Cold foam is one of the modern coffee industry’s greatest inventions, creating the perfect mouthfeel to top iced coffee and cold brew coffee. You can find cold foam everywhere now — from national coffee chains like Starbucks to locally owned cafés. But can you put cold foam on a hot coffee? The answer to this question almost seems obvious, but some coffee shops will make a hot coffee with cold foam on top. Here’s what to know before ordering a drink with this interesting temperature collision.
How cold foam reacts atop a hot coffee
While the average coffee drinker probably doesn’t want a science lesson, it is helpful to understand how cold foam reacts atop hot coffee so you know what to expect when you order it (and helps to manage expectations for your order).
According to Edmund McCormick, food science expert, cold foam will change rapidly when poured on top of hot coffee, as heat ruptures air cells and denatures proteins, causing the foam to rapidly thin out unless it is stabilized with ingredients like xanthan gum or gellan (as found in many café formulations). The aeration of chilled milk creates a foamy, frothy texture that won’t last as long as on an iced drink. For this reason, you may find some coffee shops decline a request to order hot coffee with cold foam (as it’s almost an order destined to fail)
What does cold foam on hot coffee taste like?
In my short trial of ordering cold foam on hot coffee, I’ve found that there’s a lot of variability here. The most obvious one is how quickly you’re planning to consume the drink. For example, I’ve found that the texture and enjoyability of cold foam on hot coffee is much better if I drink the cold foam within a couple of minutes of the order being made.
In contrast, I’ve tried mobile ordering a hot coffee with cold foam and arrived too late, only to find my cold foam was no longer cold. There are a lot of factors at play here, including the temperature of the milk used in the cold foam and how hot the coffee itself is. As mentioned by McCormick, the type of cold foam used also has a lot to do with how the drink tastes. Starbucks’ new protein cold foam seems to hold up better, perhaps because of the extra protein mixed into the foam.
Is it worth ordering?
“Similar to wine, ordering a hot coffee with cold foam depends on personal preference. I definitely think it’s worth ordering and enjoying, just keep in mind it will be a different experience from ordering it on a chilled drink,” says Darren Spicer, Co-Founder of Clutch Coffee Bar.
Overall, how well cold foam holds on top of a hot coffee is dependent on so many factors — you just can’t know exactly what you’re going to get. If you want consistency and reliability in your coffee order, this specific coffee order combination probably isn’t worth the gamble. If you’re willing to risk it, you might love the mouthfeel and sensory feeling of this order.
