Coffee and Milk is familiar to all of us in various forms: cappuccino, latte macchiato, or flat white. Many people add milk to their coffee to suppress the strong or sometimes unpleasant taste of the coffee itself. However, the significance of milk in coffee goes far beyond just masking flavors.
First and foremost, it’s important to note that milk should be added to coffee strictly warm because its cold version reduces the coffee’s temperature, preventing all flavors and aromas from fully developing. The full and pleasant taste of coffee gets lost, leaving us only the taste of lukewarm milk.
Coffee can sometimes be too acidic or bitter. Combining it with properly prepared milk reduces its intensity and even brings out some background flavors. A crucial aspect of milk chemistry is the complex combination of fats. Milk fat globules coat the tongue and subtly suppress the taste of coffee. Proteins, equally important as fats, slightly sweeten due to temperature. This makes milk a perfect companion to coffee, creating a sweet and dense “coffee dessert” with many undiscovered flavors in the background.
To achieve the mentioned harmony, it’s necessary to properly prepare the milk. The temperature is a crucial factor. The recommended temperature of milk added to coffee ranges from 140°F to 160°F (60°C to 70°C). Lower temperatures cause the coffee to quickly cool down, losing its taste and aromatic properties. Heating it to a higher temperature risks burning and destroying the flavors in the coffee, besides the risk of burns.
How do we make our milk thick and creamy? In professional coffee machines, it primarily depends on the barista and their work with the steam wand, which heats the milk with hot steam and changes its volume. However, the technique of holding the pitcher, immersing the steam wand in the milk, and the pressure applied are crucial. If you want to create creamy milk at home, small handheld frothers can help you froth warm milk until it thickens, or automatic coffee machines can do the job for you.
Not only cow’s milk is a suitable addition to coffee
The most commonly used milk in coffee drinks is cow’s milk. Processed cow’s milk most distinctly complements the “body” of coffee with its taste and doesn’t influence it with its flavor, unlike goat or sheep milk, for example. Because fats and proteins are what make milk coffee drinks dense and creamy, full-fat milk is the best choice for their preparation. However, if you or any of your guests suffer from an allergy or intolerance to cow’s milk proteins, which are present in this milk, prepare coffee from another type of animal milk or plant-based milk.
Goat’s milk has an almost salty, grassy taste that might appeal especially to those who like pure white yogurts. It lacks sweetness. It pairs best with coffees prepared by filtration methods and from lighter roasted coffee beans. The minimal sweetness of the milk enhances the freshness and fruitiness in such coffees. Therefore, goat’s milk is an increasingly sought-after alternative to cow’s milk.
Plant-based milks like coconut, almond, or soy enjoy enormous popularity. Here are their basic characteristics:
Almond milk – low-fat content, weak taste intensity, resulting drink has a thinner consistency and is flavorless Coconut milk – low-fat content, pronounced coconut flavor, resulting drink has a thinner consistency with slight acidity and a nutty aftertaste Soy milk – milk-like liquid from soybeans with low-fat content, resulting drink has a thinner consistency with a grainy flavor Lactose-free milk – low-fat content, sweeter taste, brownish appearance, resulting drink has a thinner consistency and is flavorless
Types of coffee-milk drinks
In the nomenclature of individual coffee drinks, not everyone is entirely clear. Let’s summarise them.
- Cappuccino: The base is espresso, paired with properly frothed milk and milk foam, served in a cup with a volume of 5 – 6 fl oz (150 – 180 ml).
- Espresso macchiato: Meaning “stained coffee,” features espresso with a touch of milk micro-foam. It’s known as a small cappuccino or occasionally mistaken as “piccolo with milk.” Typically served in an espresso cup.
- Caffè Latte: Similar to a cappuccino but with a larger drink volume, comprised of espresso, properly frothed milk, and milk foam, served in a cup with a volume of 6.4 – 10 fl oz (190 – 300 ml).
- Latte Macchiato: Milk is frothed and poured first, followed by espresso, creating three distinct layers in a glass or cup with a volume of 6.4 – 10 fl oz (190 – 300 ml).
- Flat White: Originating from Australia, it consists of a double espresso paired with frothed milk and milk foam, served in a cup with a volume of 5 – 6 fl oz (150 – 180 ml).
- Caffè Mocha: Espresso mixed with hot chocolate or cocoa powder, complemented by properly frothed milk and milk foam, served in cups with a volume of 6.4 – 10 fl oz (190 – 300 ml). Sometimes found as a caffè latte with chocolate.
- Piccolo Latte: Originating from Sydney, it’s made of ristretto (0.35 – 0.5 fl oz / 10 – 15 ml) complemented by milk and milk foam, totalling 3.4 fl oz (100 ml), usually served in a glass.
- Café au Lait: Coffee prepared by various methods (drip, filtered, etc.) complemented with properly frothed milk, served in a glass without a defined volume.
