Watched a barista pour latte art with oat milk vs whole milk yesterday

The oat milk guy had to redo his pour like 3 times before it looked half decent while the whole milk girl nailed a perfect rosetta on the first try. I always thought plant milks were just as good for steaming but that 5 minute comparison changed my mind. Has anyone found a non-dairy milk that actually steams as well as regular?

3 comments

3 Comments

xenaf5118d ago

Is it just me or does this apply to way more than just coffee? I've noticed the same thing with non-dairy versions of everything. People act like they're identical replacements but the reality is you gotta learn a whole new set of rules to make them work right. Like oat milk in a latte is totally doable but you cant just treat it the same as whole milk and expect the same result. Same thing with vegan cheese or plant based butter. They're not bad, they're just different and require a different approach. Most folks give up after one bad try instead of figuring out the trick.

stellanelson19d ago

My sister manages a coffee shop and she's tested at least 8 different oat milks. Oatly barista edition actually steams pretty close to whole milk if you steam it slow and don't let it get too hot. I've watched her pull off swans and tulips with it. The trick is to stop steaming around 140 degrees instead of going to 160 like you would with dairy. Too hot and the oat milk separates and gets that weird grainy texture. Maybe that barista just didn't know the right temp.

drewgonzalez19d ago

I mean your sister clearly knows her stuff, it's rough when you pay for a fancy latte and the texture's all wrong because someone didn't nail the temp. That's a solid tip about 140 degrees, I'll have to pass that along.