Warning: Tried a no-wipe latte art milk experiment in LA and it flopped hard

I skipped the wipe step on my steam wand for a week to see if it would save time during the morning rush in Silver Lake and ended up with gummy milk that ruined every pour. The texture was off, my rosettas looked like blobs, and customers noticed the taste difference right away. Has anyone else tried cutting corners on milk prep and regretted it?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul25127d ago

Man, that sounds rough. I gotta ask though: what kind of milk were you working with? I've found that the fat content and brand make a huge difference in how much protein buildup you get on the wand. My guess is if you were using something like a higher protein whole milk, skipping the wipe is a recipe for disaster way faster than with a standard 2% or oat milk.

craig.sage26d ago

Must be nice having your biggest problem be milk fat content.

julia_lee9d ago

That whole milk with higher protein content really is the wild card here. Did you switch brands recently or stick with the same one you always used? Because I've noticed some of those boutique dairy brands in LA have way more natural proteins and sugars that crust up fast. The gummy texture you described sounds exactly like what happens when the milk proteins get scorched and then start pulling off the wand into your pitcher. Honestly, skipping the wipe for a whole week seems like a bold move when even missing one wipe during a rush can throw off your next two or three drinks. Was it always the same milk type across the week or did you experiment with different kinds?