Choose Your Milk Wisely When Using Your Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker

Thanks to Nespresso and its famous coffee pods, anyone can call themselves a barista. But the Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker takes things up another notch. This small, counter-top kitchen appliance does all the barista-ing for you. Scroll through a menu of coffee drink recipes with the integrated touch screen or connected phone app, select what looks good, and follow along by adding ice cubes, chocolates, or anything else it calls for along with the milk. In a matter of seconds the device will foam, froth, and whip up a coffee drink that rivals your favorite coffee shop — just be careful what kind of milk you use.

The Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker is designed to work with all kinds of ingredients, from granulated sugar to cinnamon to chocolate squares. All can be added directly to the milk jug along with your milk. However, to ensure the machine's best performance, cleanliness, and longevity, you should avoid using certain types of milk. That includes special enriched milks, powdered milks, and flavored milks. And, while you certainly can add in things like syrup and chocolate powder, as many of the included recipes recommend, they may impact the resulting texture of your milk.

Of course, for professional baristas, this isn't news. In fact, milk variety and frothability is something that experienced baristas always consider when they're preparing drinks. That's because, as it turns out in both the Nespresso and coffee world at large, not all are considered equal.

The Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker comes with a few simple milk guidelines. As mentioned, there are a few types you should avoid using, including enriched milks, powdered milks, and flavored milks. Whole cow's milk tends to be the default milk at coffee shops, and it's the recommended milk to use in your Barista Recipe Maker for good reason. The milk is high in fat, creating a silky smooth foam when frothed. Skim milk, on the other hand, creates a comparably stiffer foam. Non-fat and previously frozen milks simply won't foam, and if you're using an alternative milk, Nespresso can't guarantee anything. But what about the many sustainable plant-based milks on the market?

Though results aren't guaranteed, you can use alternative milks in your Barista Recipe Maker — but you should adjust your expectations. Popular options at coffee shops will include everything from almond and cashew milk to soy and coconut milk, each of which will produce different textures and flavors in your drinks. Oat milk tends to be the preferred option among professionals, especially the full-fat and barista editions, because they have the flavor and texture most similar cow's milk. Other types of plant milk don't tend to stretch as well, but still work fine in iced coffee applications. Keep all this in mind when experimenting with your Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker for the best results.