The Perfect Latte Ratio! How to Add Milk to Pour-Over Coffee? Does Pour-Over Coffee Taste Good with Milk?

Sweetness, richness, and body are the three qualities that have made latte coffee so widely loved. A cup of milk coffee can achieve that texture mainly because of the extremely high concentration of espresso. To reach that concentration without being swamped by milk, we need a very extreme extraction - which is exactly why espresso machines add pressure to the process.

A high-performance espresso machine, though, is expensive, and not everyone will kit out a home kitchen just for a latte, nor is it necessary. That's why, online, people have invented plenty of budget-friendly ways to make a good milk coffee, so they can satisfy a craving whenever it strikes. The milk extraction method FrontStreet Coffee often shares is one such solution.

As FrontStreet Coffee has mentioned, there are many other solutions besides that one. We can choose different methods for different situations. So next, FrontStreet Coffee wants to share another very simple method with fairly broad applicability for making a fragrant milk coffee.

How to Make Rich and Full-Bodied Milk Coffee Without a Coffee Machine?

The reason milk coffee in the espresso system tastes rich rather than thin comes mainly from the extremely high concentration of espresso. To create milk coffee with a similar texture by other means, we first need a high-concentration coffee. High concentration means more dissolved coffee solids per unit volume of water. So to make a concentrated coffee, we need very little water to extract more flavor compounds.

Without the addition of pressure, though, a sparse amount of water struggles to extract the coffee completely. For this reason we need fairly extreme parameters to lift extraction efficiency: ultra-fine grinding, ultra-high water temperature, and ultra-long extraction time are what FrontStreet Coffee calls extreme parameters. But those alone are far from enough to pull enough out of the coffee, because the water volume is simply too small. We need another way to stand in for pressure and dissolve a large amount of flavor compounds. "Stirring" is the best candidate. Through stirring we can quickly press the flavor compounds out of the coffee, letting a small amount of hot water extract a large amount of flavor, and combined with the other extreme parameters we obtain a relatively high-concentration espresso. Finally, by adding milk in the right proportion, we get a rich, full-bodied milk coffee.

Talk is cheap, so now FrontStreet Coffee will share the specific steps. Note that milk coffee made this way can only approach the texture of a latte, not equal it. The mouthfeel and taste won't be as excellent, because the extraction rate isn't high. Even so, it has its own charm.

Production Sharing

Because FrontStreet Coffee wanted a milk coffee with floral and fruity notes this time, the bean used here is FrontStreet Coffee's Hope Estate Geisha from the bean list. It comes from Colombia and shows rose, grape, and black tea characteristics. For parameters, FrontStreet Coffee chose the same coffee-to-water ratio as espresso extraction - 1:4, which converts to a coffee-to-liquid ratio of 1:2; the water temperature is 100°C, using water immediately after boiling; and the grind is 0 on the Ek43's finest setting, close to espresso grind with a flour-like particle size. Then prepare any tool you have for stirring. This method is broadly applicable, so whether you use a Clever Dripper, a pour-over cone, or an Aeropress, it works. For this demonstration FrontStreet Coffee chose a pour-over cone. As always, begin with the standard setup: fold the filter paper, rinse it, then pour the grounds into the cone, and you're ready to start.

FrontStreet Coffee used 20g of grounds this time, so the hot water needed is 80ml. Divide the target water into two pours. First pour 20ml of hot water to wet the grounds and release gases, then immediately take out the stirring tool and stir.

Stir for about 10 seconds, then stop. Next, pour in all the remaining hot water, then take out the stirring tool again and stir. Stop after about 30 seconds, then just wait for all the coffee liquid to drip through, and you can go on to make the coffee. (Small pour-over cones are not recommended for learning this, as cleanup can be messy.)

You can see in the photo below that the concentration is very high, with a very dark liquid. Even so, FrontStreet Coffee still has to stress that its concentration doesn't match that of espresso.

Next we need to add milk. Because the Geisha FrontStreet Coffee used is medium-light roasted and processed by the conventional honey method, its flavor isn't as prominent as a dark roast or an anaerobically processed coffee, so the amount of milk should be reduced to keep the milk from masking the coffee. After several trials, FrontStreet Coffee settled on an optimal golden ratio of 1:2.5. In practical terms, 40ml of coffee needs to be mixed with 100ml of milk. (With anaerobically processed or dark roast beans, the ratio can be larger.)

The milk coffee made this way is fragrant, rich, and smooth overall. You can taste the coffee flavors and enjoy a silky, full-bodied texture that is neither weak nor thin - very good. Although it doesn't match espresso-based milk coffee overall, compared with other methods its performance is already outstanding.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

When milk is in the mix, medium-dark single origins that can still speak through the milk are the safest bet. FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate fits the bill: acidity is low and the cup is well balanced, with rich nutty and cocoa aromas and a clear caramel sweetness. It drinks smooth without astringency, warm and lingering, and works just as well as pour-over, espresso, or moka pot - a traditional, classic everyday coffee you never tire of.

For something with a little more sweetness to stand up to milk, try FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird, a specialty single origin from the Sigri region's Paradise Bird Estate. Its texture is close to Jamaica Blue Mountain, which is why many drinkers call it "little Blue Mountain." Grown from the same Typica variety as Blue Mountain, on volcanic soil at 1600-1800 meters, and meeting the high AA grade with plump beans and a very low defect rate, it gets a triple-washed fermentation for a clean, pure cup with pronounced sweetness - another excellent choice for those who prefer coffee without acidity.