What coffee lover doesn't enjoy a good latte or cappuccino? Indians, in particular, love milky coffee drinks which are perfectly balanced in flavour and texture. The key to a great milky coffee is the milk foam, which is why frothed milk significantly impacts both the taste and texture of the coffee.
When you have an espresso machine such as the Coffeeza Finero Next, you are sure to hit a great espresso, so why compromise on the milk? We're here to tell you everything you need to know about frothing milk and choosing the best milk to make your cappuccino! With this knowledge, you'll be able to master any type of cafe-quality drink in your own kitchen!
What's the best milk for frothing?
Depending on what you're looking for in the milk foam, the answer to this question will vary. If you want a thick and creamy foam, you should use milk with more fat. If you want a lighter foam, however, you should use milk with less fat. Below are important points to be kept in mind:
- Thumb rule - Choose tetra pack milk always
Before you decide on what type of milk to choose, remember that the best milk to use for frothing is Tetra pack milk (longer-shelf-life milk). It has more proteins than fresh milk (pasteurized milk in packets), which are needed for making milk foam. Another benefit is that the user can preserve it longer and consume the carton over several days.
- Best option: Whole Milk or Full Fat Milk
The protein and fat content of whole milk makes it an excellent choice for frothing. The fat tends to make the milk taste sweeter and richer. Moreover, whole high-protein milk has a nice creamy texture and produces the thickest foam. Using an automatic frother like the Frothimo with this milk will give one the thickest, creamiest milk froth.
- Secondary option: Semi skimmed or skimmed milk
Despite having less fat than whole milk, semi-skimmed milk provides a good balance of protein and fat, and is the best option for frothing after whole milk. This milk works well when it is frothed, resulting in thick foam with fewer bubbles and a less creamy taste than higher-fat milk. Despite this, it's still a good option for those who want to avoid using whole milk but still want a good milk foam.
Now, skimmed milk has the lowest fat content, it might not seem like an obvious choice for creating foamy milk, but if you are okay with a very thin froth, you can use this milk (for those who want to avoid milk with fat)
- Non-Dairy options like Almond / Soy and Oat Milk
Automatic milk frothers like Frothimo can froth non-dairy alternatives like almond, oat and soy milk too, but the consistency of heating and frothing will not always be the same, and the froth will be much lesser than the dairy counter parts.
How to make the best milk froth?
We already covered this in an earlier blog Handheld Milk Frother V/s Fully Automatic Milk Frother. Where we suggested that a fully automatic milk frother is the best bet for someone who wants to make a variety of cafe-style beverages at home. The ideal temperature for frothing warm milk is 70-80 degrees celsius, automatic frothers like the Frothimo take care of this when they heat and froth the milk, which is not possible with handled or manual frothers.
To summarize, some type of milk will froth better than others, and some can be more effective at creating foam and frothing. There are some milk varieties or alternatives that are ideal for adding flavour to your coffee, or maybe are even healthy and suitable for your diet. Perhaps you should try different combinations until you find the milk that works for you.
