When you buy your favorite coffee beverage, may it be a Cappuccino, Latte or a Macchiato, all these milk based drinks are made by steaming milk using a steam wand on the espresso machine. Hot steam heats and froths the milk to create that beautiful creamy milk we’ve all come to love.
If you have a single-serve espresso machine, those usually don’t come with a steam wand (the Breville Creatista is the only exception here). So instead, to create frothy milk you use an electric milk frother that whisks the milk rapidly to create foam.
Are electric milk frothers and steamers the same thing? No, you get different results from each. A milk frother is an alternative to the steam wand, and people use it for many things and not just to foam milk for coffee. You can enjoy your frothed milk to create hot chocolate, Chai latte or just on its own.
What To Look For in an Electric Milk Frother?
To make your buying decision easier, you need to know what is it you need from your frother:
- Do you need a frother that heats milk or only froths milk? As this would be the main difference between an electric frother and a battery operate handheld frother.
- Do you need it to make cold froth as well as hot?
- What kind of milk will you froth? As dairy and non-dairy milks produce different type of foams.
- Do you want to make beverages other than coffee drinks?
- Most importantly, is customization important to you? Do you need to adjust foam level and temperature? Or do you simply want your milk frothed and nothing specific?
Breville Milk Cafe Frother – Best For Dairy Milk and Hot Chocolate
- Latte frothing disc for smooth and silky milk. Please review the Product Videos under the images before use.
- Cappucino frothing disk for thick and creamy froth
- Hot chocolate maker, by simply adding drinking chocolate powder, flakes or syrup to the warming milk
- On-board disc storage
- Product uses induction heating, you can simply place the jug in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
A long time favorite and a best seller for many years in a row now. Breville’s Milk Cafe is the best overall milk frother for all tasks.
Features:
- Prepare hot or cold froth.
- Variable temperature, select from cold stir, warm, optimal or hot froth.
- Adjust the level of foam by using either the latte frothing disc for smooth and silky milk or Cappuccino disc for more froth.
- Make hot chocolate by adding chocolate powder, syrup or chunks directly into the milk as it froths.
- Stainless steel jug interior.
- Uses induction heating, which means the jug is cordless and fully submergible in water and dishwasher safe.
- 3-cup capacity.
You can use the Breville Milk Cafe for any type of milk, either dairy or non-dairy. With non-dairy milk, such as Almond milk which is quite popular choice, the results are a little variable depending on the brand. Some brands have developed non dairy milks made specially for coffee that would create better froths, I would suggest looking into those.
Pros of Breville Milk Cafe:
- Large capacity
- Dishwasher-safe stainless steel jug
- Variable Temperature selection.
- Ingredients can be added to milk as it heats.
Cons:
- More expensive
Nespresso Aeroccino 4 – Best Nespresso Frother For Coffee Beverages
- 2 types of hot foam, hot milk and cold foam, the Aeroccino4 offers you a wide choice to prepare even more coffee and milk recipes at home in a simple way
- Dishwasher proof (Max 70° C)
- One single whisk for all preparations
The Aeroccino 4 is quite an improvement from older Aeroccino frothers. It allows for some adjustability without the need for different whisks.
Features:
- Choose from four programs: dense hot foam, medium hot foam, hot milk and cold foam.
- Ceramic coating.
- Stainless steel housing with plastic handle.
- Jug fully detachable from the base. Dishwasher safe.
- Capacity: 4 oz for froth, 8.2 oz for hot milk.
Aeroccino 4 is great for any type of foam you want for your coffee drinks; cappuccino, latte or iced coffee. For hot chocolate, you can create hot milk and add it to the chocolate in another cup, you can’t add ingredients directly into the jug. This is why the Breville Milk Cafe would create better hot chocolate as it stirs the ingredients with the milk. As for non-dairy milk, you can still use it with the Aeroccino, but the results are always a hit or a miss.
Pros of Aeroccino 4:
- Selection of foam density.
- Ceramic coating, which is better and safer than non-stick teflon.
