The 7 Best Milk Frothers of 2023, According to Our Tests

Final Verdict

Overall, we recommend the ElitaPro Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother for its ability to create a smooth foam that holds its shape with a variety of milk types, its low price, and extra features, including a stand that can be displayed on your kitchen countertop.

Our Testing Process

We tested 26 different milk frothers and assessed them on usability, design, and performance. We followed the manufacturer's instructions for making foam out of whole milk and oat milk that we could add to our lattes. For this test, we evaluated the quality of the foam produced by the milk frothers by volume, bubbles (small, tight bubbles are best for lattes), and whether or not it kept its shape throughout our testing.

We then did the same for our cold whole milk, and noted whether or not it was pourable from the glass we were working in. We also made hot chocolate with our milk frothers, evaluating if they could adequately mix our ingredients as well as produce a frothy foam. We also considered how easy each frother was to clean and if it had any additional features that made the process of frothing easier and more convenient. We took all this into account to come up with the best milk frothers.

How to Shop for Milk Frothers Like a Pro

Drink Type

According to Manson, coffee drinks that require frothed milk traditionally include macchiatos, cappuccinos, flat whites, and lattes. Cappuccinos contain espresso, steam milk, and milk foam while lattes and flat whites have the same ingredients but require a smaller layer of foam on top. Macchiatos consist of a shot of espresso with foamy milk on top. However, both Manson and Han strongly encourage people to make their coffee however they want, regardless of whether it veers from the traditional drink recipes. "Coffee is a matter of preference," Han says. "Use your milk frother to your liking in customizing your own coffee drink."

If you are making coffee drinks with foamed milk occasionally, it's best to go with a lower-cost milk frother, which is usually an electric handheld or manual model. If you are making these types of drinks every day, consider splurging on an automatic milk frother that does all the work for you.

Frother Type

There are three types of milk frothers available, including automatic, handheld, and manual. Automatic milk frothers do all the work for you—all you have to do is turn the machine on and/or select a setting, if multiple setting options are available, and your milk will be frothed to your liking. This is a great option for people who don't want to do any manual labor to get their milk frothed, which isn't the case with manual and electric handheld options. Handheld options do require some work, as you have to hold the wand, which has a whisk attached at the end, to froth your milk. Manual options require you to pump the mechanism up and down to achieve frothy milk.

"If you're looking for fast and easy, I'd go with the manual type," says Markiewicz. "Don't waste your money on any plug-in model that will take up space on the countertop, unless you want your milk electronically heated as well." He also tells us that if you have a French press at home, you actually don't need to buy a separate tool to froth milk. "It's very literally the exact same thing [as a manual option]. Just fill your French press with enough milk to cover the plunger and plunge rapidly until the desired texture is achieved."

Space

Luckily, milk frothers don't take up as much space in your kitchen as other appliances and tools. However, there are milk frothers that are larger than others, and if you have a small kitchen, space definitely needs to be taken into consideration. Automatic milk frothers are always the biggest and will take up as much counter space as a small tea kettle. Meanwhile, manual ones can be as big as a small French press or a milk creamer and are much easier to store in cabinets. Those without a lot of counter or storage space should get a handheld milk frother. These models are so small that they can be as big as a fork, so you can easily fit them in a drawer with your other utensils.

More Milk Frothers to Consider

Nespresso Aeroccino 4 Milk Frother: This pricey milk frother allows you to choose the foam type based on your coffee drink. This product produced tight foam with our warm whole milk and oat milk and a "smooth, pourable" foam for our cold whole milk. After five minutes, though, the foams started to fall, making the high price seem not worth it.

Instant Pot Instant Milk Frother: Our tester told us that this automatic milk frother produced a good froth for the whole and oak milk as well as a "very stable, silky foam" for the cold whole milk. It can hold up to ten ounces of milk, create five ounces of foam, and has four settings ideal for different types of coffee drinks.

Questions You Might Ask

What is the best milk to use with milk frothers?

All three of our experts agree that whole milk makes for the best milk foam. This has to do with the fats and proteins present in this type of milk. It doesn't mean that milk alternatives won't produce solid foam, though. We used oat milk during our testing and were pleased to discover that we were able to produce delectable foam with some milk frothers. In our preliminary research we found that oat milk is one of the better alternative milks to use for frothing, which is why we used it during our testing.

Despite this, you still won't get the same result with whole milk as you would with plant-based milks. "Most other alternative milks just don't have the perfect balance of, and types of, protein and fat created by the natural world," says Manon. "Most alternative milks have few solids, low protein, larger proteins, and less viscous fats. It's more difficult to create microfoam, which by definition is not only tiny bubbles but is stabilized by the proteins and hydrated by the fats."

If you still want, or need, to use a plant-based milk to create your foam, get ones that are labeled "barista series", or something similar. Barista series milks, according to Markiewicz, feature added oil to make up for the lack of fat in the plant-based milk. The addition of that oil increases the fat content, which will result in a milk foam with better texture.

How should properly foamed milk taste and feel?

According to Markiewicz, frothed milk should be "velvety, rich, and smooth, with a silken feel and a pronounced sweetness." Manson adds that that sweetness should not have a caramel-like taste to it, because when milk is heated too high, it can start to caramelize and ultimately burn.

In terms of how your frothed milk should look, Han says that "small, consistent bubbles" are what you should try to achieve. However, she is keen to point out that no matter what type of at-home milk frother you have, it simply won't replicate the quality you'll get at coffee shops. That's because steam wands, which coffee shops use to heat up and froth milk, are better at creating milk foam, especially foam that is compatible for making latte art. If you're dead set on having cafe-quality milk foam, or like to experiment with latte art on your at-home coffee drinks, you should get an espresso machine with a built-in steam wand instead.

How do I properly froth my milk with my milk frother?

It depends on the type of milk frother you have. Since each type operates differently, it's best to refer to the instructions laid out in your owner's manual first before you do anything. If you're still feeling a little lost, consider the following tips our experts gave us. Han says that for handheld milk frothers, you want to be able to create a vortex that you can see. Manson echoes this, telling us that "if the foamer [frother] is not submerged enough or if they are not making a whirlpool, they will make giant bubbles that are very difficult to get rid of."

Another mistake Manson says people make with milk frothers is not frothing in a large enough vessel. "It's very difficult to foam milk in a pitcher smaller than 12 ounces, and it's extremely difficult to foam less than four fluid ounces in a pitcher that small," he says. "So if you want a macchiato you sort of still need to overdo it with the milk."

Take Our Word for It

This article was written by Rachel Center, a product reviews home writer for Real Simple. We researched the best milk frothers and tested 26 of the most popular in our Lab, evaluating them on usability, design, performance, and range of features. She also spoke to three coffee experts, including Bailey Manson, the Director of Innovation at Intelligentsia Coffee, Jiyoon Han, a certified Q Grader and owner of Bean & Bean Coffee Roasters, and Josey Markiewicz, Senior Director of Coffee Quality at La Colombe, for advice on how to shop for the best milk frothers.

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