Everyone loves a well-balanced cafe coffee, but who's to say you can't produce an equally tasty brew at home? Milk-based coffees are a celebrated beverage of choice due to their lower concentrations of caffeine and acidity, as well as the impressive art that can be created on the surface of the drink.
So, want to refine your milk and espresso creations and whip up barista-quality beverages without leaving the comfort of your kitchen? We're here to help! All you need is your pod machine, a milk frother and a little bit of know how.
MILK TO COFFEE RATIO
Did you know that baristas increase their coffee shot size based on the amount of milk a specific beverage requires? It's important to consider what kind of coffee you really enjoy and adjust your milk-to-coffee ratio so that you achieve the right flavour blend. For example, if you love a strong coffee, you're going to want to add less milk - this will mean that you'll get all of those great characteristics of the coffee itself without the milk overshadowing it.
Refining your milk-to-coffee ratio is a crucial part of your brewing recipe. We've put together a handy ratio guide for the top coffees that really stand out with milk - the flavour notes and depth of these coffees are enhanced by the addition of milk. Our recipes have been formulated using real, high-quality coffee with no fake flavour enhancers. Essentially, we're always looking to create a beautifully balanced cup with a taste that's low in acidity and has no bitter notes.
COFFEE CUP SIZE
Another consideration worth keeping in mind is the size of the cup you are looking to fill. If you have chosen a bigger glass, you may want to consider the extraction size you are using and prepare another pod or two so that you retain flavour intensity. If you have a decent size cup and only brew one shot/pod, naturally the more milk you add to fill your cup, the more diluted and flavourless your coffee is going to become. In a nutshell, for a bigger cup, pop in another pod and double your shot to retain flavour!
Piccolo Latte - 1 x pod (25mL coffee) + 120mL milk
Small milk coffee - 2 x pods (50mL coffee) + 210mL milk
Medium milk coffee - 3 x pods (75mL coffee) + 280mL milk
Large milk coffee - 3 x pods (75mL coffee) + 400mL milk
DAIRY-FREE MILK
Plant-based milks are a growing trend in Australia. We are absolutely spoilt for choice with options such as soy, almond, oat and coconut milk available (just to name a few)! People's tastes and preferences are diversifying, and so baristas have had to move with the times and adjust their coffee preparation methods to accommodate this.
When making coffee at home with your plant-based milk of choice, it's important to consider that this "milk" will perform differently to dairy milk due to its unique composition. Plant-based milks tend to be higher in natural acidity and consequently are prone to react negatively to highly-acidic coffee (this can be seen when 'curdling' occurs). To reduce the chance of this solidification taking place, we suggest sourcing a dark, strong, high-intensity roast as this type of blend contains lower acidity and will pair much better with your plant-based milk (meaning better overall flavour and result in the cup).
Bonus tip - When making milk based cafe-style coffee, it is always best to pour the espresso first as your base. This allows that lovely, thick syrupy coffee to interact properly with the milk, blending everything so it becomes as creamy as possible.
Our coffee capsule users are now helping to save over 11.5 million pods from landfill yearly, and we hope you will join the sustainable coffee pod movement too!