Milk & Drinks

Whole milk is what every barista trains on because it steams better than anything else. The fat content creates a thick, glossy microfoam that is both stable and silky. Hot, it tastes rich and naturally sweet with a buttery quality that rounds off espresso perfectly.

Iced, whole milk is clean and creamy without being heavy. It blends seamlessly with espresso and does not separate or water down. The classic choice for an iced latte.

2% milk steams well and produces decent microfoam, though it is less stable and glossy than whole milk. The lower fat content means the foam is a bit airier and the drink feels lighter overall. Still a solid everyday choice for most milk drinks.

Iced, 2% is refreshing and light. It has less of the creamy richness of whole milk but is a good option for people who want something a bit lighter without going fully to a plant milk.

Skim milk produces the most foam volume of any dairy milk because the lack of fat allows more air to be incorporated. The result is light, airy, and voluminous but not very stable or flavorful. It tastes thin and watery compared to whole or 2% milk. Cappuccinos made with skim milk will have a large foam cap but lack the richness of a classic version.

Iced, skim milk is quite watery and does not add much to the drink. The espresso flavor dominates completely. Not a great choice for iced drinks if you want any creaminess.

Oat milk is the most popular alternative milk in specialty coffee for good reason. It steams well, produces a stable and creamy foam, and has a mild oat sweetness that complements espresso without fighting it. Barista-edition oat milks (like Oatly Barista) are specifically formulated to steam well and are significantly better than standard grocery store varieties.

Iced oat milk is where it really shines. It is thick, naturally sweet, and incredibly creamy cold. An iced oat latte tastes almost dessert-like without any added sugar. This is why oat milk took over coffee shops.

Almond milk is notoriously difficult to steam. It separates easily, the foam is thin and collapses quickly, and it can taste slightly chalky or grainy when hot. The almond flavor competes with espresso rather than complementing it. That said, barista editions have improved significantly and are much more manageable than standard grocery varieties.

Iced is where almond milk performs much better. Cold, it has a pleasant nutty lightness that works well in iced lattes and cold brew drinks. The flavor is refreshing rather than heavy.

Soy milk was the first widely available alternative milk in coffee shops and it steams surprisingly well producing a stable, creamy foam similar to whole milk in texture. The issue is the flavor. Soy has a distinct beany, slightly savory quality that many people love but others find off-putting in coffee. It also curdles in very acidic espresso, so with light roasts you may see the milk split.

Iced soy milk is creamy and thick but the beany flavor is more pronounced cold. It works well in cold brew drinks where the coffee is less acidic. Less popular iced than oat or almond due to the stronger flavor.

Coconut milk adds a very distinct tropical sweetness to hot drinks. It steams inconsistently carton coconut milk behaves differently from canned, and neither produces great microfoam. The coconut flavor dominates, so this works best in drinks where you actually want coconut as part of the flavor profile rather than a neutral base.

Iced is where coconut milk makes much more sense. Cold coconut drinks feel tropical and refreshing, and the sweetness works naturally without feeling cloying. Iced coconut lattes with a touch of vanilla are genuinely excellent.

Macadamia milk is underrated in the coffee world. It has a buttery, mild nuttiness that does not compete aggressively with espresso. Steaming is decent though not as reliable as oat or whole milk. The flavor is subtle enough to work as a neutral base while still adding a pleasant creaminess.

Iced macadamia milk is excellent. Cold, the buttery richness comes through beautifully and it pairs especially well with medium roast espresso. Smoother and more neutral than almond or coconut iced.

Cashew milk is one of the creamiest and most neutral of all the nut milks. The flavor is very mild much less distinct than almond or coconut which makes it an excellent neutral base. It does not steam as well as oat milk but the result is creamy enough for most drinks.

Iced cashew milk is creamy and smooth with very little of its own flavor getting in the way. It lets the espresso or coffee shine through while adding a pleasant richness. A great choice for people who want something creamy but do not want oat milk.

Pea milk (made from yellow split peas, not green peas) is one of the best kept secrets in alternative milks. It steams surprisingly well, produces a stable foam, and has a very neutral flavor that does not interfere with the coffee. The name puts people off but the taste does not taste like peas at all. Ripple is the most well-known brand.

Iced pea milk is clean, creamy, and very neutral. It performs comparably to oat milk cold without the oat sweetness, making it a great option for people who find oat milk too sweet.

Rice milk is the most watery of all common milk alternatives. It has very little fat or protein which means it steams poorly producing almost no foam and a very thin texture. The flavor is mildly sweet with a slight rice character but mostly just tastes like thin water. It is primarily used by people with nut, soy, and oat allergies who have limited options.

Iced, rice milk is very thin and watery. It adds almost no creaminess and the coffee flavor dominates completely. Not a great choice for lattes but works passably in iced Americanos where you just want a touch of lightness.