Coffee, do you want milk?

Although black coffee is healthy and easy to taste, many people still like to drink coffee with milk. The silky and rich milk aroma and coffee flavor complement each other, adding a richer taste.

There are many types of coffee. Common ones include coffee beans named after the country or region of origin, such as Yirgacheffe, Mandheling... There are also coffees distinguished by brewing utensils and methods, such as hand-brewed coffee, syphon coffee, Aeropress coffee... For novices who are trying coffee for the first time, they will be confused by the dazzling array of items in minutes, so people often ask the editor, what kind of coffee/coffee beans are suitable for adding milk?

Good coffee/coffee beans are naturally delicious with or without milk, but there are so many types of coffee beans, and different coffee beans have their own suitable brewing and drinking methods. Choosing the right coffee/coffee beans can avoid the imbalance or conflict between the taste of coffee and milk, and only then can you taste the coffee you like.

Which coffee beans are best to add milk?

The biggest difference between a cup of coffee with or without milk is the taste, which is what we usually call body. Body is the tactile sensation of coffee in the mouth. When drinking coffee, we will feel the "viscosity" and "weight" of the coffee after entering the mouth, including the light taste like water or the thick taste. The coffee with milk can obviously feel the heaviness, and the fat contained in it or the whipped milk foam will make the coffee with milk smoother and more textured.

From the taste analysis

There are many factors that affect the body of coffee, including the flavor of the origin, the roasting method, etc. Some coffees themselves make people feel "thick", while others make people feel silky and light. Different people like each other, but if you want to add milk to drink it, it is usually paired with coffee with a thicker body. The rich coffee flavor will not be covered up by the milk with the same thick taste. The combination of the two complements each other and is more charming.

In terms of flavor from the origin, coffee beans from South America and Asia are usually more balanced and heavier, such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mandheling. These are also the most commonly used blends in coffee shops when using espresso machines to make latte.

At the same time, even the same coffee beans have different tastes when roasted to different degrees. Usually, medium-dark roasts and above can produce a thicker and richer texture, with a slightly weaker sour taste. The flavor also mainly expresses the "coffee flavor" that is generally associated with nuts, caramel, cream, chocolate, etc. Most espresso machines use coffee beans that are roasted to medium-dark degrees or above.

In the past, people were often advised not to add milk to single-origin coffee because milk would destroy the delicate flavor of the coffee itself, especially the acidity. In order to express and retain the flavor characteristics of the origin, single-origin coffee is usually roasted at a lighter degree to retain more floral and fruity acids, but the acidity is difficult to blend harmoniously with milk, so it is generally not recommended to add milk to lightly roasted coffee beans.

Latte Art

From the concentration analysis

However, even if the flavor of coffee beans is perfect with milk, some coffees are not suitable for adding milk because the concentration is not right. Although milk itself has a strong flavor, it contains a lot of water, not to mention coffee. The strongest espresso is more than 80% water. If it is brewed in a lighter way, adding milk will further dilute the flavor of the coffee, and the taste will become thin and tasteless. Baristas advise customers not to add milk to Americano and hand-brewed coffee because of this concern.

Therefore, if you want to add milk to your coffee, it is recommended to choose an appliance with a higher brewing concentration and pressurized extraction, such as an espresso machine, moka pot, Aeropress, etc. If you use a normal pressure extraction appliance such as a hand brew, siphon pot, French press, etc., you can only put less water, more powder, or simply add less milk... In short, if you want to achieve a balance between the taste of coffee and the sweetness of milk, the coffee must not be too thin or too light.

Finally, why do we add milk to coffee?

Of course, it’s because it tastes good! Also, for strong and stimulating coffee like espresso, adding milk can just adjust the concentration of the coffee to make it suitable for drinking; most importantly, with milk, coffee can be transformed into many different styles to satisfy more people!

The practice of adding milk to coffee began in the 16th century. Although we can no longer trace how it started, we cannot deny its delicious effect. To this day, most consumers choose cappuccino, caffè latte or other milk coffee when they first come into contact with coffee, so for many people, milk coffee is a door to the world of specialty coffee.

Although specialty coffee may not be suitable for adding milk, it does not mean that milk should be blacklisted. As long as you choose the right beans and brewing method, adding a little milk can actually bring out the magical effect of adding the finishing touch.

In fact, whenever adding milk is mentioned, those who defend specialty coffee can't help but frown. Although milk, sugar and coffee have always been regarded as an unshakable golden combination for soy milk or milk, if we want to add some soy milk or milk to our coffee, or reach out to scoop a few spoons of sugar, we can't avoid being pointed at and opposed by people around us. In this case, should milk be added? Don't care what others think, drink it if you like, add it if you want, and make yourself happy.