# Which Milk ?



## brun (Dec 26, 2011)

i normally have skimmed milk as i try and eat healthily, but for my coffee i have full fat cos it tastes better, but for foam/froth etc does one type work better than others ?


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## snegger (Dec 15, 2010)

full is said to be best and also holds the foam longer,guess it's the fat content,less fat you have the harder it is to foam and hold that foam.


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## forzajuve (Feb 2, 2011)

A lot of people just go with what they are used to, i.e. what they were brought up on as a wee nipper. For me that is semi-skimmed which works well for foam and has some taste. I can't stand skimmed milk, no flavour at all and end up using twice as much to get the right balance (in tea, it goes nowhere near coffee).

To be fair semi-skimmed is pretty damn healthy at 2% so why sacrifice all taste for a very minor increase in fat content compared to the rest of your diet. Its the old, get a large Big Mac meal but I want to be healthy so i'll get a diet coke...who are you kidding!


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## wastedhours (Jan 2, 2012)

I read somewhere that it's easier to cap foam semi-skimmed, with full fat being harder to get consistent foam, but once you've got it, it holds it and has more flavour. When I was at uni I used to get skimmed for cereals and full-fat for coffee, but now it's just easier to use the semi-skimmed. Has a fair bit of flavour, foams well. Wonder whether gold-top or purple on the other end work well?

I get a Diet Coke because I prefer the taste (can't feel sugar on your teeth afterwards)


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## cjbailey1 (Jan 17, 2011)

wastedhours said:


> I get a Diet Coke because I prefer the taste (can't feel sugar on your teeth afterwards)


Normal Coke rots your teeth, Diet Coke rots your insides


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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

cjbailey1 said:


> Normal Coke rots your teeth, Diet Coke rots your insides


No wonder they don't want to put a cancer warning label on it!


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## cjbailey1 (Jan 17, 2011)

Just don't ever spill the concentrate (stuff used in pubs etc.) on the floor!!!


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## maarten_booij (Jan 28, 2011)

Only full fat for me. 2% / 4%, difference is not that big, but in taste it is. I know I'm not the skinniest, I would like to loose some weight, but if that means eating/drinking worse tasting stuff, it's not going to happen.


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## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

I thought 2% semi-skimmed was meant to be best for foam.


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## snegger (Dec 15, 2010)

Earlepap said:


> I thought 2% semi-skimmed was meant to be best for foam.


read it is easier to foam with it but the foam is not as good or last as long as full fat.


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## ripley (Jan 16, 2012)

I use fat free from sainsburys - I don't go in for the latte art but do steam it to maintain the temp of the coffee, it foams okay and does add a creamy texture to the coffee.


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## brun (Dec 26, 2011)

so everyone uses different stuff then ?


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

As I understand it 2% (semi) is good for producing microfoam for latte art. Skimmed is difficult to control. Whole is good too... John Gordon (twice ukbc champ) used it in the comp... but is less popular in shops perhaps due to the fat content. I think semi is best because although whole tastes good in a cap/latte, you can lose the espresso taste more in the rich milk, whereas semi lets the espresso come thru more.


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## brun (Dec 26, 2011)

interesting, cheers


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## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

I think I'm going off milk in any form with coffee, or longer drinks at least. I made a double earlier with the latest IMM beans and bunged it in a bit of steamed milk since the notes reckoned it held up, and it almost disappeared - just became very sweet milk.


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## rock18567 (Mar 14, 2012)

forzajuve said:


> A lot of people just go with what they are used to, i.e. what they were brought up on as a wee nipper. For me that is semi-skimmed which works well for foam and has some taste. I can't stand skimmed milk, no flavour at all and end up using twice as much to get the right balance (in tea, it goes nowhere near coffee).
> 
> To be fair semi-skimmed is pretty damn healthy at 2% so why sacrifice all taste for a very minor increase in fat content compared to the rest of your diet. Its the old, get a large Big Mac meal but I want to be healthy so i'll get a diet coke...who are you kidding!


Thank you, this advice will come in handy.


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I don't even go near semi-skimmed, let alone skimmed.

I've steamed semi-skimmed a full times, all with terrible results on both a domestic and commercial machine. And I heard that they add sweeteners or something to it to make it taste better. No thanks.

On the CMA Marisa at work, you can get microfoam for a few minutes with skimmed milk if you have skill, it soon drops in the drink though and looks horrible.

Blue top all the way for me, quite simply because it tastes better, has more vitamins and minerals that haven't been skimmed off, and it's great to steam.


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## hyperactivemind (Mar 1, 2012)

During my time as a barista, I was always taught that skimmed milk was the best for frothing. Especially for cappuccinos where you needed a bit more volume in the bubbles. Towards the end of my 'carrier' it didn't really matter what I used. But as long as the jug and milk were cool before frothing, the milk was 90% fine. I think people say that the skimmed milk is easier because it is lighter and there is less fat, therefore making it easier for froth to form in the milk.


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## FDC (Jan 7, 2012)

Semi skimmed for me and, to be exact, Graham's organic semi skimmed which I get in Asda. I may be wrong but I did check the fat content difference between s/s and whole and I dont recall it being that big. Might organic milk have a lower fat content so organic whole milk isnt as 'bad' as 'ordinary' milk. Will check tonight on weekly trip round with the trolley (groan!).

I'm quite happy with frothing using s/s. Wouldnt touch skimmed though, that's just white water.


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## Anth.Caffe.Ginevra.UK (Mar 16, 2012)

Could it perhaps depend on individual styles of foaming/steaming? I heard Cravendale full fat was great but I must admit I struggled with it. Now I use full fat milk from "Robert Wiseman" dairies and it is perfect, for me and my style.

Sometimes at home I use semi-skimmed if my girlfriend has bought it but as I use a different machine it's difficult to say, still find it ok though.

And as for skimmed milk, never tried it! In fact I don't think it's actually ever passed my lips in any form.

Ha ha white water....love it!


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