Which brand milk

wilsixon

Any suggestion for which brand milk to buy for making latte and flat whites?
Obviously taste is most important (sweet, no weird aftertaste) as well as ability to get a nice smooth microfoam.
What do the high quality cafés use?

Thanks

harr

brookedave wrote: »

Any suggestion for which brand milk to buy for making latte and flat whites?
Obviously taste is most important (sweet, no weird aftertaste) as well as ability to get a nice smooth microfoam.
What do the high quality cafés use?

Thanks

We have good quality milk in Ireland so I am sure most cafes are using regular brands. A number of cafes I have worked in would always use low-fat milk. Now I didn’t make the coffee so couldn’t say if they had a reason for that or not ..
My favourite milk in Ireland used to be Oranmore in Galway . Long time since I worked in Galway so not even unsure if that company is still in existence... but I always found that lovely in coffee ..

Bluefoam

I've had good results with lots of milk, but not SuperValu... I don't get a good cup of coffee with it

wilsixon

Thanks

Not very happy with Avonmore fresh milk at the moment. Might give Connacht gold a go.

Are they all free of permeate in Ireland? I find that definitely affects taste.

Kenz

Try out Glenisk Organic Whole Milk - I haven't come across anything else as good in recent times. Connacht Gold, I've tried the butter but not their milk. If the milk is as good as their butter is, then it'll be good.

Planet X

Full fat milk......bit of flavour.

Girls at work use Skimmed whitewash all the time, occasionally (twice a week) we get 1 litre of full fat milk. Lifesaver really.

From what I can see......the Skimmed Whitewash doesn't do alot for it's intended purpose :pac:

All My Stars Aligned

Jersey milk is fab. Marks & Spenser sell it. Super creamy and sweet.

Happy4all

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

Jersey milk is fab. Marks & Spenser sell it. Super creamy and sweet.

Is that the one in the glass bottle?

Lovely , especially in porridge.

antimatterx

I generally used standard Avonmore milk in coffee, and I use skimmed milk in Tea.

wilsixon

I've been using this recently - and it'd excellent. I can only buy it on Thursdays locally, so also using Lidl's organic milk when I run out, which is not as nice, but ok.

wilsixon

http://www.mossfield.ie/Products.html
I've switched to using this recently - and it's excellent. I can only buy it on Thursdays locally, so also using Lidl's organic milk when I run out, which is not as nice, but ok (and better than avonmore).

wilsixon

http://www.mossfield.ie/Products.html
I've switched to using this recently - and it's excellent. I can only buy it on Thursdays locally, so also using Lidl's organic milk when I run out, which is not as nice, but ok (and better than avonmore).

shanec1928

a lot of milk is packaged in the same location. connacht gold, donegal creameries, dunnes stores and im pretty sure lidl as well are all packaged in killygordan.

murphyebass

People have some reeeeeeeealy f’d up views on milk. I don’t know is it hipster or just that they’re completely swayed by marketing.

Lidl and Aldi own brand all the way. I use a Gaggia Classic with a modded steam wand. Zero problem every time. Latte art etc no issue.

smellyoldboot

Lidl, Aldi and Tesco own brand milk is grand, all the same price and similar quality. The only one I steer clear of is SuperValu. Twice in the last few months now I've gotten a 2 litre bottle and it's been sour in the bottle when opened. Not sure are the using bottles that are too porous, a bad cap seal or just not refrigerating properly but it's very off-putting.

Paying for Avonmore etc is absolute nonsense in fairness. You're literally paying a hefty premium for a label on the exact same product.

wilsixon

murphyebass wrote: »

People have some reeeeeeeealy f’d up views on milk. I don’t know is it hipster or just that they’re completely swayed by marketing.

No hipsters here.

Couldn't care less about marketing - otherwise I'd surely enjoyAvonmore.

I let my actual taste buds inform my decision.

Glad you like the taste of lidl and aldi milk. I'm not a big fan.

But taste is subjective. When someone doesn't like the taste of something that I do like, my first assumption isn't "what a gullible hipster."

bobbyy gee

most milk is from same place

wilsixon

bobbyy gee wrote: »

most milk is from same place

Cows?

Water John

Not great on the coffee but I do know milk. The major own brands are not tied to any single supplier. It usually is tendered every year. For example Lidl recently switched back to Strathroy from Arrabawn. Strathroy is probably be processed in NI and possibly sourced there. Cows in NI are often kept largely indoors whilst herds down here are largely outdoors, which would be Arrabawn's supply. They process in Kilconnell, Co. Galway. The amount of grass in the diet might affect flavour. Just giving this as an example.
All milk from the main processors is homogenised. That I think would be the major difference from locally sourced small suppliers. Homogenising breaks up the large fat globules into smaller globules. This means the fat doesn't rise to the top but floats in the milk. Some would believe also that the smaller fat globules are more easily absorbed in the gut.
The Mossfield milk I suspect is not homgenised. I wonder would that make a significant difference in coffee?

