Popular articles
Recent discussions on forum
How To Make a Cold Foam For Coffee
Three easy methods of how you can make cold foam for coffee at home.
Published November 4, 2021
Select language
Susan Rov
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Do you love creamy cappuccinos and lattes, and are you looking for a beverage that you can enjoy on a hot summer’s day too?
Do you enjoy cold brew coffee but wish that you could add something that would make the drink a little more creamy? But without diluting it or changing the temperature of the drink?
Or have you recently tried the Starbucks cold foam and you are now dying to find out how to make cold foam at home? While it’s amazingly satisfying, the cold foam is simple to make and only consists of basic ingredients making this coffee addition easy to replicate at home.
This article will cover everything you need to know about cold milk foam and explain three ways of making it at home.
What Is Cold Foam?
Cold foam is basically cold milk that is creamy, velvety, and frothy without the use of heat or steam. It is usually sweetened with sugar but can be also mixed with other flavors such as vanilla, salted caramel, or hazelnut. You can pour cold foam on any cold coffee beverage and it will slowly blend into the rest of the drink. It tastes slightly less creamy than the traditional steamed milk you would use for a latte but it is a perfect way of taking the edge off a cold black coffee without warming it up. It also acts as a delicious addition to a milky cold drink.
The cold foamed milk was traditionally used in Greece for their frappe recipe in 1957. The cold foam was also used in Japan by beer companies, while in some countries in Europe, an espresso topped with cold frothy milk is referred to as iced cappuccino.
Starbucks Cold Foam
Although Starbucks hasn’t invented the cold foam, it has certainly popularized it. It introduced cold foam to the menu in 2014 and you can now add it on top of any drink.
Cold foam is made of tiny bubbles, similar to that of a hot microfoam used for hot beverages. Starbucks uses a blender with special blades and low-fat milk to whip up its smooth textured foam. Its appeal comes not only from its taste but also the appealing look of cold foam, which stays layered on top of your drink and then slowly seeps into your coffee.
The rising popularity of cold foam and its flavored variations such as salted caramel or pumpkin spice to top up your cold brew has resulted in the fact that there are now 12 types of cold brew on the Starbucks menu.
Best Milk for Cold Foam
Starbucks uses non-fat milk to make their cold foam. Contrary to microfoam used for lattes, which is easiest to make with full cream milk, the non-fat or 2% milk is the best choice for cold foam. Because these kinds of milk contain a higher percentage of protein than fat, they have the ability to produce high-volume and long-lasting tiny milk bubbles that top up the cold foam. Using half and half, adding condensed milk, or making the cold foam with cream will make the foam richer and more creamy.
There are different recipe variations developed by coffee lovers and you can add vanilla, salted caramel, hazelnut, or cinnamon syrup for extra flavor. If you want to use alternative milk, while soy and almond milk wouldn’t have the required texture, thick coconut milk will produce creamy foam for your cold beverages.
Cold Foam Ingredients
If you want to make cold foam for coffee at home, the good news is that it doesn’t require any special ingredients.
For our cold foam recipe, we’re going to use:
- Half and half, which means half the amount of milk mixed with half the amount of cream.
- Sugar or simple syrup, which is simply sugar dissolved in hot water and then cooled down.
While using half and half is not the healthiest option, it will make the cold foam thick and fluffy, which is hard to achieve when only using milk.
Three Best Ways of Making Cold Foam at Home
Are you wondering how to make cold foam for coffee? Here are our three simple ways of how you can easily whip up cold foam at home.
1. Using a French Press
The capabilities of a French press go beyond brewing a robust cup of coffee. You can use it to make loose leaf tea and also cold foam.
The method:
- Pour half and half and your choice of sugar or simple syrup into the French Press.
- Place the lid on top and move the plunger up and down until the mixture expands twice in size. This should take around 30-45 seconds.
- Use cold foam on your iced beverage of choice.
Top tip: To make cold foam with French press, use at least ½ cup of milk and a smaller-sized French Press.
2. Using a Handheld Milk Frother
Handheld milk frothers are extremely affordable and handy tools that can froth the milk in a matter of seconds.
It can be used to froth both hot and cold milk and will be a great addition to your coffee gear if you don’t have an espresso machine equipped with a milk frother. This method is easier and less messy but the resulting foam has bigger bubbles that are not as silky smooth as when using the French press.
The method:
- Pour your half and half with a sweetener in a jug and whisk using a handheld milk frother. It should take around 20 seconds to create foam.
- Pour the foam on top of your cold beverage of choice.
3. Using No Equipment
How do you make cold foam for coffee if you don’t have a French Press or a handheld milk frother at home? The good news is that you can still make cold foam at home only using an ordinary jar.
The method:
- Pour half and half with your sweetener into the jar and make sure the lid is sealed and won’t leak.
- Shake the jar vigorously until foam starts to form. This technique requires more muscle and you’ll probably need to keep going for around 1 minute until the foam expands in size.
- Remove the lid and pour the foam on top of your drink.
Drinks to Serve with Cold Foam
Now that you’ve made cold foam, there are plenty of options on how you can use it. It can be used instead of cream or milk but also as an addition on top of any drink. Cold foam is often used for iced black coffees such as an iced Americano or cold brew. But you can pour your cold foam on top of an iced latte, iced macchiato, iced matcha latte, or a nitro brew.
How Do You Make Cold Foam at Home?
The trend of thick and creamy cold foam layered on top of your drink that adds additional flavor to cold beverages without heating them up has taken the world of cold coffees by storm. Luckily, it doesn’t require any special ingredients or a blender to make cold foam at home.
Try one of our methods using a French press, a handheld milk frother, or simply a jar to create this indulgent foam to top your iced beverages with at home.
About the author
Susan Rov
A retired barista who turned into a writer. I love discovering coffee flavors and learning more about the magic bean.
Add comment
More on the coffee lab
Sign up and contribute now