Like most Indians, I love my milk, especially a glass of cold milk with nothing on top. And my love for milk expanded immensely when I discovered Danone Milk & Kiaro Milk, available in leading supermarkets in India.
Milk in India: A Stale State of Affairs
Most houses in India will always have a pot of milk on the stove, boiling away to glory. The milk usually comes from limp packets of toned milk available at Mother Dairy or Nandini or the government cooperative of your choice. Thin milk with floating droplets of yellow oil that needs to be boiled before consuming — no thanks! Over the last few years of running my own house, I’ve have leaped as far away from the Mother Dairy’s and Nandini’s of the world (still a fan of their ice-cream though), and found the tetra-packs of Danone, Amul & Nestle, and lastly, farm-fresh Kiaro Milk.
Danone Milk Review – Tetra Pack
If you want milk that’s rich and creamy and malai-free, look no further than Danone. This is my go-to choice of milk when I can’t get fresh milk. Priced at Rs 75, Danone Milk is obviously more expensive than Amul or Mother Dairy, but it’s damn tasty. You can cut open the pack and drink a glass of plain milk straight from it. Cold coffee, chocolate shakes and fruit shakes haven’t tasted better. I am not a fan of Danone Slim milk — why pay the same price for milk that’s diluted with water? Just add your own water, I say, and get more milk for the buck.
While Danone milk tastes great, I’m a little suspicious of the tetra pack. Any milk that lasts for 180 days unopened should have some sort of preservatives right? Wrong. I was also mis-educated about this, thinking that Danone definitely should have some preservatives. However, the ingredients list only “toned milk”. No preservatives. None. The answer lies in the tetra pak technology:
The aseptic packaging technology is Tetra Pak’s key innovation and has to a large extent paved the way for the Tetra Pak system’s success. In aseptic processing the product and the package are sterilized separately and then combined and sealed in a sterile atmosphere, in contrast to canning, where product and package are first combined and then sterilized. When filled with ultra-heat treated (UHT) foodstuffs (liquids like milk and juice or processed food like vegetables and preserved fruits), the aseptic packages can be preserved without chilling for up to one year, with the result that distribution and storage costs, as well as the environmental impact, is greatly reduced and product shelf life expanded
Source:Wikipedia
Nestle A+ Toned Milk Review
Priced at Rs 75 as well, Nestle A+ is the main competitor to Danone Milk. For whatever inexplicable reason (probably brand loyalty) I prefer Danone. Netsle A+ Slim is priced at Rs 72, and again seems just to be a diluted form of the thicker toned milk
Amul Taaza Toned Milk- Tetra Pack
Much cheaper than Danone or Nestle, Amul Taaza is priced at Rs 58. Having said that, I am not a fan. The milk is thinner than Danone and it once turned extraordinarily bitter when left open for too long. (This may also happen with Danone, but man, accidentally tasting bitter milk is an experience that will put you off Tetra Packs forever!)
Kiaro Milk Review
My love for milk escalated a few notches when I discovered Kiaro Farm Fresh Milk at the local Nature’s Basket. This, my friends, is what ‘foreign milk’ looks and tastes like. A lovely (probably eco-unfriendly) plastic bottle with lovely graphics and delicious farm fresh milk. From their website: “The name Kiaro itself, derived from the Italian language means clear and bright, and symbolizes the purity of the first beam of sunlight.”
What makes Kiaro Milk different from Danone and tetrapacks?
- It comes from a farm directly to your doorstep (or Nature’s Basket’s doorstep). No middle men adding strange things like washing powder to your frothy milk! So it is pure and it tastes great!
- The cows are not our skinny Indian variety, but foreign cows, holstein friesian cows to be precise. These are big, healthy fellas who produce tasty, tasty milk
- They are fed healthy ingredients (directly from Kiaro farms) like maize, alfalfa and stuff and thus produce healthy, tasty milk
- They are happy cows!
It’s a known fact that happy cows give more milk. And what better way than music to build a happy space! We play soothing music in our barns throughout the day so that our cows relax and stay happy. The results are evident in the quality of milk that our cows produce.
- The milk expires in 3-4 days when refrigerated, so you know for sure there are no preservatives. In fact, when we left the milk out (exchanging fridges) for a 5-6 hours, the milk actually turned sour
Add that and a mantastic Milind Soman to the mix and, umm, a certain amount of drooling has to take place!
Milind Soman chugging some Kiaro Milk. Image courtesy: Kiaro Milk Facebook page.
Healthy breakfast tip: Supplement Kiaro Milk with Keggs eggs for a nutritious breakfast!
Kiaro Milk Price & Availability
Kiaro Milk is available at Nature’s Basket (offline, not online) and ZopNow online. However, I don’t recommend you buy it online. ZopNow once delivered sour milk to me (meaning they probably left it unrefrigerated for too long while transporting.)
Kiaro Milk is priced at Rs 80 for 1 litre, and Rs 160 for 2 litres, so not too much more than the tetra-packs; for the taste and quality, I would definitely recommend it.
I Bought Kiaro milk from ratnadeep supermarket in khajaguda,Hyderabad. Forget about quality,taste and organic. They were just spoiled/broken just after boiling.This happened to be twice for me. Customer care number provided by them is said to be invalid. I strongly do not recommend this product to anyone.
