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If you love the foamy head on lattes and cappuccinos but not the steep coffeehouse price tags they come with, an at-home milk frother might be right for you — especially if you don’t already own a slick espresso machine or latte machine with a built-in steam wand. Milk frothers are easy to use and have a small geographic footprint in the kitchen, and make a huge impact on your daily cup. The pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab recently tested 16 milk frothers to find the best. We considered handheld and countertop frothers at various price points and with useful features like temperature settings. We frothed both whole milk and almond milk and made hot chocolate where applicable. We also sent frothers to home testers to get real-world feedback.
Milk frothers come in two basic types: handheld and countertop. Handheld frothers are wireless and look like wands with spinning round whisks, powered either by battery or USB charger. Countertop frothers resemble pitchers or little kettles and usually plug into an outlet; they can produce cold froth, hot froth and sometimes even hot chocolate.
Read on for more details on how we tested the milk frothers as well as for helpful advice on what to consider when shopping for a milk frother. 1Best Overall Milk Frother
Some milk frothers can heat up milk, but not all of them. The main design element that all milk frothers share is a spinning whisk head that incorporates air into the milk to create foam, but only the pitcher-style, electric milk frothers are able to heat up the milk.
How we test milk frothers
For this article, experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab and more than 20 at-home testers tested 16 handheld and countertop milk frothers. We chose the frothers based on models that performed well in previous tests as well as those from popular brands with strong reviews.
In the Lab, for all models, we produced hot froth using the highest foam setting (often used to make cappuccinos). We frothed whole milk, an option known for its silky mouthfeel, to show a frothers potential, and almond milk, which is difficult to froth and therefore a good indicator of a frothers abilities, weighing the same amount of whole milk for each milk frother.
Depending on the models options, we also tested other settings, such as less foam (often used to make lattes), flat (for steamed milk with a very thin layer of foam) or just heating (for warm milk and hot chocolate) to determine whether the frother was versatile for different coffee drinks.
We noted the time it took to froth if it ran on a preset cycle, or we frothed for one minute if it did not. We took the temperature of the frothed milk immediately after frothing to ensure that the milk was warmed without being scalded. (An ideal temperature for warmed milk is about 140˚F.) We tasted the milk by itself to assess whether it tasted scalded and with coffee to evaluate the mouthfeel. We noted the volume after holding for 5 minutes to check stability.
We also assessed the noise level and the intuitiveness of the controls, and we considered the ease of cleanup for each. In addition, we sent each model to two home testers, who were given two weeks to use the frother before completing a survey. Not only did this give us insight into real-world usability and performance, but it also provided feedback on additional milks, such as 2% and oat milk. We weighed our external testers’ feedback when making our final selections.Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Golde Superwhisk 3Best Handheld Milk Frother
- Portable, lightweight design
- Whisk is removable for easy cleanup
- Rechargeable USB battery
- Cannot warm milk; only froths
The Superwhisk lived up to its name in our Lab tests. It quadrupled the volume of both whole and almond milk to produce a generous serving of froth. We did note that the surface was uneven with some large bubbles, but the majority was uniform and fluffy. Our home tester noted that the double whisk design “helped make thicker, creamier frothed milk.”
We also like the streamlined design, where the whisk slips into a cover that makes the frother portable and easy to store in a drawer. Its also rechargeable, so there are no batteries required, and we were impressed that it shipped with enough charge to work right out of the box. The whisk can be removed from the handle for easier cleanup. The downside is that you must heat the milk yourself if you prefer hot foam; the whisk does not warm the milk.
| Settings | High, low |
|---|---|
| Attachments | One frothing whisk arm |
| Dimensions | Not provided |
| Weight | 4.5 oz. |
| Dishwasher-safe | Removable whisk arm only |
Do Milk Frothers Heat The Milk? 4 Superb Facts About This Tool
FAQ
Do milk frothers heat the milk as well?
How do you warm milk with a frother?
Is there a milk frother that also heats milk?
Should you heat milk before putting it in a frother?
You heat the milk before putting it in the frother because frothing cold milk can be difficult and may produce less foam than frothing warm milk. Additionally, heating the milk helps to release more flavor and aromas, enhancing the coffee’s overall taste.
Does consuming warm milk relieve a sore throat?
Sore throat usually occurs due to viral or bacterial infections. This presents with itchy painful feeling in the throat. Treatment depends on the severity of the sore throat. Mild sore throat gets improved by taking warm milk or water. This gives a temporary soothing effect. Whereas severe sore throats due to bacterial infections gets relived by taking pain medications.
Can you use a frother to froth milk?
You typically use a frother for frothing milk, such as cow’s, soy, almond, or oat. You can also use frothers to froth hot chocolate or tea. Some kitchen tool gurus use frothers to foam other liquids, such as juices or non-dairy creamer.
Can You froth cold milk or hot milk?
You can choose between frothing cold milk or hot milk. If you’re frothing your milk cold, you’re making what’s known as cold foam. For this, you don’t have to measure the temperature of your milk. You can just use it straight out of the fridge. But if you want to make hot milk foam, you need to heat your milk up before you froth it.