I had the possibility to be among the many first to strive the brand new BaristaMaker Milk Frother produced by DREO; right here’s the way it went.
BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Photographs by Tanya Nanetti
One of many issues I missed most within the days and weeks once I wasn’t working behind knowledgeable espresso machine was the power to drink a scrumptious flat white. Positive, I might at all times get to my favourite café, however a day by day go to to a café might grow to be too harmful for my pockets. So I usually drank one thing like an old-school caffe latte at residence, which right here in Italy is an easy cup of scorching milk combined with a little bit espresso from my previous Moka pot.
Issues lastly modified a few weeks in the past, once I had the possibility to check drive the brand new BaristaMaker Milk Frother produced by DREO, a model specializing in sensible residence innovation. Their milk frother is designed to work with several types of milk, creating an ideal micro-foam just like the one made with high-pressure steam wands by specialty-coffee baristas world wide.
In regards to the DREO BaristaMaker
Whereas I’m ready for my BaristaMaker, I contact Joshua Gunn, VP for North America at DREO, to be taught extra about what to anticipate from the frother.
“Once we designed the DREO BaristaMaker milk frother, we centered on three key goal teams: skilled baristas, espresso fans, and informal espresso customers,” Joshua says. “For knowledgeable baristas, we wished to create a tool that met their excessive requirements, permitting them to duplicate the standard of café-style froth at residence. For espresso fans, individuals with a deep ardour for espresso who’re at all times searching for methods to enhance their brewing expertise, we wished to supply a software to create the proper microfoam that they a lot recognize. We additionally stored in thoughts the broader viewers of informal espresso drinkers who recognize well-made espresso however might not have the abilities or instruments of knowledgeable. Our purpose was to supply them with a easy however efficient approach to elevate their day by day expertise with espresso.”
Then, Joshua goes on to clarify why BaristaMaker will revolutionize the world of milk frothing for residence baristas, because of its strongest fits. It has “the trade’s first barista-level frothing tip (a disruptive {hardware} innovation created by the DREO lab’s meals scientist by combining two new parts right into a single construction, making the brand new patented Barista Combo know-how the primary to realize barista-level outcomes on the family frother class); the impeller blade design (able to guiding the circulate of milk, drawing it constantly to the middle for extremely uniform froth, not like conventional disc suggestions that produce uneven froth); and the uniquely designed micro-level display (able to filtering and remodeling normal-sized bubbles into wealthy, dense micro-foam in the course of the multi-stage frothing course of).”
Excited by Joshua’s promise and by the distinctive alternative to strive the BaristaMaker, I go to my native market to top off on a number of liters of dairy and nondairy milk, purchase a brand new bag of beans to work with my (low-cost) espresso machine, and prepare to start out taking part in with my new milk frother.
Unpacking, Meeting, and Choices
As quickly as I unpack the BaristaMaker DREO milk frother, I understand what a modern and stylish espresso software it’s, with a compact design good for essentially the most modern trendy kitchens. The milk frother comes with a disc tip, two impeller suggestions, and a tip holder. Meeting is an easy and clean operation: simply rinse all of the elements and select between the 2 included suggestions, remembering that the impeller tip is ideal for micro-foam, whereas the disc tip is usually recommended for chilly foam and stirring.
As soon as assembled, I merely plug the milk frother right into a 110V-120V energy outlet. The LEDs on the show panel mild up and I’m in a position to decide on the specified settings via the easy interface.
Obtainable choices embrace milk, half-and-half, almond, oat, soy, and coconut for milk sorts; scorching cappuccino, latte, and flat white as latte artwork espresso; and cold and warm frothed foam. You may choose low or excessive velocity, and temperatures starting from chilly to 170°F (about 75°C, a bit greater than my normal milk-steaming temperature) for stirring non-foamed drinks.
Steaming Milk
After deciding on the popular settings, I insert the appropriate tip (as prompt by the BaristaMaker) earlier than pouring the milk into the jug following the inner marks (min – latte artwork – max foam – max stir) and urgent the beginning button. The milk shall be prepared in about three and a half minutes, punctuated by a helpful countdown timer that enables customers to completely time their espresso photographs with the tip of frothing. As soon as the milk is prepared, it’s time to pour. The BaristaMaker jug works completely, because of its form and exact spout that mimics knowledgeable stainless-steel pitcher.
