- Coffee facts
Plant-based milk:
Which one goes best with your favorite coffee?
“Would you grab some milk from the store, please?” – “What kind?” – “Normal.”
But was is “normal” milk? Cow’s milk? Oat milk? It really depends on who you ask.
Kristin Oldenburg
Not only vegans love plant-based milk.
My friend invited me over for coffee recently and asked me to get some milk on the way. Not that easy. The days when cow’s milk was the only option for coffee are long gone. For health, ethical, or ecological reasons, more and more coffee lovers are switching to plant-based milk alternatives.
Measured in terms of products sold, the market for plant-based milk has actually grown by 48% since 2020, while the market for cow’s milk has shrunk by 12%.*
You are almost overwhelmed by the huge selection when you stand in front of the shelf at the grocery store. Great on the one hand. But each of these milk alternatives has different characteristics – from its own taste to its consistency and foam. And you need to know them in order to make your perfect coffee.
The most important plant milks - what they can do and how they taste.
Oat milk.
At 66%, it is currently the most popular milk alternative and there is a reason for this: Its taste is slightly sweet and subtly cereal-like. The consistency is creamy and similar to cow’s milk. In what is known as barista quality, it is excellent for frothing and forms a fine-pored, stable foam. Actually perfect for a cappuccino, latte, or flat white.
However, oat milk is not really the first choice for anyone who doesn’t like their coffee specialty sweet or sweetish. Personally, I find it too voluminous in the mouth and too heavy with 7% carbohydrates. But fortunately, that’s a matter of taste. Otherwise, oat milk harmonizes well with pretty much all types of beans – especially the strong Robusta blends. For me personally, however, it would be a little too dominant for an elegant, refined Arabica.
Soy milk.
Probably the best known and “oldest” plant milk. Its taste is quite neutral, sometimes a little “beany”. Its consistency is also creamy and similar to cow’s milk, which makes it particularly versatile. It is also super easy to froth, which makes it ideal for cappuccinos, lattes, and flat whites. It goes particularly well with strong coffees and dark roasts such as our Arabica Crema or Barista Espresso, as it does not dominate the taste.
Almond milk.
It is characterized by its nutty aroma, which can be slightly sweet and sometimes a little sour. The consistency is usually thinner than that of oat or soy milk, which makes it less suitable for classic milk foam. However, there are also special barista editions that are a little creamier and froth better. Almond milk is particularly suitable for drip coffee or as a special accent in lattes. The nutty aroma goes very well with lightly roasted Arabica beans.
Rice milk.
The sweetest of the common plant milks. Its taste is mild, a little watery and reminiscent of rice (no wonder). As it is very thin, it doesn’t work very well for frothing – so cappuccinos or lattes don’t make much sense with rice milk. I would rather use it in sweet coffee specialties such as iced coffee. There it gives the coffee a pleasant sweetness without weighing it down with creaminess. Rice milk is also a good alternative for coffee fans with nut or soy allergies.
Coconut milk.
I’ll say it straight away: It’s not really my thing. Coconut milk is extremely dominant and has no place in coffee for a coffee purist like me. Or in other words: It turns your coffee into something completely different, a “tropical latte” for example. In that case, I would choose a rather fruity coffee that goes well with the exotic coconut flavor and also harmonizes with spices such as turmeric or ginger.
Hazelnut and cashew milk.
It’s not hard to imagine that the nut varieties among the vegan milk alternatives also taste particularly nutty. Not necessarily something for purists, but interesting in terms of taste. You can also create a light milk foam with them. As for the coffees: They should be rather strong, with a tendency towards nutty notes, such as our Demeter espresso from Peru. However, as a single origin, it might even be a little too precious for that. So perhaps, not for every day.
Pea milk.
It tastes rather neutral to slightly earthy, which harmonizes surprisingly well with the coffee flavors. I find its high protein content and creamy texture particularly convincing. The foam is fine-pored and stable, ideal for cappuccinos and the like. And in the 0.0% sugar version, you might even forget that it’s a plant-based milk – at least that’s what I think. Pea milk is particularly sustainable in production, which makes it very appealing to me personally.
By the way, if you would like to know more about the ecological aspects of plant milk, you can find an overview here: “What is actually considered normal milk?”
Which plant milk goes with which coffee?
Of course, this is always a matter of personal taste. But so that you don’t have to try every combination, here are a few recommendations:
Cappuccino and latte:
Barista-quality oat milk is the first choice here. It foams up perfectly and has a pleasant sweetness that rounds off the coffee without overpowering it. Pea milk is also a great option for a stable foam and a more neutral taste.
Flat white:
It is characterized by an intense espresso and creamy milk foam. This is where pea and oat milk score. Both provide a fine-pored foam and harmonize with the strong coffee taste.
Drip coffee:
Oat milk, almond milk, or rice milk are particularly suitable for the classic. Oat milk remains discreetly in the background, almond milk adds a nutty accent, and rice milk gives the coffee a natural sweetness.
Cold Brew und iced coffee:
For the cold specialty coffees we recommend rice milk as it provides a pleasant sweetness.
And one more barista tip.
Always shake plant milk well and heat to a maximum of 140-150°F for the best results in foam and taste.
Conclusion: Favorite milk for favorite coffees.
Of course, the choice of “your” plant milk is a question of your individual taste – and the coffee you want to make. In principle, however, you can say:
- Organic quality is a given.
- Alongside soy and pea milk, oat milk is the most versatile of the milk alternatives and the best choice for most specialty coffees, especially in barista quality.
- Rice, coconut, and nut milk are particularly suitable for sweet and exotic coffees. They set special accents and are more for coffee lovers who like to experiment and are not so much interested in a pure coffee experience.
In the end, it is – exactly – your taste that decides.
Source: *GFI Europe, 3.4.2023