- Dishwasher safe.
Cons:
- For the price, it has limited customization and options.
Secura 4-in-1 Electric Milk Frother and Hot Chocolate Maker – Best Electric Milk Frother on Budget:
- The Milk Frother and Hot Chocolate Maker is perfect for creating thick and rich froth for coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, and for making hot chocolate.
- Larger capacity creates up to 250ml of creamy milk foam, or up to 500ml of hot chocolate milk. This is double the capacity of most other milk frothers.
- Frothing whisk makes hot or cold froth in minutes and makes hot chocolate. Heating whisk is for heating only heating milk. The heating whisk is conveniently stored in the bottom of the base.
- The removable milk jug features a convenient spout for easy pouring without splashing.
- Stainless steel milk jug is dishwasher safe and can be easily removed from the base for cleaning.
Secura’s milk frother offers some good features for the price. It is somewhat similar to Breville’s Milk Cafe design, albeit having less features.
- It has a stainless steel jug, inside and out.
- Creates hot or cold froth.
- Includes two whisks.
- 250ml capacity.
- Allows you to add hot chocolate ingredients at the milk heats and whisks.
- Jug is fully detachable, cordless and dishwasher safe.
Although the Secura milk frother does a good job and has some cool features, some customers have reported that the attachments wear out easily, and it can be hard to get replacement parts. The overall quality of the products isn’t the best.
Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother – Best For Hot Froth or Warm Milk Only:
- Milk frother Bistro milk frother was designed to make you a professional Barista without leaving your doorstep
- Compact small electric milk frother has convenient cord storage in the removable base perfect if you plan to leave out on the kitchen counter
- Sleek design auto shut off when finished Transparent lid allows the frothing to be observed
- Servings Bistro milk frother heats 1 cup (300 ml) of milk at a time Perfect for serving yourself or your family
- Material non-stick coating interior ensures easy cleaning and durability Stainless Steel body Tritan plastic lid
Bodum’s Bistro electric milk frother is as simple as they come. It only prepares one kind of froth, a single cup at a time (300 ml). If you want warm milk only, remove the frothing whisk and it will heat your milk. Priced very reasonably for what it does, and it makes a cheaper alternative to the Aeroccino 3.
This frother has non-stick coating and plastic exterior. It is Not dishwasher safe.
Aeroccino 3 vs. Aeroccino 4 – What’s the Difference?
Aeroccino 3 is the model that’s usually included with Nespresso machines as a bundle. It can be purchased separately, too. How is it different than the Aeroccino 4 and which is better?
- Aeroccino 3 has nonstick coating inside, which is known to peel and chip after a while of use.
- It is NOT dishwasher safe.
- You can either hot or cold froth. If you want less dense foam, you can remove the disc so the machine stirs the milk only.
- It has plastic exterior and no handle.
The Aeroccino 4 is definitely a better choice than the Aeroccino 3. Even if you don’t care much about milk textures, it has a better design and coating.
Breville Milk Cafe vs. Aeroccino:
Whether we’re talking about Aeroccino 4 or 3, none of them work as well as the Breville Milk cafe.
- To start, Milk Cafe has variable temperature settings and it allows you to add ingredients to your milk as it whisks. Which you cant do with either Aeroccino frothers.
- Breville’s Milk Cafe has stainless steel interior, which performs better than nonstick teflon and ceramic coating.
- Capacity on the Breville Milk Cafe is larger, up to three cups. While the Aeroccino mostly does a single cup.
- Milk Cafe and Aeroccino 4 are dishwasher safe, Aeroccino 3 is not.
Breville Milk Cafe vs. Secura 4 in 1 Milk Frother:
As mentioned earlier, the Secura frother can make a cheaper alternative to the Breville Milk Cafe as both have a few similar features:
- Stainless steel jugs, both dishwasher safe.
- Induction heating.
- The ability to add ingredients to milk as it heats.
- Two froth discs.
- What’s different is:
- Capacity: Breville milk cafe has larger capacity (about 700ml), while the Secura has 250ml capacity.
