Fast Froth (I dare ya to say that quickly 10 times. lol!)

[Dover]

Thought I'd share something that is a new discovery for me, and comes in so handy. Many of you may
already know this little trick and I'm just late to learn it.

I love good coffee but rarely drink it anymore because I'm cutting down on caffeine. It's a real treat when I do splurge. And so I was in heaven when a friend served up a tall glass of 'chilled' coffee the other day with a large head of thick froth on top. Mmmmmm! She used a large French press to make the coffee, stirred in just a little sugar and then chilled it in the fridge (rather than using ice). Then she pulled out a smaller French press, added cold milk and began plunging the press up and down vigorously until the milk became a thick froth (very quick process - only 10 plunges or so). So easy! She poured the chilled coffee into a tall glass and then added the froth.

So of course I purchased a small French press on my way home that very day and have been using it for all kinds of frothy fun. I've tried adding a little agave or sugar and vanilla to some 2% milk prior to 'frothing' in the press which makes a deliciously light whipped cream. I've also tried it with regular whipping cream - whoa! Even thicker. Great on fresh fruit salad.

And then I tried it with the almond milk that I sometimes add to my oatmeal or tea, and while it didn't froth quite as much as the milk or cream, it still worked enough to create a froth.

Anybody use this technique? Other uses?

[grasswire]

1. what did she call this technique?

and where did she learn about it?

[Dover]

2. I don't know if there's a name for it. She didn't say.

And I didn't think to ask where she learned it because she's a serious foodie and hangs out in
foodie chatrooms, reads food magazines, collects cookbooks, visits alot of restaurants, etc.
So I guess I just always assume it was something she read or heard about.

I'm always happy to be her appreciative guinea pig for trial recipes! :9

Why do you ask?

Let's give it a name right now. How about 'French Froth' or 'Taking The Plunge'?


On edit: AHA! Look what I just found. As I guessed, there's nothing new about it. I'm just one of the last to hear about it as usual. lol! This is the high end version, but you don't need all
of this. You can use a normal French press for the frothing and these days they can be found dirt cheap.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/1718824/?catalogId=91&bnrid=3180501&cm_ven=Shopping&cm_cat=Froogle&cm_pla=default&cm_ite=default

[madmax]

3. I did - now who's going to wipe off my screen. ;) nt

[Dover]

6. Don't say it, spray it....lol!

I tried it too and it left me 'frothing' at the mouth. :P

[Warpy]

4. Dairy fizz

is something I've done very rarely since I'm not on speaking terms with dairy, but I use an immersion blender in a glass to do it. Fake whipped cream from double strength powdered milk + sugar is usually what I do.

Just saying there's more than one way to fizz milk. An immersion blender will work if you've got it.

[Dover]

8. "Dariy Fizz" sounds so retro 50's...lol.

I don't have an immersion blender but will take your word for its effectiveness as a fizzer.
Come to think of it, I suppose just pouring milk in a glass, placing a hand over the top while jumping up and down on a trampoline might also make for some fizzy dairy. We should hold a contest for the most inventive fizzy froth technique.

[Warpy]

11. No, you need a blender

either immersion or jar, or a French press with rapid pumping to introduce enough air into it to fizz it. Jumping up and down might make a few bubbles, but they'd be bigger ones and not fizz.

[Dover]

22. Warpy, if I ever take my comedy routine on the road, I want you to be my straight man.

You have such a remarkable breadth of knowledge that you always generously share, but sometimes I just want to tickle you. :P

:rofl:

on edit: And perhaps be my spell-checker too!

[madmax]

14. Warpy!

You have an amazing mind. I'm always learning something from your posts no matter the forum or thread.

I mean that in all sincerity. You are so knowledgeable on such a wide variety of subjects and so many are not run of the mill either.

I'm so jealous!! Honest. Lost so many brain cells and ability to think due to perhaps the aging process (60) or meds for a variety of health issues. Thanks for the fake whipped cream hint. I have an immersion blender got one after reading about it in Cooking & Baking Grp. :hug:

[Warpy]

17. The fake whipped cream is not the original and won't fool anyone

but it's just a little better than no whipped topping, at all, on fruit that requires the flavor of dairy and a little more sugar, to boot.

