If you don't drink cows' milk, what do you do for unexpected guests?

[lemonmeringuepi]

If I know that someone is going to be calling round for a cup of tea/coffee, then I buy cows' milk (even though it's wasteful to buy a pint just to put milk in one or two cups of tea).

The problem is what to do about people popping in unexpectedly. I tried freezing cows' milk in very small containers, so that I could thaw it in the microwave, but when it was thawed the fat stayed separate and looked off-putting. I guess that would not happen with skimmed milk, so I could freeze skimmed milk, but not everyone likes it.

Another option would be to get single-portion tubs of UHT milk, like some B&Bs have, but is UHT milk horrid?

Personally I drink oat milk, but people would not necessarily want that in their cup of tea/coffee.

What do you do, if you don't drink cows' milk?!

Unexpected guests? Feck all

Just give them Oat milk, it's fine in tea and coffee

I don't drink tea or coffee, and I don't like milk or oat milk so I don't have things like cereal, hence no fresh milk in the house. If someone is coming round then I get it in, but if it's unexpected I have a jar of Coffeemate if they're desperate. No complaints so far.

I don't drink it but the kids so if wasn't for them I wouldn't buy it in for guests

My holiday apartment last week had small pouches of milk (semi-skimmed) for use in hot drinks - might be worth checking out?

Just give them the oats milk op. I went for a coffee today with my friend. She ordered oats me and they accidentally gave me the oats milk coffee. I couldn't tell the difference. We only realised because my friend's lip swelled up

Blimey if I turn up at your house unannounced it's up to you what you serve me, I wouldn't expect you to go to any trouble! As it happens I don't mind oat milk so would be fine for me but I don't think you need to worry about having a just in case in for people on spec. If you've got visitors coming for the day then it's very kind to get a pint of cow milk in because you'll probably use a good chunk of it but even then I wouldn't be offended if you hadn't! I get oat milk in for visitors that I know can't have cow milk but that's very different to me having a preference but no actual need. I send them home with whatever's left as well as we just won't use it otherwise.

@Josiahparent

My holiday apartment last week had small pouches of milk (semi-skimmed) for use in hot drinks - might be worth checking out?

I see these are the UHT ones you mentioned - I couldn't tell the difference

Just give them oat milk. It's perfectly fine.

Freeze cubes of skimmed in an ice cube tray
Pop straight out into the tea/coffee

I don't drink milk. If people pop by and I'm not hiding behind the settee I offer them black tea or coffee or a glass of water! Most people know by now though and bring their own milk if they're rude enough to come by without a prior appointment! And yes I'm being serious! Mostly I don't answer the door...

Firstly not worry about it. More and more people can't or don't drink cows milk.

Secondly tell them straight you only have Oat Milk and if necessary tell them why.

Then depending on how long they are staying offer them the Oat Milk or black, or pop to the local corner shop to buy some.

Freeze milk in ice cube trays then just drop one or two into a cup of tea or coffee. That's what I did during the first lockdown when people were panicking buying (I didn't panic buy btw!) I used skimmed and semi skimmed and both seemed to work ok. As regards to people not liking skimmed milk it's tough shit if they come to my house

Freeze some semi-skinned into an ice cube tray.

I don't drink tea, coffee or use sugar but I have some in the house for guests.

@Haus1234

“We only have oat milk, would you prefer that or black tea/coffee?”

This.

It's horrendously wasteful to buy things you don't want or need. Guests are never going to be offended that you don't have the exact milk they want. They can always drink black tea/coffee, water, juice etc.

Also, many people really dislike UHT, so that's not going to be preferable to oat milk.

I mean, you don't buy food that you won't/can't eat, just in case of unexpected guests, do you?

Or maybe people do? People are strange after all.

I'm allergic to nuts, and no-one has ever complained that I don't have their favourite nutty cereal in the house.

Guests have what's available or they bring their own. I don't even have coffee available because nobody here drinks it. We use oat milk, so if they want milk in their tea or hot chocolate oat milk is what they'll get.

You are very kind to worry about this. As a "must be cow's milk in tea" person, I would not be in the slightest bit offended if I called round unexpectedly and there was no real milk. You could keep small sachets of UHT milk but personally I won't drink those in tea - might in coffee or freeze in small portions then shake well. But really, I'd simply not worry about it.

Having said that, my standards are low because we once went round to someone's house for lunch and when offering tea/coffee after the meal, they acted surprised AND horrified that we might want cow's milk. I mean, I have no issue with them NOT having any in, but not sure why it was such a surprise that we might have asked! . In retrospect though, that lunch was probably the beginning of the end of a friendship that has subsequently run its course.....

We have a couple of friends who are vegan so I always have oat milk in. I'm fine with it in coffee and for making porridge/custard so it's never wasted. Don't like it in tea.

If I called on you unexpectedly, I wouldn't expect you to pander to my needs! Just say 'I only have oat milk if that's ok for you for tea or coffee. Or I have orange juice/tap water/squash etc.' I wouldn't expect to be fed and watered on an unexpected trip.

If you like them yourself, so they don't get wasted, teas like peppermint and Earl Grey where people probably wouldn't take milk anyway would be a good standby.

I

I used to keep cartons of UHT milk as an emergency supply for unexpected visitors, but found that I could go six or nine months without using it. Of course, by the time it did get broken out it had separated and whilst still perfectly safe to drink, most people don't like the idea of lumps of fat floating around in their tea or coffee and it got thrown away anyway. It also had the effect of stopping repeat offenders!

I now live with three people who drink cows milk so always have both semi- and whole milk in. Before that, it had got to the point where I simply told people I don't drink milk and they could have black coffee or tea if they wanted. Nobody seemed to mind.

I'm not picky so would
Drink oat milk (if it's the barista one yes please!)
Use single servings of UHT
Powdered milk?
Maybe have some of those coffee sachets in like the instant latte ones

Basically if it's hot and wet I drink it

I keep some soya milk in because I find people are less wary of that than oat milk!

Why don't you freeze some milk in an ice tray or use powdered milk and just reconstitute with water. In a brew you wouldn't know the difference.

If someone is coming over I buy milk in, I keep coffee mate for unexpected guests.

Surely they could have a black tea or a cup of water. People won't actually die if they go without the exact hot drink they like for an hour.