PROFILE WMF
More than a substitute WMF PROFESSIONAL COFFEE MACHINES ON HOW ITS LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND MACHINE ADVANCEMENTS ARE SUPPORTING THE EVOLUTION OF PLANT-BASED DAIRY ALTERNATIVES.
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ver the past 10 years, baristas have learned to adapt their skillset and knowledge to cater to consumer demand for plant-based milks. But perfecting temperature, texture, and taste with the sensory characteristics of a delicate espresso is no easy feat. Renaud Gey, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Product Management for GBU Professional Coffee Machines at machine manufacturer WMF, recognises the potential of milk alternatives. “Innovative milk systems are an important part of our WMF fully automatic machines. They can be used just as efficiently for milk alternatives as for classic dairy products,” he says. “Although many manufacturers now offer so-called barista versions of their milk substitutes, which are particularly suitable for foaming due to added stabilisers, their taste and mouthfeel are also noticeably different from the animal product. “Coffee specialties prepared with plantbased drinks should therefore be seen as creations in their own right, bringing with them their own advantages.” In the past, Gey says only vegans and vegetarians were familiar with dairy alternatives, but now it’s common for plant-based beverages to appear on the menus of specialty cafés or international coffee shop chains, featuring soy, oat, or almond milk. To cater to rising consumer demand, WMF professional coffee machines has adapted its innovative technology to operate with milk substitutes and training courses to help its consumers prepare for the rising influx of dairy alternative beverages. “All WMF machines are designed to process
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G C R | M A R C H/ A PR I L 2022
The WMF 5000 S+ fitted with the 2-Milk Solution can handle a wide variety of milk alternatives.
a wide variety of milk types or alternatives and to deliver consistently high premium quality. The differences lie in the way the milk is supplied to the machine,” says Gey. WMF’s premium milk system, WMF Dynamic Milk, is the basis for the patent-filed system and an active mixer that combines milk (or plant-based drink) and air to form a homogeneous and stable emulsion. Depending on the required temperature and the density and porosity, gastronomes receive a proportion of froth of 60 to 90 per cent. Steam heating based on traditional barista methods ensures that the intense milk flavour is fully preserved in any froth consistency. Models such as the WMF 5000 S+ or WMF 9000 S+ paired with the Dynamic Milk system create milk foam at a programmed consistency and are particularly well-suited for use of WMF’s innovative 2-Milk Solution, which allows for quick changes between different milk alternatives from the one machine. For example, this could include cow’s milk and a milk substitute, two different plant-based drinks or whole milk and lactose-free milk. “You could add low-fat or low-lactose milk to the menu, or plant-based alternatives like soy, oat or almond drinks,” Gey says. “Depending on the selected beverage, in combination with the WMF 2-Milk Solution, the milk substitute or the diary product is drawn directly from two separate milk inserts,” he says. WMF offers this feature for the Center Cooler on the counter and for the 9.5-litre Under-Machine Cooler, to ensure consistently chilled milk for optimal results. Depending on the respective properties of the milk substitute – such as protein and fat content
