Milk temperature determines both the drinking experience and the taste, and the two pull in different directions.
The target
60 to 65 °C for the finished drink.
This is where lactose sweetness is at its most perceptible and the texture is at its best.
What happens above 70 °C
Whey proteins denature and the milk loses its ability to hold foam.
Lactose sweetness disappears. Scalded milk tastes flat, and slightly of cooked egg or sulphur.
It is irreversible. Cooling it back down does not recover anything.
Why cafés get asked for hotter
Customers want the drink to stay warm on a commute, and many associate heat with quality.
A good café will make it — and it is a genuine trade of flavour for temperature, and the barista knows it.
Judging it without a thermometer
Wrap your hand round the jug. When you cannot hold it comfortably for more than a second or two, you are at 60 to 65 °C.
The cup matters
A cold ceramic cup absorbs a surprising amount of heat. Preheat it with hot water and the drink stays warmer for longer without over-steaming the milk.
That is the correct way to get a hotter drink.
Plant milks
Lower — 55 to 60 °C. They split and taste burnt above 65 °C, sooner than dairy.
Reheating
Do not. Re-steamed milk will not foam and tastes cooked.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026