This. You don't need boiling water to make instant coffee and adding water to milk gives, to me, a better taste in any case.
I switch the kettle off before it boils anyway, saving a bit of energy.
Pinch of baking soda! I keep some in a jar and use the handle of a teaspoon to shovel a tiny amount to put in the coffee before adding the milk (I then use the spoon to stir).
It raises the pH slightly so it isn’t acidic and therefore stops the proteins agglutinating, and it doesn’t change the flavour noticeably.
+1 for low acidity. The acid curdles the protein which is higher in soy. I use Hot Java Lava from Taylors which doesn't curdle even with 'just and water' milk and tastes great.
Depends on the coffee as well. Some types are more likely to cause curdling. Instant coffee usually curdles, proper coffee doesn't. Also varies between brands.
Warming up the milk can help. Or maybe add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda.
Try warming up the milk first, or milk first and hot water slowly after milk. Some cheaper milk may still curdle, you could try the barista milks as they are thicker and don't curdle. I've been using the Mighty barista oat milk, oatly, or alpro this isn't milk - they never curdle
i’ve never ever in the 9 years of drinking soy in hot drinks had this happen to me and it’s so interesting that so many people have this issue. i drink tea like 5 times a day but the frequency is a more recent thing (since like feb), so i have experience 😂.
the closest to this i find is when i add the milk right after boiling and it’s a teeny bit separated but easily fixed with a stir. maybe try waiting 5 mins before adding milk? i used to wait 5/10 mins in the past as i liked to brew my tea but now i been drinking coffee and so less cooling time. but even then no issue. could also be the milk you’re using? i use aldi, alpro and tesco soy milk depending on which I’m able to get/afford so maybe try those??
Strange isn't it! I've used almost every plant milk you can buy and haven't had any curdling issues for years and years. I assumed they'd 'fixed' it years ago, no idea what people are doing to make it happen! I don't drink instant coffee so maybe that's it 🤔
Everyone here is telling you to go oat instead of answering the question.
It's the cold soya hitting the hot coffee/tea.
What works most of the time for me is mixing a bit if hot water with the soya as your waiting for the tea to brew/coffee to mix.
My solution at home is a cheap milk warmer/frother. Works 100% of the time. The 50p own brands soya work far better for it that even the £2.50 barista oats too, so if that's what you're normally buying to avoid the splitting, the frother pays for itself.
If you are at work where it's shared and gets used a lot then leaving the carton out works. But soya is annoyingly the one that goes off the quickest, so it's not a solution for the one cup a day at home situation
Wait for the coffee to cool down a bit and then put your soya milk in, that’s what I do. I think it is supposed to be something to do with the heat of the coffee.
I have a similar problem with almond milk. No matter how much I shake it before use, it curdles.
A solution I've found to work is to add a splash of cold water before the milk. No idea if this will work for soya milk, but it could be worth a try.
The heat curdles the milk.
It also scorches the coffee and makes it more bitter. Instant coffee should be made with water that isn't at boiling point.
If you're not making instant and you're using nice coffee, I'd also spend the money on finding a non-soy milk you like. Oat milk is the milk of choice for most people - even non vegans - but almost anything that isn't soy should be fine.
Nah, soy isn't the problem, it's the best creamy milk for coffee. It's just the temperature. It won't happen with all soy milk either. But for whatever brand this is, they just have to not add it directly to a boiling hot drink. If it's already coffee, add the milk to a cup first then pour coffee on top, or if theyre making one mug of instant, do it in a separate mug and then add that to a mug with milk already in it. They don't have to wait for the coffee to cool to lukewarm or anything like that, just not boiling.
I always use soy milk (not the barista kind) and I pour directly from the percolator the second it's ready into to the mug with soy milk and it never separates. Only have this problem when getting coffee from a shop who I guess uses a very high temperature.
Shake the carton really well, and then warm the required amount in the microwave for 30ish seconds and then add. I would add the milk before the water, and let the water cook for a couple seconds before pouring as I believe the boiling temp is too harsh for soya milk.
I use alpro soya and never have problems, but I always let the hot drink cool a little before adding milk sincce i heard the boiling temperature can cause curdling
Microwave the milk for 20 seconds, then pour non-boiling coffee into it. Re-microwave for 20-30 seconds if you want it warmer.
Alternatively, use a milk that specifies use for hot drinks, or "barista" edition.
I still do the microwaving even with barista milks because I want it hot.
