The koffie verkeerd recipe
for your table
Rinse the glass with hot water and leave it in there for a moment. A cold glass draws so much heat from 200 grams of milk and coffee that you will be drinking it lukewarm within five minutes; a preheated glass easily makes a ten-degree difference.
Heat the milk to about 65 degrees so that it is hot but not boiling. If the milk boils, a skin forms on the surface and it develops a cooked taste that you will taste in the coffee. Froth the milk briefly if you want a layer of foam, but keep it thin.
Make the coffee a little stronger than you would drink it black, because the milk dilutes it. Allow for 80 millilitres of filter coffee per person; using a 30-millilitre espresso instead gives you a drink closer to a caffè latte.
Pour away the preheating water, pour the milk into the glass first, then slowly let the coffee run in along the rim. Stir briefly with a long spoon, grate the chocolate over it, and serve immediately with a small spoon on the saucer.
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The story
The name refers to the ratio. With coffee with milk, coffee is the base and a splash of milk is added; with koffie verkeerd, it is the other way around and milk makes up the greater part. In the Netherlands and Belgium, it appears on menus under this name; in France, you can order something similar as café au lait, and in Germany as Milchkaffee. It is not a barista masterpiece: you do not need an espresso machine, and there is no need for a design in the foam. Regular, strongly brewed coffee and milk warm enough not to cool the coffee down - that is all.
The right glass
A koffie verkeerd requires 25 to 30 centilitres, so one size larger than a cappuccino cup. Two parts milk to one part coffee quickly adds up to around two hundred millilitres, and it needs to fit without reaching the rim. Clear glass shows how the coffee blends into the milk, while thick-walled or double-walled glass keeps everything warm for longer while remaining comfortable to hold on the outside. A handle or a saucer with a small spoon completes it. Smaller sizes can be found among the cappuccino glasses.
La Rochère Ouessant Coffee Glass 25 cl (6 pieces)
Luigi Bormioli Thermic Glass Coffee Glass 30 cl With Stainless Steel Saucer (2 pieces)
Both sets together € 67,90.
The right tools
For a koffie verkeerd, besides the glass, you need a bar spoon that reaches the bottom of a highball glass and a nutmeg grater for grating chocolate or cinnamon over the foam. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 62,85.
What splash goes into a koffie verkeerd?
Without alcohol, a koffie verkeerd is simply coffee with milk. Stir in a splash of liqueur, and it becomes sweeter and richer. Well-known bottles include Baileys and amaretto. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
If you use espresso instead of filter coffee, you get close to a caffè latte: the same ratio, a different base. Of the plant-based milks, oat milk foams best, while almond milk can curdle if the coffee is too hot. A spoonful of sugar or a splash of vanilla syrup makes it a sweet version, and if you want it cold, you actually have an iced coffee. Need more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Serve it with a small spoon on the saucer and a cookie beside it, as they do in cafés. Pour in the milk first and then slowly add the coffee, so you can watch the layers sink through the glass. Drink it within ten minutes or so, because after that the milk is lukewarm and the coffee becomes watery.
Good to know
Why it is called koffie verkeerd
Because the ratio is reversed. Coffee with milk is coffee with a splash of milk added; in a koffie verkeerd, the milk is the base and the coffee is the splash. That is all the name means. It does not refer to the brewing method or to a particular grind or bean.
The difference from a caffè latte
A caffè latte is made with espresso and topped up with steamed milk, with a thin layer of foam on top. A koffie verkeerd is made with regular brewed coffee and hot milk, without needing a machine. The ratio is similar, but the base is not. If you make it with espresso, that difference largely disappears.
The difference from a cappuccino
A cappuccino is smaller and has much more foam: roughly one-third espresso, one-third milk, and one-third foam in a 15 to 22 centiliter cup. A koffie verkeerd is larger, has more liquid milk, and only a thin layer of foam. It usually does not fit in a cappuccino cup.
Which milk works best
Whole milk gives the most body and froths most easily; semi-skimmed works too, but tastes watery alongside robust coffee. Heat it to around sixty-five degrees, then it is warm enough and the sweetness remains in the milk. Above seventy degrees, you get a cooked taste that you cannot get rid of.
How strong the coffee should be
Stronger than you would drink it black. The milk dilutes the coffee and softens the bitterness, so with a weak cup you are left with warm milk with a hint of color. Use slightly more coffee per cup or brew a smaller pot at the same grind size. If you have an espresso machine, use two 3-centiliter espressos.
What size glass or cup
Allow for 25 to 30 centiliters. That holds two hundred milliliters with some room to spare, so you can still stir without spilling. Smaller than 22 centiliters is cramped, while in a half-liter mug it cools too quickly because the surface area is so large.
Frequently asked questions
What is koffie verkeerd?
Koffie verkeerd is coffee with more milk than coffee, approximately two parts hot milk to one part strong brewed coffee. It is served in a 25 to 30 centiliter glass or cup, with at most a thin layer of foam on top. In the Netherlands and Belgium, this is the usual name.
Why is it called koffie verkeerd?
Because the ratio is reversed compared with coffee with milk. There, coffee is the base and milk is a splash; in koffie verkeerd, milk is the base and coffee is the splash. The name has nothing to do with the taste or quality of the coffee.
What is the difference between koffie verkeerd and a caffè latte?
A caffè latte is made with espresso and steamed milk; koffie verkeerd is made with regular brewed coffee and hot milk. The milk-to-coffee ratio is similar, but the base and brewing method are not. If you use espresso for your koffie verkeerd, the two come close.
Which glass or cup do you serve koffie verkeerd in?
In a 25 to 30 centiliter glass or cup, so larger than a cappuccino cup. Clear glass shows the layers, while thick-walled or double-walled glass keeps the coffee warm longer. Preheat the glass with hot water; otherwise, so much milk and coffee cools down quickly.
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