Whether it’s for dietary reasons or personal preference, many more of us have started opting for plant-based milk alternatives in our daily coffee.
The market is now flooded with different non-dairy milk options – from tried and tested staples like almond and oat to more niche products like potato and pea milk – but out of all these variations, is there one that’s best suited to coffee?
Types of Non-Dairy Milk For Coffee
When it comes to adding to coffee, the most common milk alternatives generally include:
- Oat
- Almond
- Coconut
- Soy
These all have slightly different flavours and textures, but they tend to be regarded as the best options for coffee. This is largely because their flavours complement that bold coffee taste, steam nicely and don’t curdle or split.
Oat Milk
Oat milk has become the go-to for many seeking a dairy alternative. It is highly favoured for use in coffee thanks to its neutral flavour, ensuring the coffee is not overpowered with unwanted sweetness.
The popularity of oat milk for coffee and other hot drinks means there are various ‘barista’ versions on the supermarket shelves. These variations have added fat content and stabilisers to create an even creamier texture that froths and steams well, making superior lattes with thick, luxurious foam.
Because of the proteins present in oat milk, it doesn’t tend to curdle when added to coffee.
Almond Milk
You can get almond milk that is sweetened or unsweetened. Sweetened is generally preferred when adding it to coffee, as unsweetened varieties can have a watery or chalky texture.
Sweetened almond milk, on the other hand, has a more stable texture and will add a subtle nuttiness to your coffee, meaning it can pair especially well with low-acidity, nuttier roasts.
However, for some, the almond flavour can be too overpowering, taking away from the coffee taste. Adding cold almond milk to hot coffee can also cause it to split, so it’s best to heat it first.
Soy Milk
Soy milk has been the go-to in the past, as it was the only dairy alternative for a long time. It works especially well if you want something with a neutral taste that allows the coffee to shine. The texture is quite similar to cow’s milk, so it froths well.
Like with almond milk, more acidic coffee can cause soy milk to curdle, meaning you need to get the temperature just right to avoid this – cold milk is more likely to curdle, but it can curdle if it’s too hot as well.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk tends to have much stronger flavour than the aforementioned milks, which can be a pro or a con depending on personal preference. The distinctive, sweet flavour works nicely in mochas, cappuccinos and flat whites. However, if you prefer each note in your coffee to stand out, this is probably not the one for you.
Like with other alternatives, it can curdle when the cold milk is added to hot coffee. It’s also not the best for frothing.
What Milk Alternative is Best For Coffee?
There are pros and cons to all of these milk alternatives, and when it really comes down to it, which is ‘best’ will depend on personal taste preference and what you want from your coffee. The characteristics of each milk type can also vary a lot between different brands, which is something to keep in mind when choosing what to stock up on at home.
This being said, many select oat milk as the best all-rounder. It is less likely to split and mimics that experience of cow’s milk nicely, all while having a smooth and creamy texture but a relatively neutral taste.
Other Milk Alternatives For Coffee
Oat, almond, soy and coconut are the most common dairy alternatives you’ll find on coffee shop menus, but they don’t encompass the full spectrum of what’s available.
Coffee lovers with nut or soy allergies in particular should consider things like rice milk, hemp milk and pea milk. Pea milk is emerging as an especially promising alternative for coffee, as it behaves similarly to cow’s milk due to high protein levels.
Our coffee shop franchises offer oat, soy, almond and coconut milk alternatives, so next time you drop into your local Esquires store, why not discover which is best for you?