- Temperature Selection: Although the Secura can do both hot and cold froth, you can’t select specific temperature degrees like you can with the Breville Milk Cafe.
There’s also clear quality differences between the two frothers. Breville Milk Cafe has a better build and design that the Secura.
If you would prefer a handheld battery operated milk frother, there are so many to pick from. And to be honest, there’s not much difference between brands.
Most available handheld frothers are quite generic and there’s nothing special about them. So when picking one, I’d advise you to go with the best price you can find. Here are some recommendations:
- Get Creamy Froth Quickly: PowerLix brings you its small, portable handheld milk frother for frothed milk. If you love your morning coffee with lots of froth and foam, then you certainly want to have PowerLix frothing wand at home or your café style cappuccino. Works great as an egg beater. It comes with a stand for easy storage and can be kept on the countertop.
- Battery Operated For Perfect Froth in no Time: The mixer is battery powered so you don't have to worry about cords and finding sockets. Heat up the milk, immerse the espresso maker into the cup and turn it on. The milk foamer will start creating creamy froth on the milk instantly. Within 15 - 20 seconds, you have a cup filled with creamy froth and ready to go into your coffee latte.
- Quality You Can Trust: Our milk whisk frappe maker is made of the best quality stainless steel. It has a powerful motor that gives you 19000 rpm and the dual spring durable long 18/10 food safe material stainless steel spiral whisk that won't rust or break over the time, delivers double the power of other frothers and professional espresso makers available. The power button on top makes it easy to use. The low noise motor barely makes a sound.
- Beautifully Styled With Versatility: The machine is beautifully styled in red color to fit into any modern kitchen. It is lightweight and has ergonomically designed soft touch handle. It is easy to use and easy to clean. It can be used to froth other liquids besides hot milk. Use it to make milkshakes for your kids or cocktails for your friends. It will work well with both hot and cold liquids.
- 100% Return/Replacement Warranty: The milk frother with the cup is so handy and useful that you can gift it to your friends and family too. let them enjoy the convenience of making chocolate or cappuccino at home. we are confident of our product and know you will like it. This is why we back up our product with our no-questions-asked warranty. Order now and start to create thick and creamy foam for your homemade drinks.
- EXECUTIVE SERIES PREMIUM GIFT MILK FROTHER: The Executive Series Milk Frother with our New and Improved Ultra Stand is the perfect gift for any occasion. Brighten up anyones' day with a perfect cup of Morning Coffee topped with Delectable and Velvety Froth with the Zulay Kitchen Executive Series Milk Frother with Ultra Stand. Easy to Use and Powerful, it creates creamy froth in seconds. Get that coffee shop experience in the comfort of your home by adding a special touch to your coffee.
- MAKE RICH, CREAMY FROTH IN SECONDS: We Coffee Lovers are serious when it comes to our Coffee. The Zulay Kitchen Executive Series Milk Frother gives you that professional finishing touch to your Latte, Cappuccino or Macchiato. Make delicious creamy froth for your drinks at home without a trip to your local Coffee Shop with your very own Executive Frother. The benefits of having your own electric whisk mixer are endless. You can make the very best latte in the comfort of your own home.
- EASY TO USE, CLEAN AND STORE: Our New and Improved Ultra Stand Frother easily produces Creamy, Foamy Goodness in seconds. Cleanup for this frother is even faster and easier. To Clean just put the whisk in hot running water and briefly turn it on – instantly Clean! When stored on a counter or table it sits nicely next to other coffee accessories. Our Powerful and Durable Hand-Held Milk Frother is powered by two AA batteries with a compact electric design that easily fits in a drawer.
- MATCHA MIXING, COFFEE & MORE: The Zulay Executive Series Milk Frother works better than a manual Matcha Whisk for making Matcha Tea and works far better than a fork or whisk for Coffee. It works perfectly for mixing Nutritious Protein Powder Drinks with NO additional container, blender or bottle shaker to wash. Use our Electric Mixer for your Whisking and Mixing needs. Give healthy shakes and smoothies a kick by adding powder or egg nog flavor and mixing.
