How Does Oat Milk Change the Milk to Coffee Ratio in a Latte?

Oat milk works in a latte because it steams and pours in a similar way to dairy milk, but it tastes different. It brings a natural sweetness from oats, a lighter body, and no lactose, which suits people who are lactose intolerant, vegetarian, or allergic to milk protein. Dairy milk adds a richer, creamier mouthfeel.

The milk to coffee ratio latte drinkers use stays roughly the same whether the milk is dairy or oat, commonly around one part espresso to three or four parts milk, but oat milk foams faster and thins sooner, so less steam time helps. Different oat milk brands vary in fat and added oil, which changes how well the drink holds together.

In recent years, oat milk coffee has gradually entered the public eye, becoming a new choice for many coffee lovers. Oat milk originates from oats, a traditional Nordic ingredient. It is characterized by high plant protein, high dietary fiber, and low fat, and it contains no lactose, making it quite friendly to people who are lactose intolerant, vegetarian, or allergic to milk protein. So, compared with traditional milk coffee, which one actually tastes better? This article will start from the origins of oat milk and the groups it suits, combine Front Street Coffee's hands-on testing experience, discuss the differences between different brands of oat milk paired with espresso beans, and offer bean selection advice for making a rich, silky oat milk latte.

In the past, flavored coffee drinks were basically paired mainly with whole milk. The delicate milk foam and smooth mouthfeel brought by milk made flavored coffee the first choice for many people who could not get used to black coffee but still wanted to try coffee. However, as times evolved and the coffee market expanded, flavored coffee gradually revealed a problem of homogenization—the flavored coffee made by different cafes did not taste very different.

Space for innovation was compressed, and customers' options were correspondingly reduced. So in recent years, various creative coffees have emerged one after another, and oat milk coffee is one representative of them.

Oats are a traditional ingredient in the Nordic region. Oat milk made from oats contains relatively high plant protein and dietary fiber, and its fat content is lower than that of milk, so it is also lower in calories. It has no added sugar, and all of its sweetness comes from the oats themselves.

Many people cannot do without milk when drinking coffee or milk tea, but milk is relatively high in fat and not low in sugar, and there are also quite a few people who are lactose intolerant. Thus, plant-based milks with a mouthfeel similar to milk but healthier came into being. Soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk... there are more and more choices.

Who chooses to drink oat milk coffee?

People who are lactose intolerant: Such people experience discomfort when digesting lactose in milk. The main symptoms include diarrhea, bloating, stomach cramps after eating foods or drinks containing lactose, as well as other physical reactions such as headaches and difficulty concentrating.

Vegetarians: Lactose-free Oatly oat milk contains no animal fat, and it is also a daily choice for vegetarians.

People allergic to milk protein: Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is different from lactose intolerance. It falls under the category of allergy because the body's reaction to milk protein involves the immune system. Cow's milk protein allergy is one of the most common food allergies in infants and young children, and symptoms mostly appear in the form of eczema and respiratory issues. OATLY can be used in making complementary foods for babies over six months old. Generally speaking, children over two years old can use it as a main drink.

Does oat milk coffee taste better than milk coffee?

The wheel of the times keeps rolling forward, and development therefore keeps advancing. The same is true for the arrival of oat milk coffee. It provides a new choice for coffee lovers who are intolerant to milk.

The coffee market has always been moving forward, and this is true for flavored coffee as well as specialty coffee. In the future, many more creative coffees will be born. Coffee's charm is so great that it is worth our continued exploration.

Whether oat milk coffee tastes better than milk coffee varies from person to person. Coffee made with oat milk has a unique oat aroma, while milk coffee has the natural sweetness of lactose and the smoothness of milk fat.

According to Front Street Coffee's attempts at making hot lattes with different brands of oat milk, the tastes produced by different brands of oat milk differ noticeably, and not all espresso beans can pair with oat milk to make a good-tasting milk coffee.

If you want to make a rich, silky oat milk latte, you can choose medium-dark roasted Front Street. Specialty Blend. This bean is composed of red bourbon coffee beans from Brazil's Cerrado region and Colombian Huila coffee beans. After extraction with suitable parameters, the espresso can present flavors of dark chocolate, roasted nuts, creamy peanut, and caramel.

On such a flavor base, no matter which brand of oat milk it is mixed with, the coffee and oat milk can each show their strengths, ultimately forming a cup of oat milk coffee that has both oat aroma and oat sweetness, and is also mellow and rich.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.