Should You Add Milk to Coffee?

Some say you should never add milk to your coffee. It sounds strange, but many people accept it as fact, and there’s a bit of a controversy surrounding whether milk in coffee is acceptable.

You can drink your coffee however you want, but does adding milk do anything bad?

You should add milk to your coffee if that’s how you like it. It’s healthier for you than creamer since it doesn’t contain all those added sugars. Milk even brings out coffee’s nutty and chocolatey flavors, so it can make it taste delicious.

Overall, the choice is up to you whether or not to add milk to your coffee.

This article covers why you can add milk to your morning cup of joe and whether you get any benefits from it.

Let’s get started!

Why You Should Add Milk to Your Coffee

Milk is creamy and will make your coffee thicker and creamier. It also brings out other flavors in your coffee that you might not be able to taste when drinking it black.

It makes the coffee smoother and hides some bitterness, making it much more enjoyable to drink.

Furthermore, adding only milk to your coffee can be a significant step toward drinking your coffee black, which is healthier for you.

It can be hard to start drinking plain coffee after adding creamer or milk and sugar to it for so long. 

Starting by drinking coffee with only milk in it can help you get used to the bitter taste, then you can stop adding it when the bitterness no longer bothers you.

People tend to like the texture of coffee with milk more, too. You’ll get an even creamier texture if you use milk containing more fat.

So, if you don’t like coffee with a watery, thin consistency, you can benefit from adding some milk to it.

Milk vs. No Milk

There’s a bit of a controversy surrounding milk in coffee, and people can be very passionate about both options.

Here are some of the reasons why:

Why Some People Don’t Drink Milk With Coffee

You might’ve heard some people say that you shouldn’t add milk to your coffee. However, that’s not true— you can enjoy your coffee with any ingredients you like.

Plus, there are even some benefits that come with including milk in your morning brew.

So, why do so many people say not to add milk? It’s usually due to the drink’s higher amounts of carbs and calories when you add whole milk.

However, adding skim milk wouldn’t include nearly as many unhealthy aspects.

Plus, many people are lactose-intolerant or vegan and avoid drinking milk entirely. 

According to Healthline, adding milk to coffee may reduce some of its antioxidants.

However, it’s usually not enough to significantly reduce the health benefits you get from antioxidants.

People who’ve heard this might be against adding milk to their drink since they want the full effects.

That said, it’s usually a misconception that milk in coffee makes it unhealthy.

You likely shouldn’t worry much about the added calories and carbs unless you add a lot of full-fat milk and sugar to your coffee.

On average, a cup of coffee with a splash of skim milk has only 12 calories.

Lastly, some coffee is meant to be enjoyed black or without milk. If you go to a cafe, you might find that some options don’t come with milk or other ingredients.

In those cases, you’ll get the most flavor out of drinking the coffee the way it was intended to be brewed.

Why People Drink Milk With Coffee

Most people are already accustomed to drinking their coffee with a splash of milk. If you’re used to drinking coffee this way, it’ll probably taste strange to you if the milk isn’t there. 

Most coffee sold today comes with milk to make it more palatable.

Since you tend to see coffee with milk in stores, cafes, and restaurants, it can feel like something’s missing when you drink it black.

Plus, many chain cafes and restaurants add sugar, flavorings, and toppings to your coffee.

Some people may not like the taste of milk on its own, but like it in coffee. They’ll drink it with their coffee to try to increase their intake of calcium and the other nutrients found in milk.

In short, people prefer things that are familiar to them. If you’ve been drinking milk with your coffee your entire life, you probably won’t want to switch to drinking it black. It’ll take some getting used to.

The same is true for someone who’s mostly had plain coffee— they wouldn’t like the milk in their drink.

There’s no correct way to drink your coffee, so feel free to experiment with it whenever you want when making it at home.

Are There Benefits To Adding Milk to Coffee?

You can get some benefits from adding milk to your coffee. These include:

• A thicker, smoother texture: The creaminess of the milk makes the drink less watery.
• Added vitamins and nutrients: You get a slight boost of protein and vitamins, including calcium, from milk.
• May reduce effects of acid reflux: Coffee is an acidic drink, but adding milk can neutralize some of the acids in your coffee. Doing so makes it less harmful to those with acid reflux.
• Reduce caffeine content: If you have a cup of coffee that’s half milk, it’ll have less caffeine than a cup of black coffee since it’s less concentrated. It’s a decent option for reducing caffeine intake without giving up coffee completely.

Of course, you’ll want to find a good ratio of milk to coffee to get these benefits. Your coffee shouldn’t consist mainly of milk, or it’ll offer more negatives than positives.

However, coffee that’s half milk or less is okay, as long as you have a reasonable serving size.

So, there are benefits that you can get from adding milk to your coffee. That said, it’s still not the healthiest way for you to drink it.

What’s the Healthiest Way To Drink Coffee?

The healthiest way to drink coffee is to drink it black, without any added ingredients. That means not adding sugar, creamer, or milk to the drink.

Black coffee is very bitter and takes a while to get used to, but you get a boost from the caffeine without the sugar and extra calories.

So, if you want the healthiest coffee, drink it black. One to two cups a day might even reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure. 

Overall, those trying to lose weight generally stick with black coffee. It doesn’t have added calories or anything else that can make weight loss harder.

So, you can still drink coffee daily and meet your unique health goals.

What Coffee Does Milk Taste Best In?

If you only want to improve the taste of your coffee, then you can choose full-fat milk. It’s a bit sweet and makes your drink really rich and creamy.

You can simply add the milk to your coffee, or you can prepare a cappuccino.

This type of coffee consists of a double espresso shot and steamed milk. It tastes great, and the steamed milk enhances the taste of the coffee.

Additionally, darker roasts tend to be better with milk. It has a heavier coffee flavor than light and medium roasts, so the milk doesn’t completely overpower it.

Although milk still tastes pleasant in any coffee roast.

You can add any type of milk to your coffee, including plant-based ones. What tastes the best to you will depend on your preferences.

You may want to try different kinds of milk and see if you find one that you enjoy even more than the standard whole milk.

Final Thoughts

In short, you should add milk to your coffee if that’s how you enjoy drinking it. And, fortunately, there are a few benefits to doing so, as well.

Milk adds extra nutrients to your drink and enhances its flavor and texture.

However, you should always drink your coffee how you like it.

If you don’t like adding milk to your coffee, you don’t need to feel pressured to do so.

Sources

• Progeny Coffee: SHOULD YOU ADD MILK TO YOUR COFFEE?
• Healthify Me: Black Coffee – Benefits, Nutrition, and Side Effects
• Heart: Coffee may help reduce the risk for heart failure
• Healthline: Does Milk Block Antioxidants in Foods and Beverages?
• Coffee Friend: How many calories are in a cup of coffee?
• Lewhif: 11 Ways To Reduce Acidity In Coffee
• Eleven Coffees: The 10 Most Popular Coffee Roasts (With Image Guide)