Exploration of Alternatives to Whole Milk for Milk-based Drinks

The office has resumed its working mode since January. Since the takeaway breakfast price has increased, I prepare oatmeal every morning to save money. On the other hand, I make milk-based drinks like caffè lattes and matcha lattes every night for my latte art daily drill. My daily milk consumption has increased. The problem is milk contains fat. High milk consumption leads to high fat intake and may harm my health.

Therefore, I seek better alternatives. Skim milk is better than whole milk in making oatmeal – its slightly empty taste doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients. How about milk-based drinks?

There is a myth said that skim milk cannot be used for milk-based drinks. But in reality, even an amateur coffeeholic like me can froth and steam a nice microform for latte art.

To steam milk, there are 5 essential elements. Heat breaks down the protein. Air creates tiny bubbles and whirlpool motion. Water makes steam. Protein forms and stabilises the foam. Fat enhances the mouthfeel of the drink and destabilises the foam. In other words, lacking fat makes the foam more stabilised.

Getting the hands dirty yields more than talking about the theory. I first bought a carton of reduced-fat milk as an intermediate step. This milk contains about 50% less fat than whole milk of the same brand. The steaming process remains unchanged, and the latte art looked similar to using whole milk.

After that, I used skim milk made by the same manufacturer that almost every Hong Kong coffee shop uses. My first attempt using the same process didn’t make a good result – the microform didn’t form well. Recalling the time I experimented with plant-based milk, the stretching process might have to be more vigorously. I tried to move the nozzle of the steam wand more outward on the surface. The milk foam can still be made, but milk foam is thicker than those made with the previous 2 kinds of milk. It is still easy to pour a rippled heart, but it starts challenging when making a rosetta.

Concerning the taste, caffè lattes and matcha lattes made with reduced-fat milk are similar to those made with whole milk. I prefer using reduced-fat milk on espresso as whole milk sometimes overwhelms the taste of espresso, creating imbalance. The matcha latte made with skim milk is better if a higher dose of matcha is used. Among all the combinations, the caffe latte made with skim milk is the worst. It doesn’t blend well with espresso. I would drink espresso instead. That’s why I don’t bother practising steaming and frothing skim milk.

Of course, tasting is a matter of personal preference. Throughout the experiment, I confirm that skim-milk-based drinks are doable. Even if skim milk seems healthier, I don’t like the taste. To reduce fat intake, I would continue to use skim milk for oatmeal. But for the caffè lattes or other milk-based drinks, maybe I should lower the portion of the milk instead. See how it blends.