What is the best milk for your latte?
At the risk of sounding old…I remember when the choices of milk were skim, 2%, or whole…all from a cow. At some point, those choices expanded to include soy and almond. Now you can add to that list oat, coconut, macadamia, cashew, and more.
For an indecisive person like myself, that makes ordering a latte exponentially more difficult. When the barista asks me what kind of milk I want, I stutter around and default to one of my usuals. So I decided it was time to research the pros and cons of four of the more widely available options.
But first, an important disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, nutritionist, or barista. I drink the majority of my hot coffee black…no sweetener, no cream, no milk. I do, however, enjoy the occasional hot latte, and for whatever reason, when it comes to iced coffee, I absolutely require cream or milk of some sort.
With that behind us, here are the results of my research. You will find my sources at the end of this post.
Cow’s milk
When it comes to health, on the plus side, cow’s milk provides 18 of 22 essential nutrients. It’s been shown to strengthen bones and protect heart and blood vessel strength. On the down side, drinking cow’s milk has been linked to some skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, and rosacea. According to some studies, milk sugars may be linked to a slightly higher risk of ovarian cancer. And, of course, if you are concerned about weight gain, whole and 2-percent milk contain more fat than plant-based milks.
As for flavor and texture, every article I read said baristas prefer whole cow’s milk for lattes. It has the perfect blend of fat and protein for frothing and a creamy sweetness that best compliments espresso. If whole milk is not an option for you, and you still want cow’s milk, baristas agree that skim milk is actually a better option than 2% in terms of frothing.
Oat milk
When it comes to health, on the plus side, oat milk is high in fiber and low in fat. On the down side, oat milk contains little protein and a lot of carbohydrates.
As for flavor and texture, oat milk is naturally sweet, steams well, and has a creamy texture similar to cow’s milk…an excellent option for lattes.
Almond milk
When it comes to health, on the plus side, almond milk is low in fat and often enriched to provide calcium. On the down side, it is low in protein and contains phytic acid, which inhibits mineral absorption.
As for flavor and texture, your standard almond milk does not froth well. There are barista blends that hold up better, but they don’t maintain the nutty flavor of standard almond milk. Almond milk is not a preferred option for most coffee aficionados.
Coconut milk
When it comes to health, on the plus side, coconut milk is low in calories and overall fat. On the down side, it is as high in saturated fat as whole milk and contains no protein or calcium.
As for flavor and texture, coconut milk does not foam well, but the sweet fatty flavor compliments coffee…so it’s a yes for flavor and no for texture.
And the winner is…
Unfortunately…or fortunately…there is no clear winner on all points. It would appear that while almond and coconut milk are fine choices for some purposes, they are not great for making lattes. That said, the best advice appears to be choose the one that best suits your health needs and flavor preferences.
As for me, with this important research behind me, I am ready for some real-world experimenting.
Your turn
- What is your milk of choice?
- If you are a coffee drinker, how do you take your coffee?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/is-milk-bad-for-you#side-effects
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/best-milk-for-latte_l_6298d8d5e4b016c4eef6d4ea
https://www.seriouseats.com/best-milk-alternatives-for-espresso-drinks-5188153
Image by sabuzak Kim from Pixabay
Truthfully I usually drink coffee black, but am trying to learn to want to put milk of some sort into it so that I get more calcium. I like dark chocolate soy milk, occasionally. And cashew milk occasionally. And 1/2 & 1/2 when available. But black coffee is still my favorite.
I usually drink my hot coffee black as well, Ally. Do you ever drink iced coffee? If so, do you still drink it black? I have never tried soy milk. I have tried almond and oat milk…and more recently macadamia…but only with other flavors. I’m wondering if I would like any of them with coffee alone.
I drink iced coffee once in a while and usually toss a splash of 1/2 & 1/2 in it. I know many people like sweetener in iced coffee, but I don’t like sweet coffee so none for me.
I’m with you, Ally, as far as passing on the sweetener. When ordering out, I’m going to try asking for just a splash of half-and-half, rather than the amount they typically put in. I’ll be toasting you with my next coffee!
I mostly drink tea – without milk – but when I do have coffee, it’s a small skim flat white for me (of which I usually only drink half) made with cow’s milk. I don’t like the sweetness that comes from the soy or the almond and dislike the after-taste from lactose-free milk. My tummy doesn’t do that well with milk, and I’m not that keen on it so find a latte is too milky for me, yet black coffee is too bitter. My flat white is somewhere in between.
I can see why you would prefer tea, Jo, considering your intolerance for milk and dislike for black coffee. I do like the occasional cup of tea, but I’m primarily a coffee drinker.