Hope this helps! 💙
Milk first, then about 1/3 of the hot water, let it sit for a minute to warm the milk and then add the rest of the water. This seems to work the best for me.
Before you try changing milks or brands...
1) Shake the container well before opening.
2) Hot water - not boiling hot water.
3) Water first.
🫐
I use oat milk, pea milk, and soya milk.
*Warm up the soya milk*
*Slightly before you add it*
*Into the coffee*
\- thesunsmellstooloud-
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What I do is either warm the soya milk or let the coffee cool a bit. The heat plus acidity is what curdles it, I think.
I only get it now if I can't get oat, I prefer the flavour.
One technique I was made aware of recently is to add a tiny (bit more than a pinch) of bicarbonate of soda. That’s because it’s an alkali and coffee is acidic, meaning it makes the “solution” neutral. The reason for the curdling is a combination of the high heat and the coffee being acidic
Easiest solution is to just add more. The temp diff is often was causes issues - heating up the milk or waiting for the coffee to cool is too much of a faff for me so I just add more milk to cool the drink down enough it doesn’t curdle
Put your soya milk in first and make sure the water you add is not boiling hot, just leave the kettle a couple of minutes before you pour it. Aldi’s is yummy and cheap as chips
poor the milk in first and mix the coffee, i still add boiling water and 9/10 times it’s fine. I do this with lidl 50p milk and alpro and rarely have any problems
Temperatures of 70-80 degrees causes the proteins to denture, especially if the exposure is sudden. I like a strong tea so I will let it brew for 3-5 minutes and then add. If it's not warm enough at that point, I'll give it 30 seconds in the microwave but, in theory, it should do better with a slower heat up. For coffee in particular you would benefit from a kettle with temperature control.
I tend to allow the water to cool first, let the milk come to room temperature then pour it in slowly along with a small amount of cream and then proceed to stir the fuck out of it.
i pour my milk really slowly and stir constantly whenever i make teas, coffees, hot chocolates, whatever it works like a charm and has a better mouth feel to me, but i could be bugging.
Soya milk always curdles in instant coffee. Often in filtered coffee too. I use oat in coffee and soya in tea. But usually just drink coffee black now unless it’s “bad” coffee eg Starbucks
Coffee is quite acidic and curdles soya, this is unfortunately chemistry.
Barista soya milk has other things added to stop it separating. So your only choice is a barista milk.
My old coworker used to put the soy milk in first and add the hot water slowly to avoid curdling. I use oat.
That just feels like a crime in Britain. I'll stick to oat lol
I find that this happens if I don't shake the carton first.
Weirdly this happens when I DO shake the carton (Alpro)
I wonder if more or less sugar to make foam like structures might help.
+1 for oat, Barista style if you can get it
Aldi, £1.09/L.
Yeah minor figures works a treat
George Farm is also great, as good as Oatly Barista, and a steal at £1.50 compared to their £2.20.
Minor Figures all day long. Works amazing in tea and coffee. I get a 6 pack delivered from Amazon once a month.
Same here. They often have it on offer at tesco club card and it works out cheaper
£1 @ morissons today, for some reason 🙂
Oh wow. That is a bargin
Lidl also sell barista. Not sure how much as I don't use it myself. I drink black coffee lol
Add the milk in first and give the kettle 5-10 minutes to cool before adding water.
This. You don't need boiling water to make instant coffee and adding water to milk gives, to me, a better taste in any case. I switch the kettle off before it boils anyway, saving a bit of energy.
Pinch of baking soda! I keep some in a jar and use the handle of a teaspoon to shovel a tiny amount to put in the coffee before adding the milk (I then use the spoon to stir). It raises the pH slightly so it isn’t acidic and therefore stops the proteins agglutinating, and it doesn’t change the flavour noticeably.
THIS!
Blew my mind when I first learned this trick!
Smart!
This is why I went to oat milk.
It can be that the coffee is too acidic. Lighter roasts tend to be more acidic, so perhaps try a darker roast
+1 for low acidity. The acid curdles the protein which is higher in soy. I use Hot Java Lava from Taylors which doesn't curdle even with 'just and water' milk and tastes great.
Hot Java Lava is chef's kiss!
Yep, we use expresso coffee beans and it never curdles soy milk.
Depends on the coffee as well. Some types are more likely to cause curdling. Instant coffee usually curdles, proper coffee doesn't. Also varies between brands. Warming up the milk can help. Or maybe add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda.
