Can You Make Coffee With Milk Instead Of Water?

Coffee and milk seem to be one of the finest combinations among several beverages. People who are not able to deal with the bitter taste of black coffee have a tendency to go forward with another option which is milk coffee. Milk is an ideal solution to lessen the bitterness and change the consistency of your coffee.

pour-milk-into-glass-cold-brewed
Pour the milk into a glass with cold brewed coffee on a black background

In general, the recipe to make milk coffee is brewing coffee with hot water and then pouring milk in. However, do you ever wonder and seek the question “Can you make coffee with milk instead of water?”. That means the only liquid presented in your cup of coffee is milk because you have already completely replaced water with milk. 

In this article, let’s begin to solve this intriguing coffee question and see if you’d want to give it a go.

Can you make coffee with milk instead of water?

Fundamentally, using milk in place of water is not a bad idea. Although water and milk have different characteristics, both are liquid being able to dissolve the coffee grounds. Therefore, the answer is “Yes, you can. But you should not”

The presence of fat and sugar in milk significantly slows down the brewing process. Because of this, coffee will dissolve in milk much more slowly than it would in water. Instant coffee easily dissolves when it is with hot water or hot milk. 

Before putting the coffee and milk into brewing practice, you need to be concerned about the method of making it. It is very essential how you carry out the process. 

If you plan to make coffee with milk from your coffee machine, your result might become a mess. The reason why this is not advised is that milk should not run through your machine. 

Since the milk causes the development of bacteria in the machine’s system when it is not cleaned completely, it seriously affects your health and your machine. Plus, you will suffer difficulty once trying to get all the milk remaining out of the brewer because the water filter keeps the milk inside. 

Furthermore, milk causes blockages in the coffee maker vents as well. Technically, coffee machines are designed to work with water. The highest temperature of the milk is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, when heated over this point, milk might be burnt and your milk coffee will likely result in a disaster. 

If making milk coffee by machine is not possible, you absolutely can try other ways. French press is one of the ways which is recommended to replace water with milk in making coffee. This method is possible because it is safest to try without fewer issues than the others. 

How do you make coffee with milk?

As mentioned before, you can make coffee with milk by using the French press method. 

coffee-poured-into-cup-french-press
Coffee is poured into a cup from a French press coffee maker, On the old wood table with and black background, Natural light, Selective focus, and Vintage style.

A French press coffee machine, which is often composed of glass and metal, resembles a small glass pitcher with a metal plunger and filter within. Although they exist in different sizes, the most common ones produce roughly 2 large cups of coffee.

When producing French press coffee, coarsely ground coffee is combined with boiling water, steeped in a French Press, and then the grounds are plunged into the bottom of the carafe.

Compared to coffee made using other techniques, the flavor is deeper and fuller. The fact that this method uses less heat means that you are less likely to experience the bitter taste that is typical of many coffees.

coffee-brewing-cooking-directions-steps-how
Coffee brewing cooking directions. Steps on how to cook tea

The process is not very complicated, you can totally do this at home when you have a French press. The first step is to warm the milk to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remember not to overheat it. Then, add the coffee grounds in and steep them. Finally, press down the plunger and produce the result. Here you have a hand-made warm and flavourful cup of milk coffee. 

If you do not possess a French press machine but still want to make coffee with milk, here you even have a more simple way to go. You just need to brew coffee with water first, then pour milk in to enhance the flavor of your coffee. Based on your preference, adjust the amount of milk added to get the best milk coffee. 

This method can be undertaken by a normal coffee machine without any problem affecting the taste and the machine. 

Is coffee better with water or milk?

In terms of appetite, people have partiality toward black coffee or milk coffee. Some enjoy the bitter taste of black coffee or americano, the others like the creamy texture and fatty flavor of milk in coffee. 

black-coffee
Black coffee

Now having a look at another aspect which is the health benefit, coffee is a great source of antioxidants. It contains high amounts of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Such as chlorogenic acid (CGA), caffeic acid (CA), and ferulic acid (FA) which are linked to the health benefits of coffee. Therefore, coffee itself with water brings several advantages like mood management, obesity management, cancer reduction, and Alzheimer’s Disease prevention…

cup-coffee-milk-beans-on-sack
A cup of coffee milk and coffee beans on the sack burlap background.

When adding milk, not only improves the coffee’s taste but also reduces the acidity of coffee through the interaction of milk protein with coffee phenolics, forming a phenolic-protein complex. Milk also increases the stability of the phenolics in coffee, making it absorbed readily by the body. 

If not adding concentrated milk or any kind of milk involving sugar, the quality of coffee with water and coffee with milk are equal. 

Bottom lines

Making coffee with milk is a good combination. However, please notice that making coffee with milk only is not applied to every method. You might get a terrible cup of milk coffee if you neglect the essential factors which are the method and tools during the process. Remember to follow the instructions and principles when brewing milk coffee and you will succeed.