Here’s What You Need To Know About Barista Milks 

With food prices rising, I’m sure a lot of us are thinking about ways to cut back on eating out. The first thing I think of cutting out is always my afternoon coffee runs. I mean I spent the money on my home coffee machine already, so I could pretty reasonably sub-in for my barista for the day.  

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But what is still left to consider is that cafés have already gone through the trial and error of what tastes good. For those of us who prefer alternative milks especially, there is more room for disappointment and a lack of consistency when you’re making coffee at home. So what is the café doing differently? The key to at-home latte success for alt-milk lovers is barista milk. 

What Is Barista Milk?

Barista milk is, in essence, what you get if an alt-milk had enough fat content to properly mirror the taste, viscosity, and mouthfeel of whole cow’s milk. It is generally a shelf-stable product and it is produced with enough fat and protein to froth in a way that stretches and withstands the high-heat of milk frothing wands. The final product of frothed barista milk should have a fine, dense, and velvety micro-foam. It’s ideal for elegant latte art and a rich and smooth finish in the mouth. Ideally, barista milk reduces the sacrifice that so many of us alt-milk lovers have come to expect from our espresso-based beverages.  

When Should You Use Barista Milk? 

Barista milk is, at the end of the day, made for espresso. Just like you would with traditional dairy products, you would use some alt-milk cream of preference for standard drip coffee and a barista-style alt-milk for your lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, etc. If you only drink drip coffee, then barista milk isn’t for you. If you only drink iced lattes, barista milk is great! The extra creaminess gives the coffee a very balanced flavor that isn’t too strong or watery. And for hot expresso beverages, barista milk is exactly what you need for an excellent froth and delicious balance.  

Barista milk is inherently more expensive than a standard alternative milk. But a good barista milk will increase the reliability and consistency of your home coffees. And if having better home coffees is keeping you from going on extra café runs throughout the day, then you’re even saving a few bucks in the long run.