Coffee with milk

Brew the coffee first, then stir in hot milk; warming the milk separately keeps the drink hot without making it taste scalded. For a simple starting point, use roughly equal parts coffee and milk.

Warm the milk until steaming but not boiling, then whisk it briskly or shake it in a heatproof jar with the lid off before heating. Pour it over freshly brewed coffee, spooning the foam on top.

Yes: pour cooled, strong coffee over ice, then add cold milk. Chill leftover brewed coffee in a covered container first; hot coffee poured straight over ice can become watery.

Treat it like any drink containing milk: refrigerate it promptly, and discard it if it has been at room temperature for more than two hours. Don’t rely on smell alone to judge whether it is safe.

Café au lait traditionally combines brewed coffee with hot milk, often in roughly equal amounts. Coffee with milk is a broader description and can be made with espresso, instant coffee or brewed coffee, with any amount of milk.

Dairy milk froths well when cold and fresh; for a plant-based option, barista-style oat milk is made to foam and blend smoothly into coffee. Heat either gently rather than letting it boil.