What Is the Difference Between Fresh Milk and Powdered Milk?

Milk plays a bigger role in coffee than you may think. It impacts flavour, texture, appearance and even your coffee machine’s performance on a daily basis.

If you’re trying to decide whether fresh milk or powdered milk is best for your office or commercial coffee setup, understanding the difference can help you make the right decision.

 

Fresh milk vs powdered milk: simply explained 

Powdered milk is just normal milk that has been dehydrated so that all of the liquid is removed. This creates a powder that can last for between 12–18 months when unopened and stored at room temperature. It can be kept for long periods of time in bulk, and doesn’t require refrigeration until opened. The downside is that it generally doesn’t taste as nice as regular milk.

Fresh milk retains its creamy taste and smooth texture. It does need to be refrigerated at all times, even when unopened, and will usually only last around 5–7 days after being opened. Like powdered milk, fresh milk contains protein, calcium and other essential nutrients.

 

What is fresh milk? 

Fresh milk is milk that’s simply been pasteurised for safety. It’s what most of us are used to drinking at home, and what you’ll usually find being used in cafés.

One reason coffee tastes so good with fresh milk is because it hasn’t been processed to remove the water content. This means it has a fuller flavour than powdered milk. Fresh milk tastes sweet and creamy, and compliments the flavour of your coffee beans when added.

Reasons to choose fresh milk for your business:

• Full natural flavour
• Creamy and smooth 
• Perfect froth and micro foam for latte art
• Makes your coffee experience feel more premium 

Where freshness matters, many offices, hospitality venues and client facing businesses prefer to serve coffee with fresh milk. It allows you to provide barista-level quality for your guests and employees.

 

What is powdered milk? 

Powdered milk, as the name suggests, is milk in powder form. Powdered milk is produced by evaporating fresh milk until little to no moisture is left.

This process gives milk a really long shelf life, and means it won’t spoil or go off until opened. Powdered milk is great for vending machines, busy offices, or anywhere else where ease of use is more important than taste.

Reasons to choose powdered milk for your business:

• Shelf life of up to 18 months
• Super easy storage - no refrigeration required
• Less chance of running out or spoilage 

It’s commonly found in vending machines and high-volume environments where ease and consistency matter more than premium taste.

 

Taste and performance in Coffee 

So how does powdered milk compare to regular milk when it comes to making coffee? Let’s take a closer look.

Fresh milk has a creamy consistency and natural sweetness that works great with espresso. It also produces superior foam when steamed, meaning you can create beautiful micro foam for flat whites, cappuccinos, and latte art.

Powdered milk isn’t as creamy or flavoursome as fresh milk. It works fine in most automatic coffee machines and is perfectly acceptable for busy work environments where premium taste isn’t the top priority.

Cream freshness really comes into play when you want to give your guests, clients, or employees the full coffee shop experience.

 

Nutrition 

Powdered milk and regular milk are very similar when it comes to nutrition. Both provide protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients your body needs.

There is a minor downside to powdered milk however. Because it goes through a heating process to evaporate all of the liquid, some heat-sensitive vitamins can be effected.

Still, powdered milk provides enough vitamins and nutrients to compete with fresh milk. For most people, the difference is negligible.

 

Shelf life and storage 

Arguably the largest benefit of powdered milk over regular milk. Powdered milk can last up to 18 months without refrigeration, while fresh milk should ideally always be refrigerated and used within 1 week of opening.

Spoilage and limited shelf life are some of the biggest challenges when providing milk for employees or guests. Powdered milk offers the convenience of not having to worry about your milk going off before it’s used.

 

Fresh milk vs powdered milk: which is better?

Ultimately the decision of fresh vs powdered milk comes down to you and your business needs.

If you value: 

• A premium taste 
• Quality milk froth 
• Satisfying your clients and staff 

Then fresh milk is the way to go.

If you value: 

• Bulk storage 
• Low maintenance 
• Reduced waste 

Powdered milk might be right for you. 

Keep in mind that most bean-to-cup coffee machines these days are built to be used with a fresh milk system. 

 

Conclusion 

Fresh milk and powdered milk each have their own pros and cons. Powdered milk gives you unmatched convenience and shelf life. Fresh milk tastes great and provides a cafe quality coffee experience.

If your workplace treats coffee as an important part of your company culture or customer experience, serving up fresh milk can really make an impact.

Here at Cotswold Coffee we work with businesses to find the perfect coffee machine and milk solution for their office. Get in touch to learn how we can help you serve consistently great cups of coffee.