Can You Put Milk In A Coffee Maker?
Coffee is a name of love for many people. To start your day, you need a cup of coffee instead of anything. It contains the energy to cheer you up in the early morning and had you going for the work pressure. Many have a coffee maker at their house. This is a machine that can make coffee for you just by pressing a button. This machine is so advanced that using only coffee beans and water to make coffee. But not advanced enough to process milk in replace of water.
Can you put milk in a coffee maker? The answer is no. You do not put milk or any other thicker substance than water. Coffee makers are not meant to process milk or any liquid to make coffee. If you even put milk in a coffee maker the result will not be good. Let’s discuss more.
Key Takeaways
- Milk is essential for making coffee, coffee makers are of great use to making coffee.
- Putting milk in a coffee maker is a bad idea, it will harm your coffee maker.
- The result putting milk inside a coffee maker will result in disappointment, junk the whole system, and hassle to mess up cleaning.
Can you put milk in a coffee maker?
Milk is essential to dip into any kind of coffee. Cappuccino. Macchiato, Flat White, Latte, Mocha, Espresso, etc. Without milk, these are just black coffee with too much bitterness. But you can’t put milk in a coffee maker as it will destroy the coffee maker and burn the milk. Milk is a complex liquid containing 88 percent water, 5 percent lactose, 3 percent fat, and 4 percent protein. These ingredients are making milk a complex element for a coffee maker. The components of a coffee maker are not supposed to process milk into coffee.
Coffee makers are designed to boil water, not milk or any other compound liquid. To get that perfect cup of brewed coffee from a coffee is to use only water. But first, we need to know how a coffee maker works and what the components are.
How a coffee maker works
The coffee machine is one of the most popular home appliances to have in everyday use. So many people drink coffee but do not have the time to commit to more complex ways of brewing. Thankfully, coffee machines are here to do all the heavy lifting for us so getting a cup of coffee is as simple as pressing a button. But why milk is forbidden to use in a coffee maker? Why you cannot put milk in a coffee maker? To find out keep reading for a deep discussion.
Coffee makers are designed to boil water up to 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to get that perfect cup of brewed coffee but will often take between 8-10 minutes to heat up. In addition, the hot plate under the coffee pot maintains a steady temperature to keep the coffee hot.
Most coffee machines work with the same basic process to move water through coffee grounds into your cup. There are some differences in the kind of coffee machine you have on your countertop. The processing and components make the differences.
Most of the coffee machines are the same. The most commonly used one is a drip coffee machine. A drip coffee machine is separated into two parts. The top and the bottom. If you were to take your coffee machine apart, you would probably find similarities to any other coffee machine.
This coffee machine has:
The Reservoir
The largest component of a coffee machine. This component holds the water you pour into your machine so that it can be transferred into the coffee. Reservoirs on coffee machines can vary by the size of the machine. Some reservoirs can hold more water than others but all of them are simple pots for holding water. This reservoir can only contain only water as it is lighter than milk.
The Hot-Water Tube
It is a wrapped tube that runs from the bottom of the machine way up to the faucet at the top. This tube is usually white and functions as a way to move water from one place to another. This tube is not able to move milk rather than water.
The Faucet
Basically a small showerhead over the coffee grounds and it is used to spray the water carried through the hot water tube over the coffee. It ensures that all of the coffee grounds are soaked so that you get the quality cup of coffee you’re looking for. This faucet does not have the ability to spray any other liquid rather than water.
The Drip Area
This separates the faucet mouth from the coffee container. It is a small piece of plastic with holes that controls the amount of water falling onto the coffee grounds below. Milk will gam this area.
From this discussion, we come to know how a coffee maker works and what the components are. This discussion also gives us a clear view and logic of using milk in a coffee maker is foolish. Even though, if someone wants to use milk in a coffee maker so badly then there are some outcomes of unsatisfactory are waiting. Let’s find out.
See Also: Can You Put Instant Coffee In A Coffee Maker?
What happens if you put milk in a coffee maker?