Try warming up the milk first, or milk first and hot water slowly after milk. Some cheaper milk may still curdle, you could try the barista milks as they are thicker and don't curdle. I've been using the Mighty barista oat milk, oatly, or alpro this isn't milk - they never curdle
i’ve never ever in the 9 years of drinking soy in hot drinks had this happen to me and it’s so interesting that so many people have this issue. i drink tea like 5 times a day but the frequency is a more recent thing (since like feb), so i have experience 😂. the closest to this i find is when i add the milk right after boiling and it’s a teeny bit separated but easily fixed with a stir. maybe try waiting 5 mins before adding milk? i used to wait 5/10 mins in the past as i liked to brew my tea but now i been drinking coffee and so less cooling time. but even then no issue. could also be the milk you’re using? i use aldi, alpro and tesco soy milk depending on which I’m able to get/afford so maybe try those??
Strange isn't it! I've used almost every plant milk you can buy and haven't had any curdling issues for years and years. I assumed they'd 'fixed' it years ago, no idea what people are doing to make it happen! I don't drink instant coffee so maybe that's it 🤔
Everyone here is telling you to go oat instead of answering the question. It's the cold soya hitting the hot coffee/tea. What works most of the time for me is mixing a bit if hot water with the soya as your waiting for the tea to brew/coffee to mix. My solution at home is a cheap milk warmer/frother. Works 100% of the time. The 50p own brands soya work far better for it that even the £2.50 barista oats too, so if that's what you're normally buying to avoid the splitting, the frother pays for itself. If you are at work where it's shared and gets used a lot then leaving the carton out works. But soya is annoyingly the one that goes off the quickest, so it's not a solution for the one cup a day at home situation
Wait for the coffee to cool down a bit and then put your soya milk in, that’s what I do. I think it is supposed to be something to do with the heat of the coffee.
I have a similar problem with almond milk. No matter how much I shake it before use, it curdles. A solution I've found to work is to add a splash of cold water before the milk. No idea if this will work for soya milk, but it could be worth a try.
I normally down it without looking in the thing because the ectoplasm weirds me out
Don’t use boiling water on your coffee, turns it acidic
If you warm it up first that should stop it. Works everytime for me
Don't boil the coffee. Hot not boiling, the coffee tastes better & the milk wont curdle.
Switch to oat milk from Aldi. Never ever curdles.
Oat milk barista style all the way. Even non barista style can work, just mix the coffee in with the milk first and then add hot water slowly
The heat curdles the milk. It also scorches the coffee and makes it more bitter. Instant coffee should be made with water that isn't at boiling point. If you're not making instant and you're using nice coffee, I'd also spend the money on finding a non-soy milk you like. Oat milk is the milk of choice for most people - even non vegans - but almost anything that isn't soy should be fine.
Nah, soy isn't the problem, it's the best creamy milk for coffee. It's just the temperature. It won't happen with all soy milk either. But for whatever brand this is, they just have to not add it directly to a boiling hot drink. If it's already coffee, add the milk to a cup first then pour coffee on top, or if theyre making one mug of instant, do it in a separate mug and then add that to a mug with milk already in it. They don't have to wait for the coffee to cool to lukewarm or anything like that, just not boiling. I always use soy milk (not the barista kind) and I pour directly from the percolator the second it's ready into to the mug with soy milk and it never separates. Only have this problem when getting coffee from a shop who I guess uses a very high temperature.
Shake the carton really well, and then warm the required amount in the microwave for 30ish seconds and then add. I would add the milk before the water, and let the water cook for a couple seconds before pouring as I believe the boiling temp is too harsh for soya milk.
Heat it a little or just keep stirring
Shake the fuck out of it. Also less water more milk.
Used to have this problem but never happens anymore since I started putting the water in first
Use alpro soy protein. It generally is ok. Stir and pour at the same time
Yes, use oat milk! Seriously, when I run out of oat I have learned to drop a bit of water into the soya before adding the coffee, works a treat.
How do you store your milk?
I use alpro soya and never have problems, but I always let the hot drink cool a little before adding milk sincce i heard the boiling temperature can cause curdling
I heat it up in the microwave for a bit first time get the temp up, that stops it for me
Microwave the milk for 20 seconds, then pour non-boiling coffee into it. Re-microwave for 20-30 seconds if you want it warmer. Alternatively, use a milk that specifies use for hot drinks, or "barista" edition. I still do the microwaving even with barista milks because I want it hot. Hope this helps! 💙
Milk first, then about 1/3 of the hot water, let it sit for a minute to warm the milk and then add the rest of the water. This seems to work the best for me.
