The 10 Best Milk Frothers For Your Home Café

Brewing black coffee might be cheaper and faster, but the delicious flavor of milk-based espresso drinks makes up for their longer preparation times and higher prices. Trade explains that milk — whether dairy or alternative — has a sweetness that tempers bitter flavors in coffee, and provides richness and a smooth mouthfeel to your morning cup. But making hot milk-based coffee drinks is not as simple as heating up milk and adding it to espresso. Milk needs to be heated and aerated in order to achieve the light, airy texture found in your latte or cappuccino. If your espresso machine doesn't come with a steam wand, or you are using a moka pot or an Aeropress to make espresso at home, you may want to purchase a milk frother to prepare milk-based drinks.

Milk frothers aerate your milk by agitating it through mechanical movement, which differs from the steam wands on espresso machines that inject hot steam into milk. According to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, frothing creates larger air bubbles and a more cloud-like foam, while steaming results in finer bubbles and a silkier texture — or microfoam. In other words, frothing produces the foam you might find atop your cappuccino, and steaming creates the velvety milk used to pour hearts and rosettas for lattes. While most milk frothers will not have you winning latte art competitions, they still help create delicious drinks. Here is a list of the 10 best milk frothers to turn your kitchen into a home café.

A multi-functional piece of equipment, the French press has uses that extend beyond coffee. By filling a French press less than a quarter of the way with warmed milk and repeatedly bringing the plunger up and down, you are able to create an impressively foamy mixture to make lattes and cappuccinos. Java Presse explains that pumping the mesh filter of the French press up and down traps air in the milk's fat and protein, allowing it to expand in volume.

While Bodum offers a product called the Latteo Glass Milk Frother that is marketed specifically for frothing milk manually, a regular French press works just as well. Specialty coffee pioneer and author James Hoffmann notes that the Latteo is sold at a higher price than Bodum's French presses, a move that he calls "a little bit cheeky because... it doesn't do a better job than a French press." However, when using a French press or any other milk frother that does not heat the milk for you, it is important to take note of the temperature of the milk. Hoffmann states that milk starts to degrade at around 158 degrees Fahrenheit, causing its flavor to change. He recommends heating milk to no higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and to use a thermometer if you have one. With a little attention to temperature and some elbow grease, the French press can be a great and inexpensive milk frother that you may already have in your kitchen.

With a Kickstarter that was successfully funded the day it was launched, the Subminimal NanoFoamer was a milk frother highly anticipated by coffee lovers. After all, the brand promised to do what no other handheld frother could — create microfoam in 20 seconds without a steam wand. The NanoFoamer seems to have succeeded on that front. A review by GearHungry states that 15 to 20 seconds are all you need to produce some seriously silky-smooth foam.

This handheld milk foamer creates silky and smooth microfoam by spinning warm milk through a fine-mesh NanoScreen at 10,000 RPM. You can choose to attach either the fine or superfine NanoScreen to customize how dense you'd like your milk foam to be, or use the NanoFoamer without a screen to mix other drinks like matcha or hot cocoa. With every purchase of a NanoFoamer, access to a latte art MasterClass by Lance Hedrick (two time winner of the Coffee Fest Latte Art World Championship) is also provided.

Using the NanoFoamer does require some practice, with The Wall Street Journal stating that there is "more room for error" in comparison to using other frothers. However, the resulting microfoam for a perfect latte is more than worth the few sessions of trial and error needed to nail your foaming technique. The NanoFoamer comes in two versions, the V2 which uses AA batteries, and the rechargeable Lithium version.

The Subminimal NanoFoamer is impressive in its ability to create barista-style microfoam without a steam wand, but it also comes with a higher price. If the ultra-fine texture of microfoam is not a must-have for you, a more affordable handheld option is the Golde Superwhisk. This milk frother has been praised by the likes of The Strategist and CNN, and has been sold out multiple times. Good Housekeeping says that the Superwhisk "lived up to its name" when used to froth milk, increasing the volume of both regular and almond milk by a whopping four times.

