How To Make Cold Foam Without A Frother – 5 Ways!

Learning how to make cold foam without a frother is easy as you have multiple methods and techniques that you can use to make your cold foam. There are even a few of these methods and techniques that are electricity-free!

Keep reading for the details!

How To Make Cold Foam Without A Frother – An Overview

It is very easy to make cold foam without a frother. Try all the methods that you see below and find out which is best for you. What I love about the methods that I talk about below is the cool fact that some can be used on a campsite and the great outdoors.

Where there is a will there is a way, and you will never be stuck for a Starbucks coffee, no matter where you are in the world!

Read: How to make pumpkin cold foam

What Is Cold Foam?

Cold foam is a popular topping that is added to cold brew coffee drinks and all kinds of iced coffee like an iced latte, iced cappuccino and an iced Americano. Cold foam can also be added to hot coffee.

The addition of cold foam adds to the beverage appearance and creates a tasty, creamy two-tiered tasting experience where you experience the coffee and the rich creamy topping together in your mouth.

It is not limited to plain cream; you can add a variety of flavors and get creative, very creative. Popular choices on the Starbucks menu are sweet cream cold foam, vanilla sweet cream cold foam and Vanilla cold foam, salted caramel cold foam.

I’ll talk a little later about some mouth-watering creations you can try.

At the core, the heart of cold foam is nonfat milk which is whipped or frothed. Some like to make it with heavy cream; nonfat milk makes the better quality.

The secret to world-class cold foam is the texture.

How To Make Cold Foam At Home Without A Frother

There are many ways of making cold foam without a frother but let’s be clear on one thing: a milk frother is by far the best method of making cold foam.

You can get a real good quality one that will last you several years for less than US$30.

Use A Balloon Whisk

Add 100 ml (3.5 Oz) of non-dairy milk and a liquid sweetener like agave or simple syrup of your choice. Stir well to ensure a good even distribution of sweetness and whisk for 60 seconds and pour it over your cold brew coffee or iced coffee.

Note: This is my least favorite method as it messy and the results are not as good as the other due to creating larger bubbles.

Read: How to make pumpkin cream cold foam

Using An Electric Whisk

Add 3.5 Oz (100 ml) of nonfat milk or the non-dairy milk of your choice like oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk and add 2 pumps of simple syrup and whisk with your electric whisk for 60 seconds.

The results are better than a manual whisk but not as good as other due to the large bubbles created.

Use A Mason Jar Or Cocktail Shaker To Make Cold Foam

As above, add 100 ml of cold milk and sweeten with a liquid sweetener to an ice-cold mason jar or cocktail shaker and shake with vigor and energy for 60 seconds and pour over the back of a tablespoon to diffuse into your cold brew coffee or your iced coffee.

Using A Blender To Make Cold Foam

Grab a tall glass and add 3.5 ounces (100 ml) of nonfat milk or your preferred dairy milk. Add a couple of pumps of simple syrup.

Blend at a high speed for 45 seconds to a minute and pour it into your iced coffee or cold brew coffee.

Using a hand blender is very similar to using a hand held blender and produces similar results.

A countertop blender is not effective for making small amounts. A smaller portable smoothie blender is better. Use the same technique and add your ingredients and blend well.

Use A French Press Or Manual Hand Pump Milk Frother

This is my favorite alternative method and is probably easiest. Add your ingredients to a tall glass or mason jar and stir well to ensure a good quality distribution of creaminess and sweetness.

Transfer your milk solution to your French press or manual hand pump milk frother. Close the lid and hold it firmly in place and pump the plunger with vigor and energy for one minute until your milk doubles in volume.

Pour your cold foam onto your iced coffee or cold brew.

Read: How to make cold foam

How To Make Cold Foam With A Frother

In case you are considering investing in a milk frother, which are very cheap to buy, lasts a long time and as I mentioned earlier gets you much better results.

