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Dairy milk

Semi-skimmed milk

Also sold as: reduced-fat milk, low-fat milk, 2% milk, green top

Foams to a larger volume than whole milk and holds it less well — more foam, less body.

Type
Dairy
Composition
Less fat than whole milk, similar protein. Foam formation is largely a protein job; foam persistence is helped by fat, which is why the two ratings below differ.
Texture when steamed
Lighter and airier. The foam is more distinguishable from the liquid beneath it, which shows most in drinks with a thin milk layer such as a flat white or cortado.
Temperature
The same range as whole milk, but the penalty for overheating is more visible because there is less fat masking a coarse texture.

What it is like to work with

Reduced-fat dairy milk keeps the proteins that build foam while carrying less of the fat that slows the foam's collapse. In practice that means it can be easier to produce a lot of foam and harder to produce good foam: the volume comes quickly, the bubbles are more inclined to be visible, and the drink loses some of the weight that makes a flat white feel like one. It is a perfectly ordinary café milk and the adjustment is technique, not resignation — introduce air more briefly and spend longer on the whirlpool.

How it behaves in the jug

Foaming and holding that foam are different properties, and a milk can be good at one and poor at the other. Ratings are coarse on purpose — the note beside each one carries the actual claim.

  • Foams

    Readily

    Often produces more foam volume than whole milk for the same amount of air, which is a common surprise rather than an advantage.

  • Holds its foam

    Moderately

    Drains and separates sooner than whole milk, so a poured pattern has less time before it loses definition.

  • Splitting against espresso

    Low risk

    Same as whole dairy milk — freshness and holding time matter far more than fat content.

  • Latte art

    Moderately

    Workable, with a shorter window. Pour sooner after texturing than you would with whole milk.

How sweet it tastes

Slightly less rich in the mouth than whole milk at the same temperature; perceived sweetness from heating behaves similarly.

Allergens and labelling

Contains dairy and lactose.

Stated as a fact about the product, not as advice. Anyone managing a diagnosed allergy should follow guidance from their own healthcare provider.

How to handle it

When it goes wrong

Drinks it suits

Where this milk is commonly used, which is not a claim that it is the only option.

Equipment for it

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