Does Cold Foam Cost Extra?

Last updated on September 17th, 2022 at 11:21 pm

Cold foam is a creamy topping for iced coffees. Similar to whipped cream because it is light and airy, cold foam is what its name says it is. It is foam that is cold. 

Usually milk is frothed using heat for coffees but since cold foam is meant to sit on top of iced coffee drinks, it is frothed without using heat. You can add the fluffy white froth to any iced drink. 

If you want to get cold foam from your favorite coffee shop does the cold foam cost extra?

If you aren’t ordering a cold brew drink where cold foam is included in the price, adding cold foam to your iced coffee will cost you extra at most places. At Starbucks, you can add cold foam to your caffeinated beverage for only 50 cents more.

Cold foam is just so good and some coffees automatically come with it. For instance, Dunkin Donuts’ “Charli Cold foam ” comes topped with the foamy stuff. Cold brew drinks such as a sweet cream cold brew, also come with the frothy topping. 

You can also add cold foam to any iced coffee for an additional fee. Just like whipped cream or an extra shot of espresso, you can add cold foam to your coffee with an extra charge. 

Yes, at most places you have to pay extra to add cold foam to a drink that doesn’t already come with the frothy topping, but it’s only a few cents and so worth it. 

At Starbucks, you will pay an extra 50 cents to add cold foam to your iced coffee. But, it is definitely worth the money. That light and airy topping is frothed cold meaning that it won’t melt into your beverage. 

So, you can taste the foam with every sip of coffee. Yum! 

Does Cold Foam Cost Extra At Starbucks/Dunkin?

Ok, so I mentioned how good cold foam is. Made by frothing nonfat milk, this creates tiny bubbles and the delicious foamy topping. You can add cold foam to any cold drink at most coffee shops.

If you are headed to your local Starbucks or Dunkin’, does cold foam cost extra there? 

Cold foam does cost extra at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. This fluffy topping costs on average an additional 50 cents. If you love frothed or steamed milk in your hot coffee then you are sure to like cold foam on iced coffee and the extra charge is worth it.

Unless the iced coffee already comes with the cold foam topping, you will have to pay extra to add it to other coffees. When ordering cold foam at Starbucks, you will currently have to pay an extra 50 cents to add it to your iced coffee beverage but this can vary from location to location. 

At Dunkin, you will have to pay an extra 70 cents to add it to your iced coffee. Cold foam usually tops most cold brew drinks, but if you want to add it to other iced coffees, you can. For that additional fee, of course. 

So, yes, at Starbucks and Dunkin’ cold foam costs extra ranging from around 50 to 70 cents per iced coffee. 

According to the article, Starbucks Is Dropping New Cold Foam, and You Can Add It to Any Iced Coffee Drink , “Cold foam is a new coffee add-on option available at Starbucks locations nationwide. You can add it to any iced drink for 50 cents, like you would whipped cream or an extra shot of espresso. There are two ways to order it: unsweetened, or sweetened with cascara (naturally sweet coffee cherries). Of course, adding it to cold drinks is the preferred way to drink it to keep the foam from completely melting into the brew, but you do you, boo.

In celebration of the cold foam, Starbucks…coffee beverages with the topping: Cold Foam Cascara Nitro Cold Brew, Cold Foam Cascara Cold Brew, and a Cold Foam Starbucks Blonde Iced Cappuccino. Each foam topping on the last two are also topped with delicious cascara sugar sprinkles (basically sweet gold glitter). So order cold foam today…or on your own creation. Maybe even make it a double cold foam cold brew—this stuff is seriously delicious.” 

Can You Add Cold Foam To Hot Coffee?

Cold foam is milk that is frothed cold. Hot coffees are typically made with milk that is frothed using heat or steam. Iced coffees feature cold foam while hot coffee feature frothed/steamed milk. 

But, you could be wondering, can you add cold foam to hot coffee?

You can add cold foam to hot coffee but it may alter the coffee’s flavor. Plus since it is cold, it will melt quickly in hot coffee. So, it is recommended to only add cold foam to iced coffee drinks.

There are so many iced coffees that you can add cold foam to. It’s fun to get creative and try it on several different iced coffees. But, what about hot coffee? 

Now, some may wonder if there is a safety issue with adding cold foam to hot coffee.There is not. You can add cold milk (frothed or not) to hot coffee if you would like to. 

However, this could compromise the flavor and taste of the coffee. The best thing to do is to use heated frothed milk in hot coffee and reserve cold foam for iced coffees. 

Cold foam is meant for cold drinks and steamed milk is meant for hot drinks. 

An answer to the question, Is putting cold milk foam on hot coffee unsafe? is that “There is no safety issue with adding cold milk foam to hot coffee. Coffee aficionados recommend against adding cold milk to hot coffee, because they suggest it compromises the flavor of freshly brewed coffee. Their recommendation is that any milk, foam or not, should be warmed, but it is not a food safety issue.” 

So, if you want to add some cold foam to your hot coffee, by all means try it out. Just know that cold foam is better on cold coffee and it will melt really fast on a hot drink. 

Final Thoughts

Cold foam added to iced coffee will cost extra at most places unless the coffee already comes topped with the foam. It will cost an extra 50 to 70 cents if you add cold foam to a beverage from Starbucks or Dunkin. 

But for a few more cents, it is totally worth it. 

Cold foam is delicious and adds so much to your iced coffee drink. Cold foam  can be added to hot coffee, too but it is recommended not to do this. Since it is frothed cold it will probably melt and it is just better to use regular frothed/steamed milk for hot coffees. 

So, in answer to the question, “does cold foam cost extra”, yes, it does at almost all coffee shops.