I like milk and we usually buy 2% cows milk. I put about a tablespoon of creamer in my coffee, but I like half/half too. I only drink lattes at a coffee shop, and I really do not remember specifying what kind of milk.
Why am I not surprised by this, sister? Perhaps we’ve had a few coffees together over the years.
I drink lactose-free milk at home and have it in my home coffee, but I just have normal milk in my flat whites when I’m at a cafe. I have a chronic “little cough” that my friend calls my “old lady cough” that is worse when I have too much dairy – so lactose-free for me for the majority of the time.
Lactose free sounds like a good choice for you, Leanne. Have you ever tried any of the nut milks? I don’t care for any of them to drink straight. I used to drink a glass of cold skim or 2% cow’s milk with my dinner every night. My tastes have changed over the years, and I no longer enjoy plain milk…well, maybe just a swallow after a fresh-baked cookie.
Hi Christie, this was very interesting! I don’t drink coffee at all and usually drink weak black tea but occasionally I do have hot chocolate when I’m out and have it with normal milk. It’s always interesting to hear the variety of coffees people request, especially for a non-coffee person 🙂
There are so many varieties available now, Debbie. It can be quite overwhelming. I have a cup of hot black coffee at home every morning, no matter the weather. However, when I go to a coffee shop, I really enjoy an iced latte or iced coffee with half and half.
Oat milk has been so popular recently and running the deli I’m needing to buy it more… I felt the same way with almond milk years back.
I almost never get asked for soy anymore. Weird!
I’ll stick to whole….. less sugar, but more fat, but I’m ok with that! ❤️
That’s interesting how milk choices have changed over the years, Courtney. I do like oat milk in a shaken brown sugar espresso for an occasional treat. As for iced coffee, I like a shot of half and half (no sugar).
It’s a coincidence that you post about the different types of milk Christie, as it’s been a big topic in our house for a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been trying to reduce carbs so about two weeks ago tried my first almond latte and loved it. I found it very creamy and when I checked into it the calcium level was fairly high so that’s a plus for me. I’ve tried a few different ones that I really didn’t like but we have an unsweetened barista variety here which is fabulous and I enjoy more that dairy.
That is a pleasant coincidence, Jen. I do enjoy an iced latte with almond milk on occasion, and they can be high in calcium if the milk is fortified. Do you make the lattes at home, or do you get them from a coffee shop?
Hi Christie, isn’t it amazing how many milk choices there are these days?! I used to drink full cream milk until adulthood when weight became a concern so I switched to skim milk. Then in my midlife years I suddenly became lactose intolerant and now I drink Almond Milk however if I’m out I will have anything lactose free! Whenever I go out for coffee my order is quite complicated. I usually order a 1/2 strength, lactose free cappuccino. Thanks for linking up with #WWWhimsy – I hope the rest of your week goes well and that your weekend is fabulous! xo
I find it so interesting that food allergies can develop later in life, Min, but I know it’s true. Personally, I’ve found that tastes change over time as well. I like things I didn’t used to like, and don’t like some other things I used to enjoy. I’m curious, do you drink almond milk straight? I tried it, but couldn’t get used to the taste. I do like it in an iced latte though.
I generally drink my coffee black, and I also drink a lot of black (and herbal) teas. We generally buy skimmed milk (which is think is your 2% equivalent) as skimmed milk is tricky for cooking with. When I fancy milky coffee, I go for a Cortado.
We watch a LOT of coffee stuff and I concur that whole milk is the preferred option. My daughter drinks oat milk and says the Nespresso milk frother I bought her works as well on it as it does on the whole milk which my grandson drinks – he’s only 3 but likes his “bubbly milk” 😉
Thank you, Debs. I learned a new word today: Cortado. I hadn’t heard that one, so I just looked it up. As I mentioned, I do prefer hot coffee black, but iced coffee requires some dressing up for my tastes. I love that your grandson enjoys bubbly milk. For some reason, that struck me as so cute.
I like a Cortado as there’s just enough milk but it’s strong on coffee flavour. You can’t get it everywhere, but I grab one when I can.
I’m glad you enjoyed my grandson story – clearly I’m biased, but I find pretty much everything he does cute 🙂
I prefer the coffee flavor to come through strong, so I might see if they offer cortados around here. Otherwise, I’ll try asking for half the usual half-and-half.
Hi Christie, I switched to soy milk lattes which taste good to me. With high cholesterol due to my genes I have to try to cut down on saturated fast where I can. Mike has switched Almond milk on his cereal which is pretty progressive for him!
I’ve yet to try soy milk, Sue. I might give it a shot. After my recent bloodwork, the one thing I need to work on is reducing my cholesterol, so I’ve just started tracking saturated fats as a way of seeing where I might make improvements. Congrats to Mike on making the change to almond milk.