Effects of plant milk such as soybean milk, almond milk and oat milk on fine coffee

The best plant milk for coffee

In recent years, plant milk has been widely used. Many people are trying to reduce their intake of animal products, and the boutique coffee market is no exception. Whether you choose plant milk for moral, health or other reasons, it is important to find a milk substitute that does not disguise the beauty of coffee.

More and more customers are becoming vegetarians or lactose intolerant. However, using a latte with plant milk does not mean losing professional quality. Why buy quality beans and learn how to make espresso so as not to taste bad? Whether you are a barista or a consumer, understanding the differences between plant milk can help you make delicious drinks.

Soy milk

This should be the well-known plant milk in the world. People have used soybeans instead of animal products in recent years. This is not only good for people who want to avoid dairy products, but also for people who are allergic to nuts. It is also widely used. But depending on the manufacturers and additives, the foaming effect of soybeans may be very polarized.

It tastes good, but according to it often depends on the brand and the experience of baristas. Excellent fusion skills for controlling steel cups are required to maintain an excellent taste.

How does that sound? Some say that soybean is a kind of natural flavor plant milk, which can go well with boutique coffee. But some people say it tastes like a carton.

The nutty flavor of soy milk can set off South American coffee, but it is not suitable for African coffee with fruit flavor.

Almond milk

It is reported that in recent years, this kind has replaced soy milk as the main plant milk. Some consumers like it because they are worried about soy affecting female hormones. Others worry that growing almonds will consume a lot of water. But how does almond milk go with boutique coffee?

It usually lumps or separates in the cup. Sour coffee is more likely to happen.

For all brands of almond milk that have been used, whether it is the regular version or the barista version, it is a strong bitter taste from the first sip. Once it's over, it becomes delightfully sweet.

It can set off some light roasted coffee, but for deep roasting it can twist and produce a strange sour taste. Lattes are easier to handle, and almond milk tastes good.

Oat milk

There is a good reason why this kind of vegetable milk is becoming popular rapidly. It has the most natural flavor of all dairy substitutes and is no stronger than coffee. If it is Brazilian beans, you will taste the flavor of Brazilian coffee beans. If it is Ethiopian beans, you will taste the flavor of Ethiopian coffee beans.

Depending on the brand, it tastes much better than dairy products. But the taste depends on the brand and the ratio of water to oil. Some companies seem to be trying to imitate the texture of dairy products and get as close to their nutritional value as possible, which is counterproductive. These products may be too greasy, so they taste too nutty and mask the taste of coffee.

Sesame seeds, hazelnuts, cashews and others

Sesame seeds, hazelnuts and cashew milk are largely ignored and can be used in boutique coffee drinks. Hazelnut has a unique flavor that can mask or distort the flavor of coffee. The sesame seed is not suitable because of too much water content.

Sesame seeds will not retain any taste, but will only decompose immediately. It will blister no matter how it is stirred. It has a rather neutral taste, which means that the flavor of coffee can reach its peak, but it leaves a sense of water that people don't like and a sticky taste like snot.

Cashew milk tastes milder than almond milk, but the natural sweetness is too strong in coffee. It is also not easy to foaming. These types of milk are rare and more expensive than soybeans, almonds and oats.

Coconut milk is rich in oil, and he has a taste similar to milk. But it contains a lot of saturated fat, the unique taste will mask the flavor of coffee. Some drinks combine coconut milk with other too watery plant milk to add a sense of consistency.

What is the difference between vegetable milk and milk?

The reaction to heating and foaming depends on the protein in the milk. The protein in plant milk is obviously different from the lactose and milk protein in milk, so this is where they behave differently.

Due to the change of temperature (the editor recommends plant milk 50-55 degrees, the general milk foaming temperature is 60-65 degrees), the acidity of coffee and the effect of foaming make plant milk coagulate more easily. Some baristas suggest foaming plant milk to a slightly lower temperature than milk to prevent this from happening.

For any plant milk, please pay attention to the composition table. There are many products specially designed for baristas, and additives vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Stabilizers are usually added to plant milk to make it better heated and foamed, so products containing these are a good choice for cappuccino coffee. But if you are looking for "no additions" to replace animal milk products, you may like categories that do not add stabilizers, even if it leads to mundane drinks.

In addition, check the amount and type of sugar and fat contained in it, and consider whether they complement the coffee beans you use. Too much fat or sugar will mask the taste of coffee and is not suitable for drinking.