Choosing the right milk for your Coffee Machine

Posted by Catherine Gray on 31-May-2022 14:47:33
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If you’re spending time and money on a coffee machine and coffee beans, the next logical question is about milk. What milk do you use with it?

If you’re providing a coffee machine for staff, you need to cater to as many tastes as possible. Some of those tastes will inevitably include milk.

There are so many styles of coffee people drink these days, it is important to have a coffee machine that will cater to most if not all needs. Good quality coffee machines will be able to dispense 2 milk options such as the Rex Royal S300 or even 3 different types of milk like the Rex Royal S500, so which should you choose?

That’s what we’re going to discuss here. We’ll use our many years of coffee machine expertise to provide as much information as possible about the various milk options for use with coffee machines.

You can then decide which milk is right for your machine and your office.

Your milk options are typically:

  • Fresh milk
  • Granular milk
  • Dairy milk
  • Non-dairy milk

Let’s take a quick look at each.

Best Office Coffee Machines

Fresh Milk

Fresh milk is often the default choice for coffee machines because it’s the default choice for home.

It comes in the same form, a bottle or container, and will need to be kept in the refrigerator when not in use. Most coffee machines will have a milk fridge that will need to be topped up regularly and will keep the milk cool until needed.

Fresh milk is the obvious choice for any coffee that uses froth. It is also perfect for latte and frappuccino thanks to that velvety texture provided by the fat in the milk.

Full fat milk – The go-to choice for baristas as the fat gives it a nice texture and foams well.

Semi-skimmed milk – Still works well in a coffee machine and when foamed, but doesn’t quite have the same luxurious feel. Lower fat though, which makes it popular.

Skimmed milk – Okay in some coffees but not ones where milk is more of a feature. It doesn’t froth well and doesn’t maintain shape well either.

Pros of fresh milk in a coffee machine:

  • The default choice for coffee shops and baristas
  • A smoother, more velvety texture when used in speciality coffee
  • Foams well when you use full fat
  • Maintains shape and texture for longer
  • A nicer experience all round for most tastes

Cons of fresh milk in a coffee machine:

  • Requires refrigeration
  • Shorter shelf life than powdered milk
  • Coffee machine requires more thorough daily cleaning

Granular milk

Granular milk is essentially fresh milk that has been dehydrated to remove all the moisture. This helps keep it fresher for longer and can work well in hot drinks.

There are similar varieties of granular milk as there are fresh milk, with low fat, non-fat, full fat, non-dairy and other newer emerging types.

Each will have the same benefit of being easy to store and to use while also having a very long shelf life.

Good quality granular milk is nothing like creamer or UHT. It’s real milk that has been dehydrated into powder or granules. It will taste mostly the same and have a very similar texture.

It does behave a little differently though.

Granular milk is good for white coffee, teas, hot chocolate and other drinks but it’s not quite so good for frothed milk coffees.

The texture of powdered milk is altered slightly as part of dehydrating, so even when rehydrated, it won’t froth quite the same as fresh milk.

Pros of powdered milk in a coffee machine:

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  • Easy to store and doesn’t need a refrigerator
  • Almost the same fresh milk taste
  • Longer shelf life
  • Easier cleaning of the coffee machine
  • Ideal for machines only used occasionally

Cons of powdered milk in a coffee machine:

  • Doesn’t froth the same as fresh milk
  • Some people can taste the difference
  • Doesn’t have the same quality feel as fresh milk

Now we have examined the two main types of milk for coffee machines, let’s now spend a moment discussing the various options.

In this context, we mean dairy milk vs non-dairy alternatives.

Dairy milk

Fresh dairy milk works best for coffee and coffee machines. It has the ideal balance of fat, protein and sugars that deliver a rich, smooth texture that works perfectly in coffee.

It also tastes creamy, which helps deliver a more luxurious experience.

The downside of dairy milk is that it requires refrigerated storage and has a relatively short shelf life.

Non-dairy milk

Not everyone can tolerate or wants to drink dairy milk, so any office using a coffee machine should take those requirements into consideration.

Lactose intolerance can make life uncomfortable for the sufferer, which makes non-dairy alternatives essential.

Soy Milk

 

Those non-dairy alternatives are plentiful and include:

Almond milk – Almond milk is mostly water, with some almonds added. It’s one of the few non-dairy milks that can be steamed and frothed.

Oat milk – Oat milk has a more authentic feel but a unique taste. It can work very well in some coffees and has a smooth, silky structure when heated and makes a rich foam.

Soy milk – Soy milk is the most common non-dairy alternative and works well when steamed or frothed. This is the best non-dairy in our opinion.

Coconut milk – It may taste nice cold, but it doesn’t work well at all in coffee as the flavours clash. Although for some it is the ultimate treat. 

 

 

Coffee machines and milk choices

Whether the dairy milk is fresh or granular is entirely up to you.

From the non-dairy options, you could poll your staff on what they would prefer to use, almond, soy, or oat milk.

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These options work well in coffee and can be steamed and frothed to a reasonable standard. All while delivering choice for your staff.

If you are looking for a single machine and want to maximise your options then choose a mach

ine that offers a choice of multiple milks - either granular and/or fresh. For the ultimate choice you could look at the Rex-Royal S500 which can offer up to three beans, two fresh milks and two instant drink options. 

If you are looking for multiple machines you could dedicate one or two to entirely non-dairy options. 

Contact Roast & Ground today for expert advice on choosing the perfect office coffee machine.

Topics: Granular Milk, Fresh Milk, coffee

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