Isn’t it quite evident that only the perfectly frothed milk brings out the true essence and makes drinks like cappuccinos and lattes delightful? But here’s the thing, these espresso-based drinks with that frothed milk are also costly. So, of course, it won’t be possible for you to go out and buy those delicious coffees with excellent, foamy milk sitting on top. Now that the pandemic is turning the world upside down and we can’t go anywhere, let alone get the coffee we so desperately crave, we need a plan B. When you are just looking for ways to have that luscious coffee experience right at home, you need a good milk frother. Frothers are an excellent option if you are missing your Starbucks too much. 

Even if you love your cup of black coffee every morning, you can’t deny a nicely made, luscious latte. Also, you can’t ignore the fact that you can make it home so quickly. Maybe you saw those fancy coffee places and thought that you could not recreate those coffees at home, but actually, they are effortless.

All you have to know about are milk frothers and which one to get. But first, you need a proper introduction to what frothers are. These are devices that whip air into the milk. It works by spinning the milk forcefully with the coiled whisk that is pre-installed in the machines. The spinning movement pushes steam through the milk creating bubbles, so it feels creamy in the mouth. Frothers are especially handy. You can use these devices on any type of milk- regular, dairy milk, or any other non-dairy options. Some kinds of milk froth better than different types, though, because of the content of fat.

Which Kind Of Milk Frothers Are Available And Which One Would Be Best?

Lattes and cappuccinos are pretty much the same drink as they are espresso with frothed and steamed milk. The actual difference between them is the layer of frothed milk that tops the glass. You can distinguish between cappuccinos and lattes when you see the thick layer of frothed milk. 

The frothing wand that you find at the drugstore does froth milk by whipping air into it, but the foam you will get would be insubstantial and weak. This is not what you want. With this kind of frother, you would also need to heat the milk first, which means you can add one more utensil for you to clean. You don’t want that. It would be best if you had a frother that will do the work for you instead of doing most of the work. Fortunately, there are devices that not only froth the milk but also steam it. There are three kinds of milk frothers. They are handheld frothers, steam wand frothers, and automatic ones. They are all priced differently and come with different features.

Automatic Frothers

Automatic frothers get their power from electricity and come with an induction whisk. This whisk heats the milk and also whisks continuously, so you get a smooth foam. You can also use these to froth cold milk. They create a better quality of milk than handheld ones. They are also super easy to use. But there are some cons to using these. They can froth only a specific amount of milk at a time, and they are somewhat difficult to clean. They take up more space when compared to handheld frothers.

Handheld Frothers

These frothers operate via battery. You can stick these frothers directly into the milk as they are like handheld whisks. Then the whisk starts spinning, and you would have to do a continuous manual of an up and down motion. This will get the air whipped into the milk to create the foam. These wands are compact and also very affordable. You cannot only make froth milk with these, but you can also whisk eggs, dressings, or matcha. The foam that results with handheld frothers is light and creamy and has large bubbles. Thus, it is excellent for making cappuccinos. The disadvantages of using these are quite a few. Firstly, you might need to replace the batteries frequently. It doesn’t steam, heat, or cool the milk and could result in spattering as it has no lid. The frothing with these frothers is less precise, thus not resulting in much texture. 

Steam Wand Frother

Steam wands are inbuilt in espresso machines. These are the ones that are primarily used in a coffee shop and for a valid reason too. These wands work the best when steaming milk and give it a good texture instead of only bubbles. The wands operate by pushing steam into the milk, resulting in a creamy, delicate, velvety kind of foam. The pros to using steam wand frothers are many. Firstly, you would be able to customize the frothed milk for a variety of coffees. Secondly, the foam that you get is thick, luscious, and silky. This kind of foam is exactly what you need for a good latte. But there are cons too as steam wands cost a lot. Plus, you will also need to learn the technique which is challenging to master.

Five best milk steamers and frothers

Now that you know all about the different types of milk frothers, you must be wondering which are the best frothers available in the market. The list below will tell you all about the devices with which you can both stream and froth milk. 

Secura Automatic Milk Frother

Secura, which is a Wisconsin-based company, are known for their sleek and stylish appliances. One of their best appliances is the automatic milk frother. Behind its extraordinary appearance, it is a very sturdy and efficient device. If you are in the mood for a good, old cappuccino, you have to press the control once, and the steaming and frothing starts. If you want an iced latte, you will only need to press the button for three seconds to begin frothing without steaming. Thus, you can see how easy it is to use. It is moderately affordable and also easy to clean. You should ensure to clean right after frothing so you don’t have the milk sticking. One major disadvantage is it does not have a vast capacity.

Nespresso Aeroccino 4 Frother

Nespresso is one of the best brands when you are looking to buy some good-quality milk frothers. You can easily froth both hot and cold milk to recreate your favorite coffee beverages. This frother works very fast and is easy to use. The body of the frother and the black plastic accents are stainless steel. It can heat up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit relatively fast and shuts off automatically if the pitcher gets too hot. With this Aeroccino 4 Frother, you can have thicker and denser foam, perfect for making lattes and making latte art. The controls light up and flash while you are frothing and turn off automatically when not being used. Most of the parts of this frother are dishwasher-safe except its wired base.

Powerlix Milk Pro Frother

This handheld milk frother is one of the best affordable options. It is also effortless to operate, and its requirement of just two AA batteries makes it easily portable, but it does run the risk of stopping in the middle of use. The frother comes with a stand so that it is compact yet accessible and also easy to store. One disadvantage to using this is that it cannot heat the milk. Most people love it, though, because the frother doesn’t make much noise and works very fast too. One technique you can use to create the perfect foam is by doing the frothing in short bursts.

Café Casa Electric Frother

Unicoff’s frother is more like an immersion blender. The company claims that you can make milkshakes, macchiatos, and anything in between, with this frother. It runs on two AA batteries. You might think it won’t work as well as other frothers, but users swear by this product. If your coffee drink requires less milk and you mostly like multitasking appliances, this frother is perfect for you.

Breville The Milk Café Frother

This milk frother is quite large and can easily froth quite a few servings at one time. It even comes with measurement lines when you need to froth just a cup of milk or three cups. The frother comes with a dial to adjust the temperature that goes from cold to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The lid can even be used as a measuring cup in case you want to add more ingredients. You can clean the jug easily as it is dishwasher safe. The device turns off, too, in case the pitcher heats up too much. The only cons to it are that it is costly and takes up quite a lot of space.

Conclusion

Choosing an appliance majorly depends on what features you are looking for. If you want more of a multi-tasking frother, you should go for the handheld frothers as they double as a device to whisk eggs and so on. IF you want an efficient device specifically for coffees that would steam and froth too, you would like to opt for the automatic frothers. The essential thing here is to do your research, see what you need, and then settle for your frother choice.

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