We already came to understand putting milk in a coffee maker is not a good idea. Milk has a heating point of 160 degrees Fahrenheit while a coffee maker boils water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This will overheat milk to ruin. It is totally a waste. But still, if you want to put milk in a coffee machine so badly then you should know what result is waiting for you.
Disappointment
Coffee machines are not manufactured to process milk with coffee. Even it will make your coffee worse than tea. The machine will burn the milk and it will mix up with every component related to it. If you use milk instead of water, the milk inside the coffee pot will continue to scald and make your coffee ruined.
Bacterial Attack
The coffee machine is supposed to boil and mix water. Milk is a unique kind of liquid. It is thicker than water. Putting milk instead of coffee will result in hampering the process and the machine may collapse. Afterward, the milk inside it will be hard to remove and it will start to grow bacteria. This will cause the machine to become unsanitary and it would be more likely to make the coffees you are going to make in the future taste unpleasant.
Jamming the Machine
Milk is closely related to the sanitation of a coffee maker. As discussed, bacteria will come and grow if you replace water with milk as the remaining milk in the machine may spoil. Milk contains proteins that make the thickness and are not present in water. It makes milk thicker. So when this forms up, it will coagulate and clog up the machine.
This will not only cause unnecessary frustration but might force you to buy a new coffee maker, as well. The milk density will affect the steam and steeping process as well.
Cleaning becomes a nightmare
When all this happened, you will have no choice but to buy a new coffee maker or clean the existing one. It may sound easy. But it is a lot of work and costs a lot of money and time. It is not easy as the milk has spread all over the place and already started growing bacteria.
To clean a coffee maker you need to open every part and component of it. Some parts will not recover for reuse. Thus, it will become a daydreaming nightmare and ultimately you will have to buy a new one.
Before you put milk in your coffee maker, consider the cons of it. There are some other ways to put milk in your coffee that will help you make a wise choice. Let’s find out.
See Also: How To Set Timer On KitchenAid Coffee Maker?
Other ways to add milk to coffee
Instead of raising bacteria and bitter coffee, make your coffee like you normally do and add milk on top of it afterward. At least, you will have no worries about damaging your coffee maker.
Alternatively, you can pour the cream first and then add the coffee so it will stir itself. Doing so will keep your spoon from getting dirty. To prepare your coffee and milk running hot, you can use better techniques instead.
Place your milk in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. Remember to keep your eyes on the milk so it will not rise and litter up your stovetop.
Once it comes to a boil then immediately reduce the temperature low. Leave it to stew for another 1 to 3 minutes before pouring it on your coffee.
If you like your coffee with foam, pour the milk you have just boiled in a gentle but quick stream 2 inches above your glass. This will cool down the coffee mixture and result in a foam layer on top of the glass.
See Also: Cook Time Vs Timer On Oven
FAQs
Why shouldn’t you put milk in coffee?
It is clear that adding milk to coffee has both benefits and drawbacks. But even with that being said that health experts do not recommend using whole milk when taking coffee due to its somewhat high carbs count and allergenic potential.
Is it OK to put milk in a Keurig?
I know that putting milk in Keurig for hot chocolate seems like a good idea. But you should never try to put milk in a Keurig or any other drip coffee maker. This can easily harm your machine and it is almost impossible to clean.
What is the healthiest way to drink coffee?
The healthier way to drink coffee is not to add anything else. It is recommended by doctors. The caffeine will directly into your body and will serve the actual reason for coffee.
Final Thoughts
Coffee with milk is great. Without milk, coffee may remain unsuccessful to serve its purpose. But putting milk instead of water in the coffee maker is not a good idea. Milk is a complex liquid substance. This will ruin the test and harm the machine.
A coffee machine is not built to serve coffee with milk. This machine can boil water for coffee up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If you put milk, the milk will fade away and be ruined. The components of this coffee maker will gain a protein layer and jam the whole system. This will result in bacteria and fungus hazards inside your coffee machine. To clean this up, you have to pay a lot of time, money, and headache. So before you do that, consider all these and make a wise decision on your own.