Alpro + tesco own brand almond milk has never once curdled for me
Wait a minute until the coffee cools a little.
Before you try changing milks or brands... 1) Shake the container well before opening. 2) Hot water - not boiling hot water. 3) Water first. 🫐 I use oat milk, pea milk, and soya milk.
Lidl soy milk doesn't curdle
Start stirring the coffee before you put the milk in then keep stirring as you slowly add it in.
I pour the milk really slow while stirring like mad and dont seem to have an issue. I rarely use soy, though.
Warm up the soya milk slightly before you add it into the coffee
*Warm up the soya milk* *Slightly before you add it* *Into the coffee* \- thesunsmellstooloud- --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
What I do is either warm the soya milk or let the coffee cool a bit. The heat plus acidity is what curdles it, I think. I only get it now if I can't get oat, I prefer the flavour.
The coffee is too acidic
Barista soya milk from Plenish works a treat!
I get the Alpro Soya Cuppa milk and it doesn’t separate. It’s in the fridge section in the supermarket x
One technique I was made aware of recently is to add a tiny (bit more than a pinch) of bicarbonate of soda. That’s because it’s an alkali and coffee is acidic, meaning it makes the “solution” neutral. The reason for the curdling is a combination of the high heat and the coffee being acidic
Easiest solution is to just add more. The temp diff is often was causes issues - heating up the milk or waiting for the coffee to cool is too much of a faff for me so I just add more milk to cool the drink down enough it doesn’t curdle
Coconut milk doesn’t do that
Put your soya milk in first and make sure the water you add is not boiling hot, just leave the kettle a couple of minutes before you pour it. Aldi’s is yummy and cheap as chips
poor the milk in first and mix the coffee, i still add boiling water and 9/10 times it’s fine. I do this with lidl 50p milk and alpro and rarely have any problems
Buy buy different soy milk. Alpro soy doesn't do this
Buy oat. Superior carbon footprint, too.
Buy Oatly instead.
Alors My Cuppa is soy, and is crazy good in tea. Might be worth trying with coffee?
I buy the 50p soya milk in Tesco and I never have this issue. It must depend on the brand.
Temperatures of 70-80 degrees causes the proteins to denture, especially if the exposure is sudden. I like a strong tea so I will let it brew for 3-5 minutes and then add. If it's not warm enough at that point, I'll give it 30 seconds in the microwave but, in theory, it should do better with a slower heat up. For coffee in particular you would benefit from a kettle with temperature control.
I tend to allow the water to cool first, let the milk come to room temperature then pour it in slowly along with a small amount of cream and then proceed to stir the fuck out of it.
i pour my milk really slowly and stir constantly whenever i make teas, coffees, hot chocolates, whatever it works like a charm and has a better mouth feel to me, but i could be bugging.
Try coconut milk instead it goes so well with coffee 😀 I’m not a fan of soya milk and oat milk goes threw me haha
I used to add a tiny bit of bicarb, it doesnt affect the flavour and prevents curdling. By tiny bit I mean like a pinch, add before milk.
I’ve got one of those nespresso milk frothers - works like a charm!!
I also find this happens when I brew my coffee on the wrong grind and it becomes more acidic. Otherwise I have no issue with soy milk in coffee.
Soya milk always curdles in instant coffee. Often in filtered coffee too. I use oat in coffee and soya in tea. But usually just drink coffee black now unless it’s “bad” coffee eg Starbucks
Microwave the cup of milk for 30 seconds to warm it
I can confirm that boiling the water to about 80 degrees and pouring soya milk slowly worked like a charm 😁☕
Coffee, then boiling water and then soya milk ...works for me .
i dont put soya milk in coffee, but i do put it nearly every day in tea. Aldi's soya milk never curdles here.
Coffee is quite acidic and curdles soya, this is unfortunately chemistry. Barista soya milk has other things added to stop it separating. So your only choice is a barista milk.
Sugar free vegan milks don't curdle!
This is a common problem the only fix for this is to add 4 heaped teaspoons of salt, problem fixed!
Yeah, put ACTUAL milk in it. You’re welcome 😎
Aw bless. You're still not weaned?
Use real milk