Does Type of Milk Affect Latte Art?
Updated: Mar 27
From hearts, to tulips, to swans and unicorns, we have all seen Latte Art that would impress even your mother-in-law!
Latte Art is achieved by pouring frothed milk over Espresso, creating designs and patterns. With milk being such a large part of Latte Art, have you ever wondered whether different types of milk will affect it?
Why Is The Milk You Choose In Latte Art Important?
Good Latte Art requires well frothed milk. Getting the perfect texture after frothing requires the milk to have a good balance of fats, protein, and sugar. When the milk is frothed, air is incorporated into the milk, combining the fat and proteins to create foam and texture.
Regular Milk
Regular, full fat milk has been touted as the best type of milk for Latte Art. With a high fat percentage of around 3.5%, the milk is able to be frothed into a richer texture. If you are using, like most cafés, beans from Brazil and Colombia, you might find that the chocolatey and nutty notes of those beans complement the creaminess of full fat milk.
Low Fat Milk
As its name suggests, low fat milk has a lower percentage of fat compared to regular full fat milk, sitting at around 1%. As a result, while the frothed milk is almost similar to that of regular milk, you can expect the taste to be less creamy and less sweet.
Oat Milk
As people are becoming more environmentally conscious or enthusiastic about animal welfare, more and more cafés in Singapore and around the world are offering non-dairy milk substitutes.
While these milks might provide a unique taste to your latte, how do they fare against their dairy counterparts when it comes to making Latte Art?
From our experience, oat milk, and other types of non-dairy substitutes, are harder to froth into a texture suitable for Latte Art. However, oat milk seems to be the best non-dairy milk for Latte Art. It has a higher protein content which makes it possible to be frothed into a suitable texture. Water soluble fibers in oat milk also allow it to froth, foam and steam better than other forms of non dairy milk.
Trying It Out
Now that you know how different types of milk fare against each other when it comes to Latte Art, why don’t you give it a try yourself?
Find out more about our Latte Art Course, where you can learn how to make Latte Art of your own!