If you’re a big fan of drinks/desserts with milk froth (cappuccino, Latte, mochaccino, milkshakes, smoothies, etc.), buying a milk frother may be a good option. It makes your life easier and frothing your milk won’t be a problem.
The thing is that making milk froth by hand can be tedious with random results… it takes a lot of practice to get the hang of it and get a nice froth. Sure, when you like you don’t count, but do you want to risk not having the patience and quit?
Here’s a little overview of what you need to know about milk frothers so that you can make an informed decision.
What is a milk frother?
You find it mainly in coffee shops. Baristas use it to make milk froth: it is part of the espresso machine and is a steam nozzle. All professional machines have one, and you now find it pretty often on those of private individuals.
So, if you have a recent espresso machine there’s a good chance it has a steam nozzle. You are equipped to make milk froth. Read our blog to find out how to make milk froth with an espresso machine. For those who prefer plant-based milk, we have how to make plant milk froth.
For those who don’t have the steam option on their espresso machine or who make filter/drip coffee or use a Moka coffee maker, you need to get a separate milk frother. Once equipped it’s easy to make a beautiful milk froth that is smooth, unctuous, and, silky. No large visible bubbles but a network of small bubbles. They make for a perfect melt in the mouth and a superb aesthetic and photogenic result.
The electric milk frothers
The milk frother handheld
Here you find two types of handheld frothers. First the regular hand blender, the one you use to make soups, sauces, purées, etc. with a special accessory to froth the milk. If you want to save a bit go for the ones that only do milk froth (no soups, purée, etc.). However, for the price difference (10-20 dollars), you’ll have a multipurpose hand blender that will come in handy quite often in the kitchen.
The handheld milk frothers are really easy to use: put it in the milk and start blending to get the milk froth. Quick and easy to clean, you can enjoy good cappuccinos or iced lattes at home:
- it’s convenient if the closest coffee shop is a bit far away
- it’s economical: the costs of lattes or cappuccinos in a coffee shop add up pretty quickly, and you save money by making them at home (it can cost you only a few tenths of a dollar) … If you drink one per day, your frother will pay for itself in a couple of weeks!
Check out the prices of milk frothers on amazon
The heated milk frother with container
Some milk frothers come equipped with a heating container. They fall in the countertop category. The plus is that you don’t need to heat the milk beforehand, the frother does everything. On the push of a button, the milk is warmed up and frothed!
In addition to being practical, some of them are quite aesthetic. This kind of milk frother is well suited if you are a big consumer of dairy or non-dairy milk-based desserts or drinks.
Check out the prices of milk frothers on amazon
What to think of electric milk frothers?
Sure, at first glance, it seems a bit like a gadget, but you soon get addicted to it! It’s the no-brainer anti-headache accessory with which you really enjoy your latte or cappuccino without thinking twice. That’s because, without a machine, frothing milk is tedious and long…
We also like that it is an independent accessory. It is not part of the coffee machine, so you keep the milk frother if your espresso machine breaks. And you can still use it with instant coffee or a filter coffee.
And finally, it’s an accessory that repays itself pretty quickly. If you make your own cappuccino, latte, etc. instead of buying them at the coffee shop, the milk frother is repaid in a few weeks at a rate of one latte per day.