- PROVEN AND TRUSTED QUALITY: At Zulay Kitchen we use only Premium Materials in designing and producing our products. The Construction will last, backed by our Zulay Guarantee to not rust or break, ever. Our Handheld Efficient Frother works on all types of Milk - Half and Half, Creamer, Soy, Almond, Cashew, Hazelnut, Whole Milk, and other dairy products such as butter or cream.
A manual milk frother is a non-electric device that creates froth from hot milk mostly. They’re similar in design to a french press pot.
There are two type of manual milk frothers:
- Glass pitcher, or
- Stainless steel pitcher.
Stainless steel would make a better choice as it’s more durable, easier to clean and retains the temperature of the milk better than glass.
Top Picks for Manual Milk Frothers:
- Fino’s Milk Frother creates a frothy rich foam to top delectable hot or cold beverages in 60 seconds or less, without electricity or batteries
- Made from 18/8 stainless steel and nylon; lid had built-in double-mesh aerator and easy-grip handle; durable and versatile; 14-ounce capacity
- Measure milk into pitcher, place plunger inside and secure the lid, pump handle up and down, about 30-60 seconds, until foam has desired consistency
- Create frothed whole milk, skim, goat milk, hemp milk, almond milk, soy or cashew milk, and other non dairy milk
- Easy to use; more economical than battery powered frothers and expensive espresso machines; top-rack dishwasher safe for easy cleanup
- 🥛 Economical ----- ENLOY Manual Milk Frother is a traditional, simple way to foam milk. More economical than battery powered frothers and expensive espresso machines.
- 🥛 Froth Milk Easily ----- Fill the frother with milk about one-third, place plunger inside and lid it, then please pump the handle up and down 20-30 times, until foam has desired consistency. If it is heated, please pay attention to burns.
- 🥛 Top Quality Materials ----- Antirust stainless steel frother, built-in filter, anti-scald thickening handle and ergonomic plunger. All together let it be a good milk frother.
- 🥛 Easy and Convenient to Operate ----- No power or battery is required. Take it with ease, travel outdoors, have a picnic, and have a party. More suitable for travel and home use.
- 🥛 Heatable, dishwasher safe. Built-in scale for easy viewing capacity. Transparent cover, clearly visible. 27 Oz ( 800 ml )Perfect size for frothing milk for 2-3 cups of coffee.
- ★Economy and Environmental Protection★: This is a traditional manual way, the simplest and most efficient way, with no need of electricity or batteries. (More economical than battery powered frothers and expensive electric milk frother).
- ★ Froth Milk Easily ★: Put the milk into the pitcher, place plunger inside and lid it, then please pump the handle up and down 20-30 times(within 30 seconds), until foam has desired consistency.
- ★ Capacity ★: 17 oz (500ml), overall size: 7*3.14 inch / 18 * 8 cm. Perfect size for frothing milk for 2-3 cups of coffee.
- ★ Top Quality Materials ★: This milk frother is made of 304 stainless steel, which is sturdy and hygienic, and the surface of which is more bright. The inner wall is used stainless steel wire drawing process, so the manual milk frother for coffee are easy to clean and no scratches appear.
- ★Great as Gift★: Suitable for homemaker and coffee stores, a great gift for your family, friends and coffee lovers!
Can I Use a French Press To Froth Milk Instead?
As manual milk frothers and french press pots share a similar design and mechanism, can’t you just use a french press to froth milk?
Practically speaking, yes you absolutely can. And you’ll get the same results. However, there’s one important difference between the design of a press pot’s mesh filter and that on a manual frother.
The mesh filter on the the manual milk frother has soft edges that will not scratch or weaken the glass or stainless steel pitcher as you pump it to produce the froth.
On the other hand, the mesh filter on the french press has coils and exposed mesh. It’s not designed to be constantly pumped like the mesh on the manual milk frother.
So, while a french press pot can give you the same result, it will weaken your pot and shorten its lifespan.
