Espresso Frothing Interesting Information

Having sought the perfect latte for many years, now, and learning all the while, I’ve become convinced that the perfect foam carefully poured is almost as important as having freshly roasted beans. The flavor is in the crema at the surface of a shot. To get it requires beans no more than 10 days from the roaster (and not over-roasted!). To keep the crema and its volatile essence at the surface where our principal taste organ (the nose) can fully sense it does require the perfect foam and a careful pour. Foam must be “microfoam” – i.e., no visible bubbles but, instead, a glossy sheen on the surface so it can float the crema in tact and to the top. After tamping and swirling the foam in the pitcher, it is poured through the crema, keeping the crema floating on the surface.

And, here’s where the Rattler pitcher comes in. First, the spout is a must for the careful pour (or latte art if you are so inclined). Many such pitchers have that. The rounded, bulging bottom, though, works better than my other pitchers as one prepares the foam under the steam nozzle. Foam starts, of course, with nozzle right at the milk’s surface as air is noisely pumped in with the steam. No matter how carefully I try, though, some noticeable bubbles form in this initial stage. (If I am only half awake or hands are shaking from too much fun the night before, sometimes lots of bubbles form.) Trick is, as milk gets to “just warm” (but not yet hot) and nozzle is buried deeper simply to heat to final temperature, one wants to get the concoction swirling under the pressure of the steam now being directed deeper and at an angle into the pitcher. That can cause any number of bubble sins to disappear, sucking them into the swirling liquid. Here, I think the rounded flare design of the bottom of the pitcher really helps.

Can find a spouted pitcher at half the price of the Rattler. I’ve used such for years with no complaints. But, because of the performance improvement just described, I have just ordered a second 16 oz and have ordered a 25 oz to try it out.

Help answer the question about Espresso Frothing
BARISTAS HELP! Bought my first espresso machine, now what? What are the extra accessories I need?
I just bought my first espresso machine; it's "DeLonghi BCO130T Combination Coffee/Espresso Machine". Here is the link to the product:http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-BCO130T-Combination-Espresso-Machine/dp/B000F2M16O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1205453139&sr=1-1I'm Espresso Frothing pretty good at navigating the net, but I cannot find a place that tells me exactly what I need! Do I get a grinder for beans? Also, I was going to get a frothing pitcher and a thermometer, do I really need these? I was also looking into getting some of the espresso pods. I know that they won't taste as good, but it will be great for those mornings when I'm in a rush! The pods say that your machine has to be designed to accept "ESE" coffee pods. I was looking at the machine's manual online and couldn't find this anywhere. Is there anything else I need? Oh and by the way, I usually drink lattes and stuff like that. Thanks for your help in advance!!! =o)