Before, during or after frothing: what the frother manuals allow, and the method that works with any machine.
Part of our guide to the best milk frothers for matcha, chai and hot chocolate. This page was researched from manufacturer instruction manuals; we have not run hands-on trials.
Chai concentrate belongs in the cup, after frothing, unless your milk frother's manual names chai or syrups as suitable jug ingredients. Frothing plain milk and pouring it over the concentrate works with every milk frother and gives the most foam.
Adding chai concentrate during frothing is an option only on jug frothers built for it, such as the Breville Milk Cafe BMF600, and even there the BMF600 instruction booklet says to start the milk first and add ingredients slowly. Adding chai concentrate to the jug before the frother starts is the one timing no manual reviewed here supports.
| Timing | Which frothers | Foam | Manual guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| After frothing, in the cup | Any frother, including handheld whisks | Full plain-milk foam | The safe default; the Aeroccino 4 manual requires additives stay out of the jug |
| During frothing, through a measuring cap | Frothers whose manuals list chai or syrups (Breville BMF600) | Reduced; dense syrups cut foam | Start the frother first, add slowly and in small amounts |
| Before frothing, in cold milk | Not recommended by the manuals reviewed | Reduced | Breville lists adding ingredients before the milk warms as a cause of ingredients not melting |
The after-frothing method keeps chai concentrate out of the frother entirely, so it suits milk-only jugs, handheld wands and manual plunger frothers alike. Plain milk also foams better than sweetened milk, so the chai latte gets a taller cap.
With a handheld whisk, which does not heat milk, warm the milk first; our guide to frothing milk without a steam wand covers heating options.
The Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 is designed for adding chai concentrate mid-cycle. The BMF600 booklet lists chai tea among its suitable ingredients, describes a chai latte as three-quarters heated and foamed milk flavoured with spiced tea concentrate, and describes the measuring cap as the port for adding ingredients once mixing has started.
The BMF600 booklet warns that adding ingredients too quickly may cause the frothing disc to dislodge or stop spinning. If the disc stops, the booklet's fix is to stop, empty the jug, reseat the disc and start again.
Pouring chai concentrate into cold milk before the milk frother starts works against the manufacturer's instructions. The Breville BMF600 troubleshooting table lists "ingredients have been added before milk has warmed up" as a cause of ingredients not melting, and its operating steps tell you to let the frother start for a few seconds first. A heavy dose of syrup dropped in at once is also the scenario Breville links to a stalled or dislodged frothing disc.
The Nespresso Aeroccino 4 is a milk-only frother. The Aeroccino 4 manual says syrup, sugar, chocolate powder or any other additives should not be added directly in the Aeroccino because they may damage the coating, and it advises against flavoured milks. Chai concentrate contains sugar and spices, so Aeroccino owners should always use the after-frothing method.
The Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker accepts syrups, honey, sugar and flavoured powders according to its user manual, but that manual does not mention tea, chai or concentrate. For any frother whose manual is silent on chai, the cup method avoids guessing.
Chai concentrate thins the foam because it is a sweetened syrup-like liquid. Breville's BMF600 booklet states that dense ingredients such as thick syrups can significantly reduce the amount of foam and calls this normal. If a tall foam cap matters more than a one-jug drink, froth plain milk and add the chai concentrate in the cup.
Put chai concentrate in the cup unless your frother's manual lists chai or syrups as suitable jug ingredients. Pouring frothed milk over concentrate in the cup works with every milk frother and carries no risk to the jug coating.
No. The Nespresso Aeroccino 4 manual says syrup, sugar, chocolate powder or any other additives should not be added directly in the Aeroccino because they may damage the coating. Chai concentrate contains sugar and spices, so mix it in the cup instead.
Start the Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 with milk only, let it run for a few seconds, then pour the concentrate slowly through the measuring cap in small amounts. The BMF600 booklet warns that adding ingredients too quickly can dislodge or stall the frothing disc.
The Breville BMF600 booklet explains that dense ingredients such as thick syrups can significantly reduce the amount of foam and describes this as normal. Adding the concentrate in the cup after frothing keeps the full foam from plain milk.
The Breville BMF600 booklet says to let the frother start before adding ingredients, and lists adding ingredients before the milk has warmed as a cause of ingredients not melting. None of the manuals reviewed recommends pre-mixing concentrate into cold milk in the jug.
Which frothers allow chai, cocoa and chocolate in the jug.
How to mix matcha smoothly with frothed milk.
Check the ingredients and the manual first.