffee experience.
What is Cold Foam?
Cold foam is a fancy name for frothed milk, but it has a distinct preparation method that sets it apart from the foam used in hot beverages like cappuccinos or hot chocolate. The critical difference lies in the preparation. Cold foam is created without the use of heat or steam.
If you top a cold drink with hot foam, you’re in for a bit of a letdown – it quickly turns into a watery mess. This is precisely where the charm of cold foam comes into play.
Cold foam is created without heat and boasts a thick, creamy texture reminiscent of meringue, making it the perfect topping for any cold coffee beverage. My favorite is to top it on a quick and easy iced coffee or a homemade frappuccino to make it feel like I just went to the corner coffeehouse. When added to a drink, it sits pretty on top, slowly blending with each sip, creating the ideal coffee-sipping experience.
☕ Ingredients
Making cold foam at home doesn’t require much, but a few selective tools can make the process much easier.
🛒Milk: To create cold foam, you’ll need some sort of milk. We’ll detail the different types below.
🛒Cold brew coffee: This acts as the base for the cold foam to sit upon. Feel free to use another type of chilled coffee, such as iced espresso, or even a store-bought iced coffee drink. Moreover, any chilled beverage will work if you prefer a non-coffee option.
⏲️ Equipment
Cold foam can be made with a variety of tools. Here are some of the most popular options:
✅Handheld milk frother: This is a small, typically battery-powered kitchen gadget that you can get for around $10. Considering the cost of a Starbucks order, including a cold foam topping, this device quickly pays for itself. This option provides the most value for making cold foam for the cost and size.
✅Electric milk frother and steamer: This device is much larger than the handheld frother and sits on your kitchen countertop, similar to an electric kettle in appearance. Electric frothers offer hot and cold foam options, but this feature also comes at about three to four times the cost of a handheld frother.
✅French press: If you own a French press, using this device will save you money and the space needed to store another device. It’s a bit of a hack to use a French press to make cold foam, but it can be done by pouring milk into the beaker and then plunging back and forth for about 45 seconds to create a foamy consistency.
✅Immersion Blender: With a whisk attachment, an immersion blender can whip up cold foam. This is quick, but may not yield the same light, airy texture as a dedicated frother.
✅Whisk: A good old kitchen whisk can also make cold foam for anyone who wants an arm workout. This is certainly a budget-friendly option since you likely already own a whisk, but make no mistake- it’s laborious. The foam will have larger air bubbles, making it less stiff and creamy than the other options. If you have a balloon whisk, use that one. It will be a bit easier on your arm.
✅Mason Jar: Seal milk in a mason jar and shake vigorously until frothy. This method produces a thicker foam with larger bubbles (similar to manually whisking the milk) but requires more effort than the other options.
📝 Instructions
To create the perfect cold foam, start with cold, fresh milk. Then, froth the milk using your preferred frothing tool from the options above.
👉Handheld Milk Frother: Fill a tall glass or pitcher with cold milk, leaving a few inches of space at the top for the foam to expand. Submerge the frother’s wand just below the milk’s surface and turn it on. Gently move the wand up and down until you achieve soft peaks (about 20 seconds).
👉Electric Milk Frother and Steamer: Pour cold milk into the frother, making sure not to exceed the fill line. Select the cold foam setting and press start. The frother will automatically stop once the foam is ready.
👉French Press: Pour cold milk into the carafe, filling it about halfway. Pump the plunger up and down vigorously for about 45 seconds, or until the milk has doubled in volume.
👉Immersion Blender: In a tall container, pour enough cold milk to cover the whisk attachment of your immersion blender, leaving space at the top for foam expansion. Insert the immersion blender and blend on medium speed until the milk is frothy.
👉Whisk: Pour cold milk into a bowl or mug, filling it no more than halfway for expansion. Whisk vigorously in a circular motion, incorporating as much air as possible. Continue whisking for at least 45 seconds or until foamy. Remember, a balloon whisk will be slightly easier on your arm.
👉Mason Jar: Pour cold milk into a mason jar, filling it no more than halfway to allow room for expansion. Seal the lid tightly and shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds, or until the milk has doubled in volume.
Once your foam is ready, delicately spoon it over your cold brew coffee or any other chilled coffee beverage. If you’re feeling fancy, top it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon or some chocolate shavings, and enjoy a coffeehouse drink for a fraction of the price.
Emily Dingmann of My Everyday Table loves using vanilla paste, which she says is superior to vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream for an easy sweet cream cold foam that she spoons over cold brew.
❗ Tips
📌Milk Amount: For best results, avoid overfilling your container and leave space for the foam to expand.
📌Desired Foaminess: Look for visual cues like soft peaks or doubled volume to gauge when your foam is ready.