Unlike many handheld frothers, the Superwhisk has a double whisk design that allows it to aerate milk more quickly and efficiently. It has two speed settings — fast and superfast — and the whisk is removable for convenient cleaning. The whisk attachment has a slip-on cover, allowing you to store the device easily or even bring it on holiday without worrying about damaging it. Additionally, the Superwhisk is rechargeable and ships with a USB charging cable, removing the need to replace batteries. As with all other handheld frothers, your milk has to be heated separately before being frothed. With glowing reviews, a good product design, and an affordable price point, the Superwhisk is a great option for those who would like a portable and efficient milk frother for their home kitchen.

If you are the type who only drinks hot milk beverages, you can skip the automatic frothers that come with cold foam options and higher price tags. The Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother is a simple and affordable machine that froths your milk for hot drinks with a push of a button. 2022 USA Barista Champion Morgan Eckroth declares the Bistro to be: "[A] really, really great option for a quick and efficient way to make warm foam that you can put in your drinks for a pretty decent price point."

Unlike handheld frothers, automatic frothers like the Bodum Bistro heat up the milk while frothing it, removing the extra step of having to microwave it or whip out a saucepan. The Bodum Bistro also has an automatic shut-off function that kicks in once the milk reaches 158 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring that your milk is never heated beyond this temperature. This allows you to start the frothing process and walk away — perhaps to brew your espresso or prepare other components of your beverage. If, for some reason, you are not able to assemble your drink immediately, the Bistro also automatically turns back on once the milk cools down to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother may not have the bells and whistles that other automatic milk frothers have, but it is a reasonably priced and efficient machine for those who like their milk drinks hot and simple.

The Instant Milk Frother provides multiple features for less than $40. It comes with four different settings that allow you to customize the milk for your drinks, offering the options of cold foam, warm foam, thick warm foam, and hot milk. By selecting your option and pressing the start button, you will be well on your way to creating delicious milk-based drinks. The Wall Street Journal praises the simplicity and ease of use of the Instant, declaring it "foolproof."

With the Instant Milk Frother, your selection of frothed milk drinks expands beyond hot cappuccinos and lattes, and now includes foam-topped cold brews and iced coffees. You can also customize your warm drinks according to whether you'd like a denser and thicker foam, or a more loose and airy foam. Additionally, Instant recommends using the hot milk setting to make other drinks like matcha, bulletproof coffee, and hot chocolate. The frother is also incredibly quiet while in use, so early risers won't have to worry about waking the rest of the house while making their morning coffee. With a budget-friendly price and features that can be found in more expensive frothers, the Instant Milk Frother is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to level up their coffee drinks. Its versatility and ability to produce high-quality foam across all three of its foam settings makes it a milk frother that is highly recommended.

Like most Nespresso products, the Aeroccino4 combines both quality and convenience to provide users with a seamless experience. Similar to the Instant Milk Frother, it comes with four different settings: two types of warm foam, cold foam, and hot milk, and is activated by pressing on the icon depicting your drink type. A major plus point of the Aeroccino4 is that, aside from the power base, the entire appliance is dishwasher safe. This removes the hassle of having to clean the carafe by hand, especially if you use it everyday for your morning coffee.

Made with durability and longevity in mind, the frother is made with a stainless steel exterior and a ceramic coating on the inside of the frothing cavity. It is designed with a handle on its side and a spout for easy and safe handling when it comes to pouring hot milk into your coffee. Nespresso also offers the more affordable Aeroccino3, which only has one warm foam option and is not dishwasher safe. If you are looking for the same level of quality at a lower price, and don't mind having to wash the jug by hand and not being able to choose between two types of foam, the Aeroccino3 is also a great option.

The Barista Recipe Maker from Nespresso is an advanced milk frother that comes with options not offered by any of Nespresso's competitors. It allows you to easily make beverages ranging from a simple flat white to an iced nitro or an espresso con panna. TechRadar praises the Barista for its ease of use from step up to clean up, and that it makes for some pretty impressive cups of coffee.

