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Kenco Millicano Smooth Latte is the finished drink in powder form, coffee and creamy base already combined, so the only equipment it asks for is a kettle. Knowing that settles who should buy it, how much to spoon in and when in the day it earns its place.
What Millicano means in a latte
Millicano is the Kenco construction that carries finely milled roasted coffee through soluble coffee, instead of relying on granules alone. The aim is a soluble cup with more of the aroma and weight you would expect from ground coffee, still ready the moment you stir. In this latte the coffee base has been combined with the creamy part of the drink before it ever reaches the pack, so each spoonful is a complete mug rather than an ingredient.
The exact proportions are printed on the pack itself, so check there rather than trusting anyone's guess. What matters at the kitchen counter is simpler. The dose is far bigger than a teaspoon of plain instant, because you are measuring the whole drink, not just the coffee. Follow the dose on the pack; a first mug that tastes thin is nearly always an under-filled spoon.
Where it sits in the Kenco range
Kenco splits its shelf into bases and finished drinks. Rich and Smooth are jars of coffee alone, waiting for your own milk and sugar. The cappuccino and latte sachets are finished drinks portioned one mug at a time. Millicano Smooth Latte sits between the two: a finished drink, but loose in a 220g pack, so you choose the spoonful and can make a small cup or a generous one from the same supply.
Smooth in the name describes the taste, not the caffeine. This is a caffeinated coffee, creamy and mild with very little bitterness and a short, soft finish. If the late mug is the one you want without caffeine, Kenco Decaf is the separate jar to look for. If you want more coffee character and less cream, a spoon of Kenco Rich with your own milk will suit you better.
Making a better mug from powder
Boil the kettle and give it a minute to settle before you pour. Water poured straight off a hard boil can scorch the creamy part of the powder and leave the mug tasting faintly cooked. Measure the powder generously, by the pack's own guidance rather than by habit, then pour and stir until nothing is left sitting at the bottom of the mug.
Close the pack tightly between spoons and always use a dry spoon, because a fine powder like this clumps as soon as steam or damp gets at it. It earns its place wherever fresh milk is a nuisance: an office kitchen, a caravan, a holiday let, or a house where the carton is never quite in date. We think it belongs mid-morning or mid-afternoon rather than first thing, when most people want something sharper.
The packs we stock
- Kenco Millicano Smooth Latte Instant Coffee, 220g (barcode 8711000565674)
What to eat with it
- Lotus Biscoff Snack Pack, 248g: A crunchy biscuit in small portions gives a soft, mild latte some bite without crowding it.
- Maryland Cookies Caramel & Chocolate Chip, 200g: Caramel and chocolate chips lean into the creaminess of the mug for an afternoon treat.
- McVitie's Digestives Biscuits The Light One, 250g: A plain digestive keeps things simple beside a drink that already brings the creaminess.
- Border Lemon Drizzle Melts Organic Biscuits, 150g: A lemon biscuit cuts across the rounded cup and keeps a second mug interesting.
Elsewhere in the Kenco range
- Kenco Classic Latte Instant Coffee, 20 Sachets
- Kenco Decaf Instant Coffee, 190g
- Kenco Gold Indulgence Instant Coffee, 190g
- Kenco Iced Hot Salted Caramel Latte Instant Coffee, 20 Sachets
- Kenco Iced Hot Vanilla Latte Instant Coffee, 8 Sachets
- Kenco Latte Instant Coffee Sachets, 8 Sachets 130.4g
The full range is on the Kenco brand page.
FAQ
Does Millicano Smooth Latte need milk adding? No. It is made up with hot water alone, because the creamy part of the drink is already blended into the powder.
Is Kenco Smooth Latte decaffeinated? No. Smooth describes a mild, low-bitterness taste. This is a caffeinated coffee, and Kenco Decaf is a separate jar.
How much powder should go in a mug? Use the dose printed on the pack. It is a much larger spoonful than plain instant because it makes the whole drink.
What does Millicano mean? It is Kenco's name for instant coffee with finely ground roasted coffee mixed into it, meant to give the cup more body and aroma.
Why does my latte taste flat or cooked? Usually too little powder, or water poured at a hard boil. Measure generously and let the kettle rest for a minute first.
Curator's note: Compare it with what a kettle can usually manage, not with a coffee machine, and it earns its spot. Make it the mid-afternoon mug on the days the milk in the fridge has given up. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.
In short: Kenco Millicano Smooth Latte: a latte from a kettle
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | Kenco |
| Packs we stock | 220g |
| Category | Instant Coffee |
| Caffeine | caffeinated |
| Made with | Hot water only |
| Best time | Mid-morning or mid-afternoon |
| Best with | A crunchy biscuit or something with lemon |
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