Sylvia Mortimer
Coffee lover and culinary adventurer. I love trying out new products that let me be creative, especially in the kitchen.
I created this site to share my thoughts about some of the most popular milk frothers available from Amazon. I want to help other coffee enthusiasts find a product that will help them prepare their favorite hot and cold drinks. I receive Amazon affiliate revenue when site visitors purchase a milk frother through my blog . If you end up buying an item that I’ve reviewed, please consider using one of the links on this page to make your purchase.
For as long as I can remember, coffee has been an essential part of my morning routine. There’s something truly magical about tasting that first sip in the comfort of my own kitchen. My husband says that I’m picky about how my coffee is prepared, but that’s not really true -- I love all different types of coffee, from light breakfast blends to dark French roasts to espresso and even Turkish coffee. I’m willing to try just about anything, and experiencing different types of coffee from all over the world is one of my great pleasures when traveling.
In particular, I’m a big fan of espresso drinks, from lattes and cappuccinos to macchiatos and flat whites. I love being able to prepare a wide range of drinks at home, both for myself and for my friends and family. While my husband actually prefers simple espressos and Americanos, my daughters have always loved my coffee concoctions. It’s far less expensive than paying $5 (or more) for a fancy Starbucks beverage, and I really enjoy getting to be an amateur barista in my own kitchen.
Although I love to experiment, one thing I’m very picky about is having the perfect amount and consistency of frothed or steamed milk when preparing hot beverages. As any self-respecting coffee enthusiast will know, there’s a big difference between lattes and cappuccinos when it comes to the milk they require. Having a good-quality milk frother is crucial for achieving the correct temperature and frothiness.
Over the years, I’ve perfected my coffee preparation technique with the help of a variety of gadgets for grinding and brewing, including an espresso machine that I received for my most recent birthday. However, I really dislike the steam wand, which I find cumbersome and difficult to clean -- and I find all of that steam shooting out to be a bit scary. After all, I’m not actually a professional barista!
That’s why I recently decided to try out six of the most popular milk frothers sold on Amazon, in order to find out which one creates the best froth for my coffee creations. I know that there are literally hundreds of different milk frothers out there, and I wanted to definitively find one that I could confidently use every morning and recommend to my coffee-loving friends and family, without a moment’s hesitation.
It’s absolutely essential to be able to quickly heat up milk and create thick, long-lasting foam when you’re making barista-style drinks at home, so that was my top criteria when evaluating the milk frothers. I frequently prepare several coffee-based beverages a day, especially when I have company over, so I wanted to find a milk frother that is dependable, easy to operate, and that won’t quit on me, even with daily use. It should also be aesthetically-pleasing so that it can permanently sit on my countertop and large enough to heat up sufficient milk for multiple drinks at once.
My goal is to help other self-styled baristas find a milk frother that will be the perfect addition to their kitchen, so they don’t waste time and money on products that just aren’t good enough. Preparing coffee at home should be a joyful and satisfying experience, and finding the right milk frother for the job is an important part of that.
How did I evaluate the milk frothers?
- I read a dozens of reviews and articles to learn about various milk frothers
- I ordered six popular milk frothers from Amazon
- I used each milk frother to prepare a variety of hot and cold drinks
- I considered how easy it was to use the milk frother on various settings
- I tried out all of the provided whisk attachments
- I noted how long it took for the milk to heat up
- I paid close attention to how much foam the frother produced, and how long it lasted
- I considered how easy it was to clean the milk frother
- I evaluated the appearance of the milk frother on my countertop
- I used each milk frother for at least two weeks to test durability
What were the most important factors for choosing a milk frother?
✓
Able to create thick, long-lasting froth
✓
Able to create smooth, silky steamed milk
✓
Doesn’t make much noise
✓
Powerful motor that won’t break with constant use
✓
Froths both hot and cold milk
✓
Heats up quickly
✓
Simple to operate, easy to clean
✓
Able to froth a lot of milk at once
✓
Manufacturer’s guarantee in case of defects
There are milk frothers on Amazon for under $20 -- do they work?
A quick search on Amazon for “milk frother” will inevitably pull up multiple results for milk frothers that cost less than $20. Obviously, that’s a very attractive price and I completely understand wanting to get the best deal on your kitchen gadgets, including milk frothers. However, before you decide to buy the cheapest product you can find, there are a few things to consider.
I’ve tried several of those inexpensive milk frothers over the years, with mixed results. It’s likely that you’ll be able to create a small amount of foam using a cheap handheld device. Unfortunately, the foam from handheld frothers tends to dissipate extremely quickly. This is especially true when you’re using anything other than whole milk -- handheld frothers just aren’t up to the task of frothing milk with less fat, or alternative, plant-based milks.
It’s also important to keep in mind that a milk frother under $20 is essentially just a battery-operated whisk. It won’t have a function for heating the milk, just whipping it. If you’re hoping to occasionally create some foam for a single cup of coffee, this might be sufficient for you, but if you want a device that can heat and froth milk at the same time, you’d be better off looking for a more functional appliance.
Additionally, with a cheap handheld frother, you’ll only be able to froth milk in a mug, as opposed to preparing a larger volume of milk in a specially-designed jug with a heating element. Furthermore, handheld milk frothers can only create airy, bubbly foam, not the smooth steamed milk that you need for drinks such as lattes.
In my experience, handheld frothers are often noisy and frequently messy, since you’re basically just sticking a whirring piece of metal into a cup full of liquid. Cleaning up splattered milk every time I want a cappuccino isn't my idea of a relaxing morning, so I try to steer clear of the handheld milk frothers. For slightly more money, you can get an appliance with multiple functions, a large capacity, rapid heating, and guaranteed long-lasting foam every time.