Thanks for the compliments. I'm convinced that my knowledge of tricks and shortcuts derive from basic bone laziness.

[noamnety]

16. something I recently learned about immersion blenders

I've made my own mayo in a food processor, drizzling the oil in slowly which is a minor pain in the ass.

I just learned a couple weeks ago that if you use an immersion blender you can add all the ingredients at once and they settle by weight. As long as you start with the stick blender at the bottom where the egg is, it works great, incorporating the oil at just the right rate.

http://www.lastappetite.com/how-to-make-mayonnaise-in-20-seconds/

[pengillian101]

24. Thank you, noamnety, for that mayo link!

What a great idea. I've always wanted to try making it, it but didn't have the right stuff. I do have a stick blender and can't wait to try it!

:hi:

[htuttle]

5. I just picked up a little Bodum french press for $1.70 at a second hand store

And you just gave me another use for it!

[Dover]

7. Oh goodie. Let me know how it works for ya. I'm addicted to frothing now..n/t

[WhiteTara]

9. makes me want to rush out and buy a small press.n/t

[Dover]

10. An unregrettable idea! Oh, and I forgot to mention one other way to make that coffee drink.

I've also added the milk to brewed coffee and then frothed them together. Mmmmm...


I'm beginning to sound like that guy in Forest Gump who played Tom Hank's soldier buddy and could name a million ways to eat shrimp.

[MajorChode]

12. I've seen this technique used with warm milk

The 'froth' you are producing is really just aerated milk similar to how whipped cream is made in that you are simply introducing air bubbles into the dairy. There's certainly nothing wrong with it as whipped cream (or whipped milk in this case) is quite tasty in all sorts of things including coffee type drinks.

Microfoamed milk produced by steam is a different animal. You are denaturing the proteins in the milk as you are aerating it so the milk tastes sweeter and takes on a different texture. You can actually produce something similar without a french press. All you need is a closeable container like a big water bottle. Just heat the milk up in a saucepan or microwave to about 170-180 degrees, close the container, and shake the hell out of it for a minute or so. The results still won't be the same as a good quality microfoam, but it will be close and arguably better than what probably 99% of all coffeehouses produce.

[Phentex]

13. I don't get the joy of froth...

usually because I am in too much of a hurry to get the caffeine in my system. :)

I have a small french press AND an immersion blender, though, so maybe I should find out what I've been missing.

What is this love of froth?

[madmax]

15. LOL I don't get it either. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

20. I'm not big on it either, but once in a while it's fun. And there are...

always those "special ocassions."

[MajorChode]

23. It's hard to understand unless you've had a really good cappa

The American latte is really an abomination. It's actually a drink made with copious quantities of warmed milk, a small amount of foam, and even less espresso. You could actually leave out the last ingredient and the results would be more or less the same. Properly foamed milk in smaller quantities with good espresso is a beautiful thing. It's not just about the bubbles. Properly steamed milk becomes sweeter tasting due to the chemical processes which are occurring. The texture of properly prepared froth is also amazing.

http://www.coffeekid.com/espresso/frothing

[NJCher]

18. Dover, I'll have you know

I went out and bought a French press yesterday, just 'cuz of this post.

As I type, my new French press is making the coffee, which will then be chilled.

I bought a Bonjour Monet.

I'll be back to give some feedback after frothing. :)




Cher

[Dover]

21. Froth is soooooo very seductive, eh? lol!

A sensual delight. Can't wait to hear back from you.

[TreasonousBastard]

19. I have two French presses, one a Bodum, that have problems...

with the business end falling off when I pull the stalk up, so that's not the way for me to make foam.

What I have for foam is a mini "immersion blender" I got at the dollar store that runs off of an AA battery. It's a little plastic piece of crap that, when it works, has two wings on the end of a stick that spin and aerate. If I ever see them for sale again, I'll buy a dozen.

[Duer 157099]

25. I've got one of those little things, it works great as long as you have

milk with some fat content. Also the screen on the bottom is a finer mesh than the coffee press.

I should use it more often, I just forget about it; thanks for the reminder!