A good cup of coffee has to do with so many factors, the origin and cultivar of the beans, the treatment, the roasting technique, the extraction technique, and even the quality of the water. Milk, as the best partner of coffee, is used in the preparation of many kinds of coffee, and there are even coffees where the amount of milk added far exceeds the amount of water. The formation of milk flavor is also very complex, the breed of cows, diet, milk origin, nutrients, will affect the flavor and taste of milk, the formation of different flavor characteristics of milk. This in turn affects the coffee.

For this review, we chose a milk brand that is currently used by more coffee shops in China. From the milk category, formula, nutritional composition, milk operation and and coffee with the degree of collocation and other aspects of a comprehensive evaluation.

I. Introduction of the tested milk

The evaluated products include Bright Coffee Special Milk, Nestle Whole Milk Catering, Anjia Whole Milk, Newmark Whole Milk Catering, Bright Fresh Pasture, and Flavorful Pasture. Among them, there are 2 types of prepared milk, namely Bright Coffee Prepared Milk and Nestle Whole Milk Catering Pack; 2 types of UHT sterilized milk, namely Anjia Whole Milk and Newmark Whole Milk; and 2 types of high-temperature sterilized milk (low-temperature products), namely Bright Fresh Pasture and Flavorful Selection Pasture. 2 models of imported milk are Anjia whole milk and Newmark Fresh Whole Milk Catering Pack; the other 4 models are domestic raw materials.

Table 1 Information about the milk tested

Table 2 Information about the milk tested

From the ingredient list, 2 of the prepared milks added food additives or nutritional enhancers, while the other 4 milks had simple ingredients, all of which were only raw cow's milk.

Table 3 Information about the tested milks

Comparing the nutrient content table, Newmarket Whole Milk has the highest protein and non-fat milk solids content of 3.5g/100ml and 8.5g/100ml, respectively; and Bright Fresh Pastures has the highest fat content of 3.9g/100ml.The content of protein and fat affects the overall flavor of the milk, and also the quality of milk froth formation. affect the quality of milk froth formation.

Figure 1-2 Measurement site

II. Measurement method

Part I, Milk Evaluation:

The test milk was put into refrigeration for 24 hours, and then tested at 5-10℃. Sensory evaluation from the appearance of milk color, cleanliness, flavor, sweetness, taste, aftertaste.

Second part, milk froth evaluation:

The steam wand of the coffee machine was used to make frothy hot milk at a temperature of 60℃-65℃. Evaluate the milk froth in terms of fineness, gloss, liquidity, and durability.

Part 3, Latte Evaluation:

Selected richly flavored, dark-roasted coffee beans to make the latte, which is a classic Italian coffee with a mild, milky taste. Evaluated in 5 areas: balance, mouthfeel, flavor, aftertaste, and overall.

The sensory evaluation is on a scale of 1 ~ 10:

1-2 points Unacceptable

3-4 points Acceptable

5-6 points Average

7-8 points Good

9-10 points Very Good

Third, the results of the evaluation:

1. Milk was tested in 6 dimensions. The biggest difference is flavor and aftertaste, the bigger difference is sweetness and mouthfeel, and the smallest part of the difference is color and cleanliness.

For color, there was little to no significant difference between the six products, which were all normal creamy white liquids.

Cleanliness, there is a slight difference, with Bright Coffee Specialty Milk, Newmark Fresh Whole Milk Catering Pack, Bright Fresh Pasture, and Flavorful Strictly Pasture scoring high. The milk was clean and fresh, with no off flavors.

Flavor, the biggest difference, two low-temperature milk flavor is strong, the highest score; Newmark Whole Milk and Bright Coffee Milk, the overall flavor is strong, and the flavor balance is good, the higher score.

Sweetness, Flavorful Choice Farm, rated highest; Newmark Whole Milk and Bright Fresh Farm, rated better.

Mouthfeel, two low-temperature milks rated highest; Newmark Whole Milk and Nestle Whole Milk rated better.

Aftertaste, two low-temperature milks rated highest; Newmark Fresh Whole Milk and Nestle Whole Milk rated better.

Figure 2 Milk and Milk Froth Evaluation Results

2. Heated milk froth was tested in four dimensions, with high consistency of results in terms of product applicability. Bright Coffee Special Milk and Flavorful Strictly Pasture scored the highest, while Newmark Whole Milk and Bright Fresh Pasture were better.

3. Latte coffee was evaluated on five dimensions. Overall rating, all of the milks met the requirements for latte making. Two of the low-temperature milks rated the highest. Newmarket Whole Milk and Bright Coffee Specialty Milk rated higher.

Figure 3 Coffee evaluation results

Four, Conclusion

The overall evaluation results, preferred 4 types of milk, divided into 2 types. It can be selected in making different coffee products, synthesizing the characteristics of coffee beans and milk.

The first type, milk with strong flavor, such as Bright Fresh Pasture and Ajinomoto Strictly Choice Pasture, has a strong flavor and a better balance, which is suitable for deep-roasted coffee beans, and can better balance the bitter taste of coffee beans.

The second category, the milk flavor is clean and balanced, such as Newmark Fresh Whole Milk and Bright Coffee Specialty Milk, with a good sense of balance and a stronger flavor, suitable for coffee beans with unique flavor characteristics, these two milk flavors will not be particularly strong, and will not cover up the flavor of the coffee itself.