AFAIK sometimes in the baristas, casein powder to give the whitening is used.

Mr Magnolia

Homogenisation would make a difference I would expect. I'm surprised though, I thought all will was homogenised (and pasturised).

The main difference in my experience and as mentioned by Water John would be feed. Milk would be seasonal enough and affected by weather.

I always found avonmore to be very good.

Potsy84

I've just discovered The Village Dairy - I had no idea milk could taste so good. Got it in Dunnes Cornelscourt. They sell online through their website too.

Water John

Those who use milk as a core raw material would tell you, they would know immediately in the manufacturing process once the cows are housed down here in the Autumn. This would be a switch of diet from grass to silage.
Some of the cheese manufactured in France would insist that the cows are not fed anything fermented eg silage.

Some small local niche type suppliers would use non homogenised as a plus.
Homogenisation is done by forcing the milk under pressure through a small nozzle.

The Village Dairy is a group of farmers who supply organic milk together.
A number of organic dairy farms sell milk directly.

beachhead

Jersey Cream good.Don't buy any milk from West Waterford area - too bitter

Mr Magnolia

Water John wrote: »

Those who use milk as a core raw material would tell you, they would know immediately in the manufacturing process once the cows are housed down here in the Autumn. This would be a switch of diet from grass to silage.
Some of the cheese manufactured in France would insist that the cows are not fed anything fermented eg silage.

Some small local niche type suppliers would use non homogenised as a plus.
Homogenisation is done by forcing the milk under pressure through a small nozzle.

The Village Dairy is a group of farmers who supply organic milk together.
A number of organic dairy farms sell milk directly.

Is it raw milk or organic or both?

Worked in a few dairies many moons ago and part installed homoginisers. They basically smash the milk and separate the fat cells to a point where they don't reform if I remember correctly.

Water John

Milk is very rarely sold unpastuerised. It requires special licence from the Dept of Agriculture and very standards and regular testing.
Organic milk is from farms adhering to certain standards. This would be around animal husbandry and care also no artificial fertiliser.

Blush_01

shanec1928 wrote: »

a lot of milk is packaged in the same location. connacht gold, donegal creameries, dunnes stores and im pretty sure lidl as well are all packaged in killygordan.

You can tell which creamery the milk came from if you look at the factory code (IE XXXX EC) - quick google, or DAFM has a list on their website on an excel file.

There are relatively few creameries in Ireland - Glanbia, Kerry, Aurivo, Arrabawn, Lakelands, Strathroy etc. Great to see smaller companies taking on the big boys, but their smaller scale premiums will unfortunately make them niche until people start caring more about local sourcing and the power of the retailers.

You might find a 0.1% cream difference in the big players (processors and retailers) specs, but whole milk has to have min. 3 5% fat. Summer milk is better than winter milk due to weather and feed conditions. That aside, it's pasteurised and homogenised so they'll all be relatively equivalent to each other. We used to pasteurise our milk for personal use when I was a kid, and honestly, that milk was the best, but I'd never go raw again.

Jersey is creamier and also harder to find. Full fat / low fat / skim etc. will all make a difference if you're steaming the milk. I hate milk from a plastic bottle, I'm fine with tetra, but you can't always get those off notes in something as flavourful as coffee.

Hodors Appletart

back in the day, around the mid to late 90s when I was starting out working I was used to Premier milk we got it delivered.

I started working in an office and all they had was Avonmore. It was there and then that I started drinking black tea (wasn't into coffee at the time) and I can still (in my brain probably) taste a difference between the two.

I pretty much don't drink any milk these days apart from a glass of blue premier if I have dinner in my ma's.

GooglePlus

bobbyy gee wrote: »

most milk is from same place

Don't lift their placebo.

Yes, most of it is coming from the same source and will just have different packaging.

The quality of the milk comes from the health of the cow and the grass it's fed. This standard is set across the country so people's taste buds aren't that good if they're noticing massive differences as any of the home brand stuff is coming from the likes of Glanbia or Lakeland, just like avonmore or other named brands like Premier or Champion

Water John

A difference people may not be taking into account is the water. Much of the urban water has Triohalomethanes, which is the strong chlorine smell. It's a pity as after a nice meal out I'd finish with tea and it's often muck.
Also tea and I presume coffee are better made with soft water, low Ph than hard water. All brewing is better with soft water.

Hodors Appletart

Water John wrote: »

All brewing is better with soft water.

not true

stouts are best made with water with a medium to high bicarbonate content

source: am a homebrewer with medals for stouts and I use RO water to build a water profile for brewing by adding salts and other things

Water John

Thanks for that, should have been more careful with my wording. What I do know is, that soft water is better for distilling eg whiskey.

The other thing to watch is that some hard water precipitates out the carbonates when heated, some more than others.