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How to Froth Milk for a Latte

4 min readUpdated September 2026

A latte needs milk that is warm, glossy and only lightly foamed — roughly 1 cm of microfoam over hot milk, not the thick cap a cappuccino gets. Heat the milk to about 60-65 °C (140-150 °F), froth it for 10-15 seconds with a handheld wand held deep in the jug, then swirl and pour.

01

Get the temperature right

  • 60-65 °C (140-150 °F) is the sweet spot: hot enough to drink, still sweet-tasting.
  • Above about 70 °C the milk sugars start tasting scalded and the foam turns coarse.
  • No thermometer? Heat until the jug is hot to hold for only a second or two.
02

Latte foam vs cappuccino foam

  • Latte: mostly warm milk with a thin, wet layer of microfoam, so the drink pours as one smooth liquid.
  • Cappuccino: roughly equal espresso, milk and a deep, airy foam cap.
  • The difference is entirely in how long you aerate — the milk and the machine are the same.
03

The handheld technique

  • Warm the milk first, then froth. Frothing cold milk and heating it afterwards collapses the foam.
  • Hold the whisk deeper than you would for cold foam: you want to fold air in gently, not build a tall head.
  • Run 10-15 seconds, then stop. For a latte you are looking for a glossy surface with no visible large bubbles.
  • Tap the jug once on the counter to pop big bubbles, swirl until the milk looks like wet paint, then pour into the espresso.
04

Which milk

  • Whole dairy milk gives the best balance of sweetness and texture for a latte.
  • Skim froths taller but tastes thinner and makes a drier drink.
  • Barista oat is the most reliable non-dairy option; standard oat, almond and rice milk foam thinner and drop faster.
Made by Gocha

Gocha FrothMaster Handheld Milk Frother

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Frequently asked

Heat the milk to about 60-65 °C, then run a handheld frother deep in the jug for 10-15 seconds until the surface is glossy with no large bubbles, and pour.

Around 60-65 °C (140-150 °F). Hotter than about 70 °C makes the milk taste scalded and the foam coarse.

A latte has a thin layer of wet microfoam over warm milk; a cappuccino has a much deeper, drier foam cap. Same milk, different amount of aeration.

After. Foam built in cold milk collapses when you heat it.

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