Milk Powder Is The Slept On Coffee Addition You've Been Needing

Some days a cup of black coffee is the perfect start, and others, the addition of a little milk or creamer is the preferable way to ease into the morning with a velvety smooth cup of joe. The only problem with liquid creamer is that it only lasts around two weeks in the fridge once opened, which means that if you aren't using it every day, it will likely go bad before you get to the bottom of the container. One easy solution is to buy powdered milk because it has a long shelf life and can be stored in the pantry, saving you some much-needed fridge space.

Powdered milk is the most convenient way to make creamy and rich coffee at home and is also the perfect fix while traveling as the powder is easy to store and separate into smaller portions for use on the go. Furthermore, when compared to both liquid and dry coffee creamer, powdered milk is lower in sugar and is the overall healthier choice.

So, maybe you've been convinced that powdered coffee additions are a great idea, but why should you choose powdered milk over dry coffee creamer? After all, powdered coffee creamer was made for dissolving in coffee and comes in great flavors like vanilla and hazelnut. 

The answer is that you should switch to milk powder over dry creamer if you want a more nourishing alternative and don't necessarily need extra flavors in your coffee. The best thing about milk powder — besides its rich creamy taste — is that it contains most of the same nutrients as a regular glass of milk including a good amount of protein, calcium, and vitamins B12 and D. Powdered creamer on the other hand is lactose-free and is usually made from corn syrup, vegetable oil, and other processed ingredients. 

Another benefit of milk powder is that it isn't a one-use ingredient and, unlike powdered creamer, can be incorporated into many different recipes –- especially in baking. Coffee is similar in this way, and when mixed with coffee grounds, non-fat milk powder will change your chocolate chip cookie game forever. It might just be the secret ingredient you've been searching for.

One of the biggest complaints about using milk powder as creamer is that it can be gritty if it doesn't completely dissolve. Of course, no one likes gritty coffee, so how can you add milk powder for the smoothest and most velvety cup? It turns out there are two methods.

The first is to mix the milk powder directly into the coffee grounds in your coffee machine. According to Brown Jenkins, a coffee roasting company out of Vermont, about 1 tablespoon per cup of brewed coffee should do the trick for both coffee makers and pour-overs. The second method involves adding the milk powder directly to the cup instead of mixing it with the grounds during the brewing process. This method is best if you only make one cup at a time. Brown Jenkins recommends adding the milk powder to the cup first and then pouring the coffee in second to make sure all the powder dissolves and you don't end up with those unpleasant little white clumps floating on top.