Add your ingredients to a tall glass or mason jar and mix well. This is an extra step that is worth it for getting a much better quality flavor and distribution of creaminess and sweetness.

Insert your milk frother and froth for 45 seconds to one minute. Take care and attention to move your milk frother through your milk evenly and slowly from top to bottom.

When you have the perfect consistency and texture, pour your cold foam over your cold brew or iced coffee beverage.

Making Some Amazing Cold Foam Creations

Making great coffee creations and outstanding cold foam toppings is easy. All you need to do is add a pump or two of simple syrup or an appropriate amount of your flavoring.

Here are some great examples I love.

The Bounty

This is my own creation, named after the famous chocolate bar. Add a tablespoon or two of dark chocolate sauce and use coconut milk as your base. Add a little sprinkling of coconut shavings for the mouthfeel.

The After Eight

This is another of my own original creations and is named after the famous after dinner mint. Use a pump or two of peppermint syrup and dark chocolate sauce. Notably, a cream base replicates the famous dinner mint better.

The Chocolate Orange

Yes,

Another of my original coffee creations for coffee toppings. Add a pump or two of dark chocolate and orange syrup. Making your own orange syrup is easy and better as you can control how strong the flavor is. You can also use Monin orange syrup.

Those are my three favorites. Tell me about your own special creations in our coffee community!

Use The Best Type Of Milk For Your Cold Foam

Using the best milk will achieve the best results, it is the baristas principle.

While some recipes call for the use of heavy cream, half-and-half cream, a mix of both or 2% milk. These though do not produce the best texture, or creaminess.

Nonfat milk or skim milk as it is known is the best milk to use.

If you can’t use dairy milk due to lactose intolerance, a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet, coconut milk is best and brings a fabulous tropical flavor to your cold foam.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Make Cold Foam Without A Frother

How Do You Make Cold Foam At Home?

It’s very easy to make cold foam at home. Start by collecting all the ingredients that you need. Your milk and the flavored simple syrup and mix them well. Blend with a blender or frothing wand for 30 seconds until it starts to stabilize. Move your frothing wand or blender through your cold foam evenly and through the mix to ensure a great distribution of the ingredients.

When you have the consistency that you want and need, stop blending and pour it over your coffee drink. If you need to, pour it over the back of a spoon.

Can You Make Cold Foam With A Hand Mixer?

Yes, a handheld mixer and handheld blender will work perfectly well for making cold foam. Of course, a milk frother is better and more convenient than a high speed blender, be it a countertop or hand held blender.

What Can I Use Instead Of A Milk Frother?

Instead of a milk frother you can use any of the following items:

• A mason jar or cocktail shaker and shaking with vigor for 45 seconds.
• A manual balloon whisk. whisk manually for 2 minutes.
• A French press or manual pump frother. Pump for about a minute.
• A blender, countertop or handheld. Blend until you get the required consistency.

What Does Starbucks Use For Cold Foam?

Starbuck uses nonfat milk and sweetens and flavors it with vanilla syrup. They use their own special bladeless high speed blender a Verismo blender to whip it until it is creamy and frothy.

Why Is My Cold Foam Not Thick?

There are many reasons why your cold foam is not thick. The most common one is that you have not blended it for long enough. The second most common reason is not using the correct type of milk.

If you want to fix your runny and thin cold foam you can add xantham gum or thicken with condensed milk.

Can You Put Cold Foam On Hot Coffee?

Yes, you can add your cold foam to hot coffee. The cold foam will cool your hot coffee and make it a little more refreshing. Cold foam is good on both hot and cold drinks.

Final Thoughts – How To Make Cold Foam Without A Frother

Knowing how to make cold foam without a frother is easy; it is the proverbial walk in the park. Just because you can, it doesn’t mean that you should!

By all means use the methods that you learned when you need to but do your coffee and cold foam justice and use a milk frother. It’s a case of the right tool for the right job.

Join our cool coffee community and tell us about any “secret” techniques for making cold foam without a frother. Find us on Facebook/Meta.

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location