Considering a shift from dairy milk to a plant-based alternative for your coffee? The journey to find the perfect substitute, one that mirrors the creamy texture and subtle flavour of traditional dairy milk, can be daunting. Fear not, as the world of plant-based milk offers excellent options that pair beautifully with coffee.

In our quest to discover the finest barista oat milk available in the UK, we meticulously evaluated eight of the most prominent brands. Our findings indicate that, generally, the pricing across these brands is quite consistent. Notably, the most significant price differences stem from exclusive discounts offered by various supermarkets.

How we decided on the best barista oat milk

Understanding that taste and texture are highly personal preferences, we aimed for an impartial ranking by averaging the scores among several team members. For transparency, we’ve detailed our complete methodology and the scoring system we used at the end of this article.

The Best Barista Oat Milks

We expected the Oatly barista to perform well, this test was not the first time we’ve tasted how good this oat milk is in coffee. However, the foam was very impressive in the test, it foamed up very quickly and lasted for a long time when combined with the coffee. The neutral taste pairs well with coffee and would make a great latte or cappuccino.

The Alpro drinks are always high quality and their barista oat blend is no exception. Thick long lasting foam with a neutral taste and when mixed with coffee it combined well to create a velvety texture. Like the Oatly barista blend the neutral taste mixes well with coffee and is the perfect combination for any type of coffee.

This was the surprise of the test for us, the foam was thick and lasted for a long time before the small bubbles started to fade. The slightly sweet taste paired well with the coffee and it had a great texture. Overall this went down well with everyone, however, we know the sweet taste might not be to everyone’s liking.

We loved this barista milk blend. It produces good foam, however not at the thickness and consistency of the leading milks in this list which brought the score down. The milk is less dense but still has a good taste and texture, enough to create a great milky coffee. For us, this scores just under the two leaders in the category.

The Rude Health packaging stands out on the shelf, bright blue packaging with a deep red brand logo. A popular choice with baristas producing a thick foam, mixing well with coffee. The taste wasn’t the most popular with our panel but it was still a nice plant milk overall. Out of all the barista milks we bought this was the most expensive.

This is one of the milks that split the panel in half when it came to the taste test and could have easily scored much higher or lower depending on the team judging. The foam was nice and it lasted for a while after being mixed with the coffee.

The minior figures packaging looks great, we love the design. However, it didn’t perform well for us when we tried to froth it in our machine, the foam was minimal even when we tried to froth a second batch. We’re going to test this again soon just in case there was an issue with the batch we had, but for now the lack of foam brings the whole score down. The taste and texture of the hot milk was nice and it performed similarly to the other milks above for those categories.

As you can probably tell by the score, the mighty pea m.lk was the least favourite for our panel by quite some margin. A combination of the bad aftertaste and lack of foam meant this barista milk wasn’t a contender to be a staple fixture in our fridge. We have seen comments online that say this milk does produce foam, so like the Minor Figures barista milk above we will be retesting this however, with a poor taste it’s unlikely to move up any further in the list.

Methodology

To assess the quality of each barista milk, we aggregated scores from various individuals across four distinct categories. To ensure fairness in our testing process, we refrigerated all the milk varieties beforehand, used a consistent milk frother, and maintained uniform quantities of coffee and milk for each trial.

To evaluate the foam’s longevity, we allowed the coffee and milk mixture to settle for a minute before taking our initial sip. This approach helped us gauge the foam’s stability and its impact on the overall coffee experience.

What did we measure?

• Taste
• Texture
• Frothability (how well the milk froths)
• Foam (specifically how long the foam lasts)

What is our scoring system?

We employed a unique scoring system, assigning each milk a rating between 1 and 10. This straightforward approach facilitated an easy comparison of one milk against another, ensuring a clear and fair assessment across all the options tested.

What milk frother did we pick?

We selected the VAVA milk frother for several reasons. Firstly, its ability to produce hot, airy foam makes it ideal for testing the best plant-based milks. Additionally, it features interchangeable elements that can heat and froth milk separately. Its ease of cleaning is a significant advantage, and importantly, it’s relatively cost-effective compared to other frothers available on the market.

Why is oat milk so popular for baristas?

Oat milk is a popular choice among baristas as a dairy milk substitute. Its ability to froth effectively makes it ideal for creating the beloved latte art. Typically, the oat milk used in coffee shops is a ‘barista blend’, characterised by a higher fat content compared to other varieties in its range. This milk is also thicker and has a creamy texture, closely resembling the traditional dairy milk previously favoured by baristas.