Frothing advice is as plentiful and diverse as espresso blends, but the one thing experts agree on is starting with a stainless steel pitcher, some milk and, of course, an espresso machine with a steam wand.

Other non-plastic containers will work fine, but stainless steel has the perfect balance of weight and agility that makes it easy to handle. Any type of milk can be used, but milk with higher fat content is heavier and takes a bit more practice. Skim milk produces and light, airy foam, while foam from half and half is thick and rich.

Use the cup you plan to drink from to measure how much milk to steam. Keep in mind that the milk will approximately double in volume as it froths, so fill the cup with half the milk the drink calls for. A cappuccino is half steamed milk and half espresso, so to make a cappuccino you would fill the cup a fourth of the cup with cold milk. Pour the milk into the pitcher.

Hold the pitcher so that one of your palms is in full contact with its bottom. This will allow you to gauge the temperature of the milk without putting the pitcher down and interrupting the process. Place the steam wand just beneath the surface of the milk. If the wand is too deep, the milk will get hot but not froth. If it is too shallow, it will just blow milk right out of the pitcher and make a mess.

Slide the pitcher away from the machine as the milk expands, so that the tip of the wand remains just under the surface. After you have frothed the desired amount of foam, the pitcher should be warmer than the palm of you hand. If it is not, sinking the wand deeper into the milk will warm it up. If it is too hot, turn off the steam and tap the pitcher against the counter to release any large air bubbles and swirl it around to help cool it off a bit.

Using a long-handled spoon to carefully hold the froth back, add the milk to the drink. Be careful to pour in one continuous stream. A spoon may be used to add the desired amount of froth on top of the drink, but if the frothing is done well, the result is a fine micro foam that can be poured directly from the pitcher. Cinnamon, nutmeg or grated chocolate is a nice addition to any drink.