To make microfoam, baristas add the smallest possible amount of air into milk when frothing, and this really can make for a better cup of coffee. In a YouTube video from Breville Canada, a barista explains how earlier foaming techniques made "large frothy bubbles" that failed to fully integrate with the coffee, but microfoam solves that issue.

Microfoam not only balances flavors and blends perfectly into your drink with a silky smoothness, but the fine and velvety foam makes the best "latte art" as well. To microfoam, you'll need a steaming wand that's attached to an espresso machine, and while fresh, cold, whole milk is ideal, richer oat and soy milks can also work.

By using a precise steaming wand, hot steam enters the milk at a high-pressure point, aerating the liquid and expanding the milk's inherent natural fats to create a silky, liquid-velvet texture that's smooth and fine. Temperature also matters, and excessively high heat can cause the milk to over-expand, giving you large air bubbles or macrofoam.