Pour Check
I proceed to pour with my normal routine: a mild faucet to take away extra bubbles, and a round movement to maintain the milk compact and keep away from separation. Then I instantly pour the milk into my espresso.
The micro-foam is shiny and clean, just like what I can obtain with the wand of knowledgeable espresso machine. Pouring is straightforward, and it solely takes me a second to appreciate that if solely I had a greater espresso machine that really made some crema on prime of the espresso, the flat white I’m pouring could be simply good.
For the primary few mornings, I focus my frothing routine on “latte artwork” coffees, experimenting with lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites, marveling at how it’s attainable for a “easy” milk frother to have the ability to produce such a pleasing micro-foam.
Because the DREO leaflet explains, there are a number of steps behind this magic.
First, the milk is heated rapidly to succeed in the appropriate temperature (which, by specialty-coffee requirements, is round 160°-170°F). Then, the velocity of rotation will increase by incorporating air into the milk in order to create bigger bubbles. Lastly, because the velocity slows down, the impeller directs the froth towards the middle, turning it into silky micro-foam.
From the outline, it seems like an correct reproduction {of professional} milk steaming, and the ensuing micro-foam is strictly that.
Proud of my micro-foam, it’s time to experiment with BaristaMaker’s different options.
Making an attempt Different Drinks
First, I determine to make a chai latte, and the process is even smoother. After switching to the disc tip, I add the milk, then the chai powder, then choose the low velocity and temperature of 170°C as prompt, and begin stirring.
After a couple of minutes, a wonderfully blended chai is able to be sipped.
On the following scorching afternoon, I strive the chilly thick foam setting to make an iced cappuccino.
Once more, I insert the disc tip and begin frothing my barista-grade almond milk. The ensuing foam is fluffy and scrumptious, and as soon as a double espresso is poured, it stays fluffy till my boyfriend finishes consuming it.
Subsequent I check out non-homogenized complete dairy milk, though I have already got an thought of what’s going to occur. As is the case additionally in knowledgeable setting, the entire milk’s excessive degree of fats molecules will certainly get in the best way, and I’m fairly positive the froth gained’t be as fluffy.
After overwhelming affirmation (complete milk makes an excellent foam, nevertheless it fully un-foams inside seconds), I replicate the experiment with skim milk, which tastes worse however foams a lot better.
I spend the remainder of the week experimenting with all of the totally different features of the BaristaMaker till I’m able to make some issues.
The Takeaway On the DREO BaristaMaker Check Drive
The BaristaMaker is tremendous simple to arrange and use. It really works nicely with all sorts of dairy milk and plenty of barista-grade various milks, and it stirs and foams simply. The micro-foam is the closest to knowledgeable foam that I’ve been capable of obtain outdoors of a café, and the ensuing drinks are completely creamy and scrumptious.
The minimal quantity of milk to froth—following the marks contained in the jug—is sufficient for a milky drink of about eight to 9 ounces (which is a median latte in most European international locations, however will be totally different elsewhere). In my expertise, deciding on the flat white from the menu will end in a very silky, superb micro-foam, which is able to grow to be a little bit frothier when the latte setting is chosen, and even fluffier and creamier when choosing the cappuccino mode.
Furthermore, the upkeep of the BaristaMaker is easy: The jug, lid, and suggestions can merely be washed in scorching soapy water, and even within the dishwasher.
In conclusion, as promised, the BaristaMaker produces good micro-foam that, if I had a greater espresso machine, would have been good for extra sophisticated latte artwork patterns. Now that I’ve a wonderfully environment friendly milk frother, I simply have to improve my espresso machine. Then I will put together a milk drink at residence precisely like on the café!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the espresso machine (or visiting some hidden nook of the world), she’s busy writing for Espresso Rebel, a web site about specialty espresso that she’s creating alongside along with her boyfriend.
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