To think that if you go to a coffee shop and ask for a soya latte

[ivykaty44]

then the soya latte isn't made in the microwave whilst the other milk latte is made with the steamer?

We were told this was due to soya breaking the steamer on the coffee machine..

Maybe other soya latte customers have requested it's made elsewhere so they don't get the milk steamer in their dairy free milk.

groovee - they refused to do it with the steamer as soya will break the machine

It's to avoid cross contamination, and yes the soy is not good for the steamer either.
What does it matter, it will still be rank anyway.

Not true at all about it being bad for the machine, and as long as the nozzle is cleaned afterwards no cross contamination.

Find a better coffee shop!

whatever - I will I suppose we were just shocked that this awful thing was produced from the microwave and called a soya latte Then we were told well we can't make it the same as with milk as it breaks the machine.

Soya doesn't do well being steamed. Only 3/6 portions would be edible. I don't think it damages the machine.

There is a cross contamination risk, because although they wipe the nozzle, they use the same cloth to wipe the nozzle after every use all day, so it's probably dirtier than the nozzle anyway.

If it's done properly in the microwave it's not much worse than a normal soya latte.

Wiping the nozzle doesn't prevent cross contamination. Milk gets in the nozzle. You would need to take the end off and deep clean it (like you would and the end of the day) and then make it.
Soya milk doesn't like being steamed and yes it clogs machines easier than normal milk.

I own a restaurant that has a coffee machine and specialises in food for people with allergies.

Eh? I've never had that in costa or starbucks, always had the steamer used - they use some special type of alpro though, not seen it on sale in the shops. I'd not be worried about cross contamination though, as it's just a preference for me.

Just out of interest.....What happens to soya milk when its steamed?

Its just that the only time I've had soya milk was at a vegan friends house and when its poured into coffee it goes all weird and separates (taste was OK-ish but looked rank so I now have a cold drink at her house!)

Soya milk curdles really easily when you steam it, it's a pain in the arse.

What really bugs me is when they ask me if I want cream on my soya hot choc. They've never made that in a microwave (Starbucks).

As a coffee geek who has owned a few different machines and is very selective about what cafe's I trust to make me a coffee, it is perfectly possible to steam soya milk. Alpro is a well respected brand, it should be steamed to about ~58C only though. Any good machine can handle it, its more about the barista's skills.

Any cafe that serves you microwaved milk should be avoided, if they are doing that the coffee won't be any good!

I know someone who runs a busy a very busy cafe and can steam some soya and get the machine clean for ordinary milk in no time, it's just barista's skills.

I used to work in a coffee shop, my friend works for Costa and I have a coffee machine at home with steamer, and have never had a problem with soya milk clogging it

I do understand the cross contamination issue, but as I'm not allergic and just prefer soya to dairy in my latte, I've never thought about it really, but surely they should tell you that's the reason?

The cafe said that there was a problem with cross contamination from the soya to the fresh milk not the other way around. This wasn't starbucks, nero or costa but a large department store. TBH they have done me a favour as twice before I had been in there and it is much more expensive than anywhere else - I shall now remember not to blardy well go back (4 quid for lemonade and packet of crisps is a bit to steep for me)

ivy- the person behind the till has probably just been told to do it that way without being given the reason behind it.

some people are allergic to soya you know. But its both ways, obviously.

Hydrophilic - I hate when staff are treated like mushrooms

That comment made me laugh Ivykaty! I'm a shops worst nightmare. I have to know why I can't do something otherwise I find it hard to remember.

I've just started a PT Christmas role in a supermarket and am getting frustrated when I'm told to do a task but it's not explained why I'm doing it. That and managers talking loudly over training sessions (done via a video on the computer) are doing my head in.

Don't understand at all why they needed to do it in a microwave unless you are so allergic there is a possibilty from anaphyltic shock(prob spelt wrong because soy steams fine and as long as you purge the wand and anti-bac it, all should be fine it takes 20 seconds tops. We NEVER use the same cloth twice to clean the steam wand EVER- but then againwe are not just acoffee shop you know, we are a VERY special coffee shop (said in purring like sexual manner)

YABU. Lattes are foul, whether soya or not.