During conversations about the use of milk in gourmet coffee beverages, the words “steaming” and “frothing” are often used interchangeably. But in fact, steaming milk and frothing milk are two separate things. Steaming and frothing are both used to give the milk a lot of foam, but the methods and techniques involved are different — and experienced baristas are well aware of what goes into steamed milk versus what goes into frothed milk.