In industrial mass production, minimizing manufacturing time is essential for reducing production costs. A systematic approach is based on Taguchi’s methodology to optimize the material removal rate (MRR) during face milling of steel (AISI 1040). The experiments are conducted on a Vertical Machining Center (HURCO-VM10) using an 80 mm diameter face milling cutter. Key quantitative factors, i.e., cutting speed, feed per teeth, and depth of cut are taken, while qualitative factors like cutter offset, rolling direction, and soaking time are incorporated into the cutting strategy. The DOE comply with Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array, with MRR calculated for each trial. The optimal levels of factors are recognized using the S/N ratio. ANOVA is performed to identify the optimum settings, and calculate the contribution of each factor. ANOVA results reveal that feed per tooth and cutting speed are the primary factors influencing MRR. Confirmation test is also carried out to compare the MRR results.