The Barista Recipe Maker comes pre-programmed with 13 milk-based drink settings that heat and froth your milk according to your drink of choice. The device also pairs with a Smartphone app, where you can discover new recipes and view detailed instructions on how to create each drink. It comes with an intuitive touch screen system that allows you to scroll through your downloaded recipes, and the chosen option is displayed in large letters on the exterior while the machine is in use. The Barista features a removable stainless steel jug and plastic whisk, and a spill-proof plastic lid — all of which are dishwasher safe. Of course, the high quality of the machine and numerous selections available make the Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker a milk frother that has a higher price point. If you want a machine that offers more possibilities than its competitors and are willing to shell out a little extra, the Barista Recipe Maker will be a welcome addition to your countertop.

Within this list, the Bellman Stovetop Milk Steamer is the only device that incorporates steam into your milk to froth it. It allows you to steam milk exactly like your barista at the local coffee shop, and create microfoam. Barista Magazine finds the Bellman to be an impressive way to steam milk in a home kitchen, stating that it allows for consistency and ease in creating latte art.

To use the Bellman, fill its stainless steel body halfway with water and screw the lid on before heating it on the stove. Pressure is created when enough steam builds up from the boiling water, and in three to five minutes, you are able to get enough high-powered pressure to inject steam into your milk. Like a regular espresso machine, the Bellman uses a steam wand to foam your milk, which is controlled by turning a knob to release pressure and emit bursts of hot steam. It also comes with a pressure release valve to prevent accidents from occurring due to pressure build up. Using the Bellman requires some practice, and presents a steep learning curve if you have never used the steam wand on an espresso machine before. However, there is no other milk frother that can replicate the process of steaming milk like the Bellman, and it is an excellent option for those chasing the perfect rosetta in their latte.

The Breville Milk Cafe comes with a list of features that are sure to impress, but the most outstanding of them is the ability to accurately control the temperature of your warm milk. The Milk Cafe will shut off when it reaches any chosen temperature between 120 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring that you can select exactly how hot you would like your drink to be. And if you'd like an iced coffee instead, the Milk Cafe makes cold foam, and you can also heat milk without any foam. It comes with two whisk attachments, one for latte-style milk, and the other for cappuccino, and boasts a three cup capacity for making multiple drinks at once. The removable jug, whisk attachments, and lid are all dishwasher safe as well. 

The Milk Cafe is not just for frothing milk for coffee beverages or hot chocolate, with the user manual providing recipes for drinks like mulled wine, buttered rum, and Irish coffee that can be made in the machine. While the Breville Milk Cafe is on the pricier side, it provides users with a high-quality experience and a precise control over temperature that most milk frothers do not have.

If there is one thing that luxury appliance brand Smeg gets right, it's the design of their retro-inspired products. Unique and charming, the Smeg Milk Frother is sure to capture attention while sitting on your kitchen counter. However, the Smeg is more than just a pretty exterior with a sturdy build and numerous features to provide the perfect milk foam for your drinks. BBC Good Food listed the Smeg Milk Frother as one of the best frothers on the market, stating that even though it comes at a pretty price, it's very high quality (and of course they mentioned it looks good too).

This frother comes with six different preset options: hot froth light, hot froth dense, cold froth light, cold froth dense, hot milk, and hot chocolate. It can also be used in Hot Manual and Cold Manual settings, where the milk is frothed (and heated in Hot Manual) until you stop the machine, or until it reaches the maximum temperature recommended. It froths up to 8.5 fluid ounces of milk, and is able to heat 20 fluid ounces without froth — allowing for multiple drinks to be made at once — and the frothing jug, whisks, and lid are all dishwasher safe. The Smeg Milk Frother combines aesthetic appeal with versatile and practical functions to make it worth its price. If you love Smeg's retro-charm and want a well-built and efficient frother, you might want to splurge on this one.