What is the purpose of milk watcher ?

A milk watcher is a handy kitchen accessory that prevents milk from suddenly boiling over when you bring it to a boil.

Why does milk boil over?

When bringing milk to a boil, you’ll notice a “skin” forms: a layer of coagulated milk proteins. Beneath the skin, foam also forms due to the proteins (again) and sugars, much like in beer.

The skin hinders heat dissipation and promotes the formation of foam, which rises by lifting the skin (without breaking it).

When the foam reaches the edge, it begins to overflow and flows down until it drops below the liquid level in the pot; at this point, it creates a siphon via capillary action: it is no longer just the foam that is leaking, but potentially all the milk.

How the milk watcher works

The milk watcher is a heavy disc that sinks to the bottom, where the bubbles form. For the record, it was invented in 1921 by I. F. Ivankovitser (patent filed in 1929) and has since become popular in Western countries.

Let’s try to understand how it works… Instead of rising directly, the bubbles produced beneath the object gather into a bubble large enough to lift it. The object then releases the bubble and falls back to the bottom with a splash.

The characteristic sound alerts the cook to the need to lower the heat. If the heat isn’t too high, the milk watcher device is sufficient to prevent the overflow that would occur without it.

Our Selection

Here you will find the anti-boil-over products we have selected.

Pour aller plus loin, venez découvrir toutes les recettes qui utilisent l'anti-monte-lait !