Best milk pitcher for the home barista

Is there actually something as a “best milk pitcher”, probably not. There are a lot of differences between the milk pitchers, some might suit you better then with someone else.

You can see a milk pitcher as just as a stainless steel jug, but it is more then that. The proper model and type can make a huge difference in the way how you froth up your milk for your Cappucino or your Latte’s. There are various brands which do make milk pitchers.

Domestic or commercial use

The use of a milk pitcher in a domestic setting as a home barista requires different types of milk pitchers then when you work as a barista in a busy bar. The most important thing is that a 350ml milk pitcher is in most cases plenty enough, for instance the Motta Lady 350ml milk pitcher. A bigger size is in most cases completely useless, seen you probably don’t make more then 1-2 cups of cappuccino.

A other type of jug is a Motta espresso/cream pitcher. You will use this when you want to make a latte macchiato. You make your espresso directly in this espresso stainless pitcher. From this you can pour your espresso into the frothed up milk in the glass.

Brand

The most famous one is probably Motta Mettalurgica, this is also the only company which still produces their milk jugs in Italy. All other brands such as Joe Frexx, EDO, Rhinowares make their products in china.  You do also see some small brands which have rebranded universal models sold on Alibaba.

Material

Most milk pitchers are made from stainless steel. But you need to keep in mind that not all stainless steel is the same. Seen most cheaper milk pitchers are made from stainless steel 202, this type of stainless steel is NOT intended to use in combination with food. Stainless steel 304 and stainless steel 316 are food safe. There are various milk pitchers made in China which are made from this material, but not suitable to use for food. In most cases if there is no material class specified this is the case.

Weight/thickness

The weight and thickness of the milk pitcher are also pretty important on how you control your milk pitcher. Most barista’s experience that a lighter milk jug is easier to handle. But a other feature of a thinner milk pitcher is that you can more accurately feel the temperature of the milk during the frothing process.

Surface finish

Seen most milk pitchers are made from stainless steel you see 2 types of finishes quite often. That is the high mirror polish and the satin finish. The advantage of the satin finish is that you don’t see new scratches that good, which you can clearly see on your new polished milk pitcher.

There are also milk pitchers which have been painted in variety of colours, which can look really nice or can be handy if you have various types of milk. Such as with the Motta Europa Milk jug 0,35L Black But the disadvantage is that the paint can come of over time.

Never take a milk pitcher with a painted inside, this paint is likely not rated for direct Food contact.

Volume

The volume a pitcher depends a bit on the application. If you, as a home barista, only use it for 1-2 cappuccino’s you wont have to have a really bit milk pitcher. But you do need to keep in account that the size of your milk pitcher needs to be about 2/3 times the volume of milk you are going to pour.

The milk's ideal level is approximately a third of the way up the jug's height, right below the spout's base. The steam wand may then be submerged beneath the milk to create microfoam, and the container won't be too full to spill over. Let's be honest: nobody enjoys being doused in warm milk.

The volumes of milk pitcher range from 0,35L all the way up to 1L. The most common size of milk pitchers are the 0,35L and the 0,5L. Such as the Motta Lady Milk pitcher 0,45l and the bigger version the Motta lady milk pitcher 0,6L.

Spout

There are a variety of design shapes for the spouts on a milk pitcher. This mainly depends on the brand/manufacturer of the milk pitcher

How the milk is poured, how fast it goes, and how smooth it is all come down to the spout. A badly made spout may ruin an otherwise perfect latte.

 Consider if a shallow, broad spout or a sharp, pointed spout would work better for your designs when picking out a spout for your milk pitcher. A thinner and more pointed pouring spout is preferable for lattes with more elaborate designs.

The goal of milk frothing should be to produce microfoam. Microfoam is the silky, smooth, finely textured hot milk used in latte art. Microfoam is most effective when the milk in the pitcher is whipped into a vortex.

In order to generate a sizable whirlpool and superior microfoam, a jug's breadth must be greater. If the milk pitcher is too skinny, the milk might not have enough area to circulate.