📌Tool Limitations: Remember, tools like the whisk and mason jar will produce a thicker foam with larger bubbles compared to dedicated frothers.
🥛 Best Type of Milk
Contrary to what you might think, cold foam is best made using non-fat milk. This is true for hot foam as well. By default, non-fat or lower-fat milk options contain higher amounts of protein. Protein gives the foam structure, so the more of it you have, the better the foam holds together. Skim milk will produce the best outcome when making cold foam, but 1% will also work well enough.
Plant-based milks are a bit hit or miss when creating cold foam. While they can be great substitutes for milk in other applications like smoothies, it’s best to stick to dairy milk for the best cold foam results. Often, plant-based milk includes other additives, gums, and preservatives that interfere with the frothing process.
🥤 Different Ways to Use
Now that you’ve mastered how to make cold foam, there’s a whole world of possibilities for using this creamy, indulgent topping. Here are some beverages that would be perfectly complemented by a cold foam topper:
- Iced coffee and any variation thereof
- Homemade frappuccino
- Cold brew coffee
- Iced espresso
- Iced cappuccino
- Iced lattes, including matcha and chai lattes
- Iced hot chocolate
- Iced tea
Beyond drinks, cold foam is also an excellent option for those looking for a decadent topping lower in calories. Consider adding cold foam on top of these treats, too:
- Ice cream
- Creamy coffee cocktails
- Pudding and chia pudding
- Fruit salad
❓ FAQ
There are a couple of ways the cold foam-making process can go wrong and result in flat foam.
Be sure always to use fresh, very cold milk. If the milk has been opened for a week, chances are it won’t froth well.
Over or under-frothing are also common mistakes. Using an electric frother will eliminate this issue, but if you’re making the cold foam by hand with a handheld frother, French press, or whisk, it’s possible you didn’t froth it long enough or went too long.
Finding the sweet spot with each device can take trial and error, so don’t get discouraged if your first attempt isn’t perfect.
This depends on the type of creamer you have. Like plant-based milk, some creamers will work better than others. It comes down to whether the other ingredients will interfere with the frothing process.
Once the milk has been frothed into a cold foam, it should be used, not stored. Cold foam won’t hold its structure or shape over long periods, so only froth the foam you plan to use.
Making cold foam without a frother is possible, just not as easy. An immersion blender with a whisk attachment is another easy way to make cold foam but it won’t have the light and airy consistency you get from a frother.
As detailed above, the French press, mason jar, and whisk options also let you create cold foam without using a frother. Be prepared for some extra work, and know that your foam may not have the same texture as otherwise, but it can be done in a pinch.
Become Your Own Barista
Mastering the art of making cold foam is like unlocking a secret level in your coffee-making game. You can save some cash by skipping the coffee shop line and bringing that fancy, café-style vibe into your kitchen with your pajamas still on.
Play around with different flavors – maybe a dash of vanilla, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or a flavored syrup if you’re fancy. With some practice and creativity, your morning cup of coffee may become a work of art—happy brewing and frothing.
This article originally appeared on Pink When.
Equipment
- Immersion Blender with whisk attachment
- Whisk a balloon whisk is best
- Mason Jar with a tight-fitting lid
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Nonfat milk
- 8 ounces Cold Brew Coffee
Instructions
Handheld Milk Frother
- In a tall container, add cold milk, leaving space for expansion.
- Submerge frother wand and turn on. Move up and down until soft peaks form (~20 seconds).
Electric Milk Frother
- Add cold milk to frother (don't overfill).
- Select "cold foam" setting and press start.
French Press
- Fill the carafe halfway with cold milk.
- Pump the plunger vigorously until milk doubles in volume (~45 seconds).
Immersion Blender
- In a tall container, add enough cold milk to cover whisk attachment.
- Blend on medium speed until frothy.
Whisk
- In a bowl, add cold milk (fill halfway).
- Whisk vigorously until foamy (~45 seconds). Balloon whisk is easier.
Mason Jar
- Fill mason jar halfway with cold milk.
- Seal tightly and shake vigorously until milk doubles in volume (~30-60 seconds).
How To Serve
- Once your foam is ready, delicately spoon it over your cold brew coffee or any other chilled coffee beverage. If you're feeling fancy, top it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon or some chocolate shavings, and enjoy a coffeehouse drink for a fraction of the price.
Notes
Nutrition
Gina Matsoukas is the writer, photographer and recipe creator of Running to the Kitchen. Focusing on healthy, seasonal, whole-food recipes, her work has been featured on various online and print publications including MSN, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Food Network and Women’s Health. Gina also authors the shttps://www.runningtothekitchen.com/ite What Can My Dog Eat? along with her husband, a K9 trainer. She lives in central New York where they enjoy an active outdoor life with Skye, an active explosives detection trained canine.
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