How to make delicious (possibly low calorie) frothy drinks without a milk steamer

I love Starbucks.  Their chai tea latte is to die for.  Very few other places can even compete with it.  I’ve tried making it at home with the same mix they use, but it never tastes the same.  It’s all in the steamed milk…and I don’t have an espresso machine.  I don’t drink coffee, but I do have a french press for when guests come over;  I can at least attempt to make coffee for them.  Turns out the french press does a great job at frothing milk, and it’s really easy.

I start by heating some milk, just to the temperature right before it starts boiling.  Scalded milk tastes like butt.  Then I put the milk into the french press and plunge the press up and down.  It seriously makes foam like you have never seen before…foam as dense as a sponge.

I don’t have chai mix now, and plus it’s loaded with calories…so a lower calories alternative I have been making is with Bigelow Cinnamon stick or Constant comment tea.  I just use one tea bag and make a half a cup of tea.  Let it steep for a while so it’s strong.  Then I add 2 splenda, some cinnamon and pour the frothed milk on top.  It’s delicious and about 100 calories, with the benefits of both milk and tea.

I am convinced that you could make a regular latte or cappuccino with just a french press too.  You can make some hella strong coffee in french press, which may resemble espresso in dire situations…and then add the frothed milk.  I tried making a latte in this fashion for my mother in law once, but she seemed less than impressed.  I think it’s because she told me to make the milk hotter and it scalded, thus tasting like butt.  Now she won’t let me make her one anymore, and I don’t really do lattes.  Anyone want to be a guinea pig so I can perfect my latte?