Does the processing method of milk also affect milk coffee? Which type of milk is more suitable for coffee?

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When was your coffee roasted? What was the processing method? What was the roasting degree? I believe that anyone who brews coffee must have a way to answer these questions.

But if you are asked how the milk is processed, you may not be able to answer directly. You must look at the label on the package.

When coffee is mixed with milk, take cappuccino for example, the whole cup may be two-thirds of milk, and you have to pay equal attention to the quality of coffee and milk.

The author uses several different types of milk, but I won’t discuss the differences between soy milk vs almond milk, full fat vs low fat, although these are also important. This article focuses on the processing procedures of milk: raw milk, heat sterilization, high temperature processing, etc. Let’s understand their differences and how they will present the flavor of cappuccino.

The barista pours steamed milk to make latte art. Source: Contrast Coffee

Main methods of processing milk

Let's discuss some technical issues first.

The freshest milk available to people with the least processing is "raw milk", which is milk that has not been sterilized or homogenized. A more detailed description is:

Pasteurization: The milk is not heated and cooled quickly enough to kill bacteria.

Homogenized: The fat molecules of the milk are not broken down to prevent the milk from forming a creamy layer on the surface.

Raw milk has always been controversial because it has not been sterilized at high temperatures. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration strongly warns consumers not to drink raw milk. In contrast, many French cheeses are made with raw milk, and the UK Food Standards Agency believes that as long as raw milk is properly hygienically controlled, it is suitable for non-sensitive groups. Critics of raw milk point out that drinking raw milk may cause food poisoning, while supporters of raw milk say that raw milk is tastier and healthier (even though there is no relevant research to support the health issue).

You can also buy pasteurized but unhomogenized milk, and more rarely, unpasteurized homogenized milk. However, the most commonly available milk is pasteurized and homogenized.

There are many forms of high temperature pasteurization, the two most common of which are "high temperature short time method HTST" and "ultra-high temperature method UHT". According to the International Dairy Association, HTST milk is heated at 72 ºC for 15 seconds and still needs to be refrigerated; UHT (also known as long-lasting milk) milk has been sterilized and therefore does not need to be refrigerated.

These are the most common ways to process milk, but which one is better to pair with coffee?

Barista steaming milk. Source: Tony Pramana

Experiment with different milk

First of all, every coffee is different, and so is every milk. Different coffee varieties, farms, and coffee trees will produce coffee with different flavors; different cattle breeds, cattle grazing management, feed, etc. will produce different milk components and flavors. This is the charm of third wave coffee. We pay attention to the difference in flavor in the coffee cup, and we know that different coffees can indeed have very different flavors.

So when we experiment with different types of milk, we must first understand that the results cannot be generalized. Using different brands of milk with coffee from different origins will result in different results. After all, they are all agricultural products.

However, actually trying these milks can help us understand their main differences more deeply. The author collected raw milk, unhomogenized but high temperature sterilized milk, HTST, and UHT milk, and tasted them all, including ice milk, milk foam, cappuccino, etc.

For espresso, we chose Ijen from East Java, Indonesia. The coffee flavor is described as roasted peanuts, strawberry jam-like acidity, and a lingering aftertaste.

The following are the results of the author's test:

Flavor testing of different milks. Source: Tony Pramana

Raw milk

The author obtained milk from a local farm in North Bandung Dago, Indonesia. When observing how dairy farmer Mark milked the cows, Mark told the author some details about dairy farming. If direct trade coffee is like "from seed to cup", milk is like "from cow to cup".

When the author tastes cold milk, he can taste the sweetness and rich taste. When the milk is steamed, the sweetness decreases, and the creaminess and richness of the taste become more prominent. In a cup of cappuccino, there will be a smooth taste with caramel flavor and a slight banana flavor.

High temperature sterilization but not homogenization

Remember that there are many ways to sterilize milk at high temperatures. The milk used here is heated at 63ºC for 15 seconds. Drinking it when it is cold gives you a very sweet but thin taste; steaming it will give you a slightly rounder taste, while the sweetness will remain the same as when it is cold. However, when it is made into cappuccino, it will enhance the bitterness of the coffee, giving you an overly caramelized feeling.

So the author conducted a second experiment: using beans roasted at the hand-brew coffee level to make espresso, and tried the flavors of espresso alone and with milk. When drinking espresso alone, it tastes very sour; adding milk will amplify the fruit flavor of the coffee and increase the overall sweetness. For the author, this milk is very suitable for making fruity cappuccino (lightly roasted beans).

HTST high temperature short time method

This type of milk is the most easily available and has a reasonable shelf life, increasing the convenience of use for stores.

When it is cold, the author tastes creamy, medium sweetness, and a medium to weak body. The sweetness of the milk increases after steaming, and it increases again after being made into cappuccino.

However, this milk was the one that the author’s shop had been using for almost a year at the time, so the barista was already familiar with how to use this milk to pair with the coffee flavor.

UHT ultra high temperature method

For the author, this milk has a long and creamy aftertaste when drunk straight, but it is too sweet and tastes like canned milk. After steaming, the surface is smooth and creamy, but there is no milk foam. After making cappuccino, there is still no milk foam, and the flavor becomes bitter and bland.

Barista making latte art, source: Anchorhead Coffee

No matter what milk we use, trying different milks will help you find the best milk to add to your coffee, and learn more about the effect of milk on your other drinks besides coffee. These practices will help detect different levels of sweetness and caramel creaminess, just like cupping different coffees can enhance your taste ability. So try adding different milks to different coffees and compare the differences in flavor.

This article was written by Tony Pramana and translated from Perfect Daily Grind

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