Indian cow breed produce A2 Milk. A2 Milk contains A2 beta casein, which is 80% of total protein content of A2 milk. Daily consumption of A2 milk prevents Obesity, Improve brain function, Promotes digestion, Prevents joint pain, Cures Asthma, Improves immunity, Reduces acidity, Helps in reducing chances of breast and skin cancer.
A2 milk is one of the best natural anti-oxidants that enhances Memory Power and Prevents migraine headache. After mother’s milk, it is A2 milk only which gives full energy and protection.
Just tried their bottled chocolate milk at Phoenix mall mumbai yesterday. It was amazing. Any idea where I can order it
The post says, “The milk is thinner than Danone and it once turned extraordinarily bitter when left open for too long. (This may also happen with Danone…”
Is this milk turning “bitter” different from milk souring or spoiling? Does anyone know what is actually happening to the milk?
Finally, I have heard that some milk, from different regions in India, can be more bitter than others. Does anyone know anything about this? Which regions might naturally produce more bitter milk than others?
Thanks!
SHA4154.. from Hyderabad
I have been using Kiaro Milk for over a year now… The Milk is really great… though Initially the delivery was really bad.. now for the past 2 months the delivery was ondot by 6am.. They have explained me that they are improving on the delivery system and they have improved.. The max time is mentioned on the bottle before which you have to consume.. There are times when the milk was spoiled after the max date.. So no complaints..
I have also started using the Milk in my office getting about 15lts a day.. NO COMPLAINTS ABSOLUTELY..
Milk quality is really good. So I opted for home delivery. But it was a mistake. Their delivery is pathetic.
Initially they were delivering before 7am. But from Jan 2017 onwards it became pathetic. They deliver randomly and sometimes by 11!! Milk bottle was broken sometimes and milk gets spilt by evening. I tried informing them multiple times and every time they said it will be corrected by 1 week. Nothing happened. From March 23rd delivery stopped !! I called up 4 days and no delivery till 10th April. I cancelled on 10th April. I think I have to forget the initial deposit because they are not giving it back. No response to calls and in mail they said you will get money in 2 days. That day has never came till today.
So if you are in Bangalore and planning to opt for home delivery please think twice. A big NO based on my experience and will not recommend it. Better buy the same milk from some store.
Hi, this weekend is good in favor of me, for the reason that this time i am reading this wonderful informative article here at my
home.
the delivery of Kiaro in Bangalore has become horrible. and there is absolutely no one to take responsibility. So Bangalore customers: Avoid
I have never seen such a worst company, as far the milk is concern ok for the same day the next the milk will be spoiled in spite of keeping in refrigerator .
THE SECOND AND IMPORTANT TROUBLE ONE HAS TO FACE IS DELIVERY SYSTEM, THE CUSTOMERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY THE DAY WHEN THEY GET MILK.
They collect money as deposit @70/- per liter for hole month in advanvce as they are supplying the milk @65/- per liter. There is no body hear your complient
I have never such a worst company as far the milk is concern ok for the same day the next the milk will be spoiled in spite of keeping in refrigerator .
THE SECOND AND IMPORTANT TROUBLE ONE HAS TO FACE IS DELIVERY SYSTEM, THE CUSTOMERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY THE DAY WHEN THEY GET MILK.
ONE MORE DISASTROUS THING IS THERE IS NO BODY RESPOSIBLE WHEN YOU WANT COMPLAINT REGARDING THE NON SUPPLY OF MILK.
They collect money as deposit @70/- per liter for hole month in advanvce as they are supplying the milk @65/- per liter.
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Even if kept in refrigerator after opening it survives only one day though expiry date is always 3days. Any comments
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But the milk is very thin and the curd comes out very bad 🙁
Looks like the complete cream is removed. That’s not the case with good cow’s milk. I grew up in a village in kerala drinking pure cow milk. This is no where close to it.
Hello Garima,
My email id zahrah.z076@gmail.com.Can you please guide which milk is good as it is for my children.
Thanks
Could any of you provide contact number of kiaro milk supplier. I am looking out for some one who can deliver to my home
You can contact us on 9666660518. We would be more than happy to serve you. Thank you for showing interest.
Have a Dairy Good Day!
Do you deliver in chanda nagar hyderabad?
i am a KIARO customer for the past 2 years since they launched. I first tried this milk from a Hypercity , the packaging is promising and connected me well with the milk I used to drink cold when I lived in States. I was literally surprised by the taste when I drank it cold and understood the quality, which I never expected the same quality of milk which is available in all developed countries. Later I came across an article in Economic Times about there home delivery and I called them for a daily one litre. That was something I appreciate the work of KIARO when they explained me how this milk is different to other milk with all details, this is Sth I recommend everyone to call them or read there article Kmow KIARO in their Facebook page before you buy any milk for tomorrow. I think this young companies should be supported to get the best and safe food on our plates. And when they home deliver it is only 69 per litre.
@Sreenath
The #Kiaro Family would like to thank you for your kind words and the motivation your words provide us to keep going forward and stay committed.