What Milk Should Be Used for Coffee Making? Is Whole Milk or Skim Milk Better for Coffee?

Coffee and milk form a golden partnership. The rich, aromatic black coffee blends with smooth milk, where the bitterness of coffee is enveloped by the sweetness of milk, yet preserving the coffee's fragrance. The milk doesn't overpower, allowing you to still experience this as a cup of "coffee." Therefore, the ratio of coffee to milk becomes particularly important.

How to Pair Coffee with Milk?

The black coffee that pairs with milk must be exceptional enough not to be overshadowed by the milk. Therefore, the coffee concentration must be high. In terms of flavor, coffee with bitter notes is better suited for milk pairing than coffee with acidic notes. When bitter coffee combines with milk, the milk effectively masks the bitterness we might dislike while still allowing the coffee's flavor (aroma) to shine through. However, acidic coffee can be easily masked by milk's sweetness, emphasizing the milk's sweet taste.

When it comes to the most coffee-milk-friendly variety, espresso undoubtedly takes the crown! The combination of espresso and milk is what we commonly know as latte. However, to create a delicious latte, the coffee beans, milk, and the ratio between these two elements require careful consideration.

Coffee to Milk Ratio in Latte

Most espresso beans used for lattes are based on chocolate flavors, which when combined with milk, creates a chocolate milk-like taste. Take FrontStreet Coffee's in-house Sunflower Warm Blend as an example—it's crafted from Honduras Sherry coffee beans and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee beans, featuring rich sherry wine aroma, vanilla chocolate, and caramel flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee's recipe for latte uses a 1:6.5 coffee-to-milk ratio—40ml of espresso as the base combined with 260ml of milk (including foam), creating a latte with rich chocolate notes and whiskey-like aroma.

Of course, a 1:6.5 coffee-to-milk ratio isn't universally perfect—it should be adjusted based on the espresso's flavor profile and the milk's characteristics. FrontStreet Coffee also determined this 1:6.5 ratio through extensive testing with their Sunflower Warm Blend beans and Kowloon Dairy fresh milk.

In the ratio experiments with Sunflower Warm Blend beans and Kowloon Dairy fresh milk, when the ratio was 1:6 or lower, the coffee flavor became too intense, creating an unbalanced taste. At ratios of 1:7 or higher, the milk completely overpowered the coffee, making it seem weak and tasteless. Therefore, to create a delicious milk coffee, the ratio between coffee and milk is crucial.

Can Pour-Over Coffee Be Mixed with Milk?

Pour-over coffee appears much lighter compared to espresso (espresso concentration is around 9%, while pour-over is about 1.3%). Additionally, pour-over coffee typically uses single-origin beans, which are often considered the highest quality category of coffee. Many people don't recommend adding milk to it (as it might seem wasteful).

However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the general public tends to accept milk coffee more readily, and there are many cases of people transitioning from milk coffee to pour-over. Moreover, adding milk to any type of coffee isn't inherently wrong. For those who aren't accustomed to drinking black coffee, coffee with milk can be more enjoyable.

But milk shouldn't be added indiscriminately—as mentioned above, improper ratios can be counterproductive. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee would like to share some recommendations for adding milk to light-roasted, less concentrated coffee compared to espresso.

Similarly, fruit-forward, acidic pour-over coffees aren't suitable for milk consumption. Firstly, these coffees naturally have a light, refreshing character that few people find unpleasant; secondly, adding milk might completely mask the coffee's flavor or create unpleasant sour notes similar to spoilage.

Therefore, milk is better suited for medium-dark roasted coffees that display nutty, chocolate, and similar flavors. Because pour-over coffee inherently has lower concentration, it can easily be overpowered by excessive milk. Additionally, adding milk to pour-over coffee often aims to enhance smoothness and neutralize some bitterness, making the coffee more approachable. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends adding 20ml of milk per 100ml of black coffee.

Some Knowledge About Fresh Milk vs. Pure Milk

Fresh milk and pure milk differ by just one character, but they have significant distinctions, specifically:

1. Different shelf life: Fresh milk typically lasts 7 days, while pure milk can last up to a year.
2. Different storage methods: Fresh milk must be refrigerated, while pure milk only needs to be stored at room temperature away from light.
3. Different pasteurization methods: Fresh milk uses pasteurization, while pure milk undergoes ultra-high temperature sterilization.
4. Different nutritional value: Fresh milk has higher nutritional value than pure milk.
5. Different taste and texture: Fresh milk often has a richer milk flavor, while pure milk tastes milder.

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