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For many of us, there’s no such thing as too much foam when it comes to specialty coffee drinks. Fortunately, the best milk frothers make it easy to create coffee shop-quality microfoam at home — no barista skills required. Shopping for milk frothers isn’t quite as simple, though, and models range widely in price, functionality, and versatility. To help you decide which milk frother is right for you, here are a few things to keep in mind.
If you want to create foam for hot drinks, most electric frothers can warm and froth milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Handheld or manual frothers typically won’t warm milk, but can froth milk that’s been heated on the stove or in the microwave. For the most versatility in making a range of drinks, consider getting a frother that can froth both cold and hot milk.
Whether you’re whipping up a cappuccino, matcha latte, or a hot chocolate, look for a frother that can make approximately half a cup (4 ounces) of frothed milk at a time. This is enough for a single serving of most drinks, and, depending on your preferences and recipe, can make two servings. Make sure to note the frother’s capacity for warming versus frothing milk, as this can vary.
With the help of the best milk frothers below, you’ll be making foamy, barista-worthy beverages at home in no time. Read on for the best frothers you can buy.
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The Best Overall: HadinEEon Electric Milk Frother
The overall best milk frother from HadinEEon offers more than cool styling with its white and stainless steel design. Featuring a precise temperature control sensor and frothing whisk, it can froth 4.4 ounces of milk in as little as 60 seconds. An auto shut-off prevents over-frothing and scorching to take the guesswork out of making perfect foam. If you want to simply heat milk without frothing it, you can prepare up to 10.1 ounces of warm milk using the heating whisk. It’s also able to froth cold milk, if you decide you want to top your favorite iced drinks. Since frothing can sometimes get messy, the transparent lid ensures your countertops will stay dry. And the nonstick stainless steel milk pitcher can be easily hand-washed between uses.
2
The Best Manual Milk Frother: Haptime Manual Milk Frother
Don’t turn your nose up at this manual milk frother from Haptime. Its hand-pump design is actually one of the most effective ways to create creamy microfoam. This travel-friendly frother takes up about the same amount of space as a French press, and operates in a similar fashion using a plunger design. Depending on how many pumps you use, the stainless steel double-mesh screen can froth warmed or cold milk in as little as 15 to 30 seconds. Its large capacity can hold just over 16 ounces (2 cups) of milk, though reviewers note it performs best when the stainless steel pitcher is half-full. Due to the material, this plunger can't go in the microwave, so heat milk in a separate vessel before use if you want to make warm foam.
3
The Best Value: Homitt Electric Milk Frother
If you're looking for a more affordable electric model that can heat and froth milk, this frother from Homitt is a great choice. Slightly smaller in capacity than the overall best, the Homitt can foam and heat 3.9 and 8.1 ounces of milk, respectively. Its two buttons are easy to operate — just select whether you want to froth hot or cold milk, and when you only need to heat your milk, simply remove the frothing whisk. The transparent lid contains any splashing, and a nonstick coating in the milk jug makes it easy to hand wash any dried-on residue. At less than $30, the Homitt is a solid electric frother that will leave you with a little more money to spend on your favorite coffee beans.
4
The Best Handheld Milk Frother: FoodVille Rechargeable Handheld Foam Maker
Handheld frothers like this one from FoodVille have existed for a while, but unlike other models that take batteries, this one is conveniently charged via USB. And FoodVille has come up with a solution to a major pain point of using a handheld frother — splashing and sloshing milk due to whisking directly into an open mug or cup. With three variable speeds, this frother lets you start slow to begin building air into your milk, and speed up to create thicker foam, if desired. Despite not being able to warm milk, this is still a versatile frother as it comes with two interchangeable whisks. One is built to froth milk, while the other balloon whisk can mix eggs, salad dressing, light batters, and protein powders.
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The Best For Large Servings: Secura 4-In-1 Electric Automatic Milk Frother
If you’re the resident latte- or hot chocolate-maker in your house, you’ll love the large capacity of this frother from Secura. The stainless steel pitcher design can froth up to twice the standard volume of other electric frothers — 8.5 ounces, versus the standard 4 for most electric frothers. For milk-heavy recipes like hot chocolate, you get the convenience of placing chocolate and milk directly in the pitcher together to whip up the recipe start-to-finish. Like the other electric models featured here, the Secura comes with a frothing whisk that can be removed if you simply want to warm your milk. A lid is included for mess-free frothing of cold or warm milk, and the stainless steel pitcher detaches from the base for serving and dishwashing.
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