How To Make Big-Batch Cold Foam When Serving Coffee To A Crowd

"Who wants coffee?" is met with a ton of raised hands at many a social gathering. As a host, you can impress guests with your coffee-making skills by serving it with cold foam, a fantastic addition to all types of iced coffee. Usually, the easiest way to make the foam is by frothing milk with a handheld frother, but when you have to make a larger batch, this isn't the most convenient option anymore. Instead, a staple kitchen appliance can come to your rescue — the trusty blender.

Cold foam is essentially just frothed cold milk; during the frothing process the milk gets aerated, which creates a nice, bubbly texture. The best type of milk for homemade cold foam is nonfat, skim milk. For a plant-based version, almond and oat milk are great options, even more so when you opt for the barista versions. If you want to upgrade your cold foam with some extra flavor, adding any liquid sweetener will do the trick. Put your milk and sweetener of choice in a large blender and blend on high speed for about half a minute, or until you reach the desired consistency of the foam. Serve over iced coffee and leave your guests wondering, "Starbucks who?"

For mid-sized groups, you can also use an immersion blender to make a large batch of cold foam. You probably haven't considered frothing milk as one of the best uses for your immersion blender before, but when you pair it with a tall jug, it can actually foam the milk very quickly. You also have a bit more control than with a standard blender because you can move it around and so create a more evenly aerated result. Whichever method you go for, remember that cold foam is unfortunately not something you can successfully make ahead of time. It should always be served fresh.

Because of its delicate texture, the foam deflates with time and melts back into the milk. The longer you leave it standing, the more deflated it will get. You could pre-make the mixture of milk and sweetener, store it in the fridge, then froth it right before pouring it over the coffee, but it probably won't save you much time. You can, however, cut a few corners with the coffee itself: If you don't have time for cold brew, try using instant coffee. It's not much of a concession, and your guests will still be able to appreciate the freshly made, perfectly frothy foam sitting on top of the delicious coffee.