What's the best plant-based milk for a cappuccino?
The types of milk
| Score | Quality | Amount of foam | Taste | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole milk | 5 stars | Thick and firm, few bubbles | Good | Full, a bit creamy |
| Oat milk | 5 stars | Thick and firm, few bubbles | Good | Full, creamy, and sweet |
| Soy milk | 4 stars | Firm, airy with some bubbles | Good | Full, sweet, and creamy |
| Almond milk | 3.5 stars | Texture remains good, a lot of bubbles | Good | Nutty, watery, sweet, and creamy |
| Coconut milk | 2 stars | Lots of bubbles, thin, airy, foam collapses fast | Okay | Coconut, watery, and a bit creamy |
| Rice milk | 1 star | Lots of bubbles, thin, texture disappears quickly | Minimal | Watery and sweet |
Test 6 types of milk foam
We froth the milk in 2 ways, with a steam wand and in a fully-automatic coffee machines with a milk reservoir. The amount of proteins and fat can differ per brand when it comes to a type of milk. That's why we listed the amount of proteins and fat per type of milk, so you can easily compare it to another brand. We'll test the following milk types:
- Whole milk
- Oat milk
- Soy milk
- Almond milk
- Coconut milk
- Rice milk
Whole milk: 5 stars
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Whole milk - steam wand
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Whole milk - milk reservoir
We start off with whole milk. This is guaranteed to give good milk foam for a cappuccino. After, we'll compare it to plant-based milk.
We used: Campina Organic fresh whole milk.
- Fat: 3.6g
- Proteins: 3.4g
The foam is very firm and doesn't have many bubbles. The quantity is good. The foam has a rich, creamy taste.
Oat milk: 5 stars
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Oat milk - steam wand
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Oat milk - milk reservoir
We used: Oatly Haver Barista edition.
- Fat: 3g
- Proteins: 1g
An oat milk cappuccino is very popular and many people drink it nowadays. We weren't disappointed by the result either. The foam is thick and firm. It doesn't have many bubbles and the quantity is good. The taste is rich, creamy, and sweet.
Soy milk: 4 stars
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Soy milk - steam wand
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Soy milk - milk reservoir
We used: Alpro Soya.
- Fat: 1.8g
- Proteins: 3g
Soy milk didn't disappoint either. The foam is firm, but it does have some bubbles. This makes it a bit airy. The quantity is good. The foam tastes sweet, full, and a little bit creamy.
Almond milk: 3.5 stars
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Almond milk - steam wand
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Almond milk - milk reservoir
We used: Alpro Roasted Almond Original.
- Fat: 1.1g
- Proteins: 0.4g
The almond milk receives 3.5 stars. The foam has many bubbles, but is still firm. The quantity is good. It tastes nut-like, watery, sweet, and creamy.
Coconut milk: 2 stars
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Coconut milk - steam wand
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Coconut milk - milk reservoir
We used: Alpro Coconut.
- Fat: 0.9g
- Proteins: 0.1g
The coconut milk didn't froth as well as we expected. The foam has many bubbles and is very thin and airy. The texture doesn't last and the foam collapses fast. The quantity is good. It has a strong coconut taste. Other than that, it's watery and a little bit creamy.
Rice milk: 1 star
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Rice milk - steam wand
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Rice milk - milk reservoir
We used: Alpro Rice. .
- Fat: 1g
- Proteins: 0.1g
Rice milk receives the worst score. The foam has many bubbles and is thin. The texture disappears quickly and it melts in your mouth right away. The quantity is minimal. The foam has a watery and sweet taste.
