Brand absolutely matters, but look for anything labeled "Barista" and it should do the job!
this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2023
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Unfortunately that's the problem. "Barista" versions aren't readily available in my local grocery stores it seems...hence the question about brand.
Ahhh gotcha.
I love Oatly. Oatmilk, to me, is the closest in mouthfeel (it's creamy, not watery) and taste to real milk, and it foams pretty well. It also goes really really well with coffee.
Oatly, in my experience, does better than generic oatmilks for foam, but it tends to form larher bubbles that pop sooner, so expect the foam to deflate more quickly than normal
Look for Oatly Barista Edition. This is what they use at Starbucks if you order oat milk, and it works great. Your local Walmart should carry it.
Califa Farms & Oatly have solid "Barista Edition" oat milks that work well for me. If it's the lactose & not the dairy that's the problem for you, you can try lactose-free milks; e.g. Kroger has their "Carbmaster" milk which is lactose free, there's also Fairlife which works just as well as traditional full-fat milk.
If you are unable to get Barista editions or lactose free milks then your best bet would be the creamiest oat milk you can get your hands on.
Do lactose free milks froth?
I am having trouble locating these "batista editions" of milk alternatives unfortunately. I found "extra creamy" oat milk at 9g of fat, far higher than the cow milk I was using and it still won't froth.
I haven't had any problems getting lactose free milk to foam, but I normally use a little beater-whisk-wand-thingy instead of a steam wand or automatic frother, so it's possible the method will impact how well it froths into a nice foam. The next time I break out my De'longhi instead of my Flair I will experiment & compare foam.
The answer is really nothing comes anywhere close to milk from a mammal. Anyone who tells you otherwise is coping or doesn’t know the true gloriousness of milk foam.
I’m a former professional barista that can’t have milk and this is the bane of my existence.
Basically all milk alternatives are essentially the same. They are water, a bit of something to give it a name and flavor (soy, almond, oat, pick your fad), and oil. Usually seed oil.
The oil gives it the fat that tries to be foam. Oatly is pretty good but a lot of oat milk doesn’t have enough fat, I think most soy milk is good, I don’t know of any almond milk that works well which doesn’t make too much sense since almonds have a lot of fat.
But you have to temper your expectations. Your best option might be regular milk with a supplement to help you digest milk.
My wife uses soy milk and it froths okay.
What brand is it though because evidently the brand matters
Not sure if it's available where you're from but Vitasoy. The original version not the Barista crap.
You want to look for one with a high fat content. That’s what you need for it to froth
I just purchased an oat milk that has a high fat content at 9g (which is much higher than the regular old cow milk I was using that frothed up just fine). Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to make a difference and will not froth.
Just gonna leave this link here, since it's comprehensive in a general way.
As I said in the OP, I'm using an automatic milk frother, so there isn't exactly a technique I can use or settings I can adjust.
But he also discusses why things froth and some of the science behind it. Might be helpful when selecting an alterna-milk?
I'm curious, what brand/model is the frother?
Are you lactose intolerant? If that's all it is you can drink cow's milk.
Either take a pill before you have your coffee, or get lactose free milk. Most normal grocery stores have it in my expierence.
People without lactose intolerance have an enzyme in their guts that breaks down the lactose into normal sugars. Lactose free milk is cow's milk with those enzymes added to break down the lactose during production. The result is cow's milk that is noticeably sweet, and froths just like the cow's milk that it is.
None of the non-dairy milks froth as well. Unless you cannot have animal milk, it is the best option.
I'm not sure if I'm lactose intolerant or it's the coffee itself. I used to enjoy coffee daily years back, but it was messing my stomach up so I stopped drinking it. I just wanted to experiment to see if it was the milk by trying milk alternatives.
Does lactose free milk froth in an automatic milk frother?
I'm not really interested in trying pills tbh. I have a hell of a hard time swallowing them so I try not to unless absolutely necessary.
Yes, lactose free milk froths. Some things I read suggest it froths better and thicker than normal milk.
That's really interesting lol I wonder why it froths better! I'll have to try!