We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Shopping Kitchen Products Cooking Tools The 9 Best Milk Frothers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed From smooth hot chocolate to foamy cappuccinos, these frothers will turn anyone into an at-home barista. By Rachel Center Rachel Center Rachel covers all aspects of the home space and tests products to find the best for consumers. When she's not writing, you can find her streaming, hiking, and decorating. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Jamie Fischer Jamie Fischer Jamie Fischer is a commerce writer for Real Simple. She has experience writing content for various digital publications including Parents, and is passionate about home, lifestyle, and beauty products. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 15, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews Final Verdict Our Testing Process How to Shop More to Consider FAQs Take Our Word for It What Is Real Simple Selects? Photo: Real Simple / Fred Hardy A milk frother is the ideal tool for coffee connoisseurs, enabling you to achieve that picturesque foam found barista-made cafe cappuccinos and lattes from your own kitchen. “For at-home coffee drinkers who don’t have an accessible steam wand, a milk frother can be a cheap and easy way to make frothy, airy foam to accompany their beverage,” says Jiyoon Han, certified Q Grader and owner of Bean & Bean Coffee Roasters. The best milk frothers produce small, tight, and consistent bubbles that give a silky texture and sweet taste but also uphold their shape for longer than just a few minutes. To help you choose the best milk frother, we tested 26 models in our Lab, assessing them on usability, design, performance, and range of features. In addition to Han, we also spoke to two other coffee experts to get their input on what makes the best milk frothers: Bailey Manson, director of innovation at Intelligentsia Coffee, and Josey Markiewicz, senior director of coffee quality at La Colombe. Our Top Picks Best Overall Milk Frother: SALE ElitaPro Double Whisk Milk Frother at Amazon $22 $15 Jump to Review Best Rechargeable Milk Frother: FoodVille USB Rechargeable Milk Frother at Amazon $20 Jump to Review Best Portable Milk Frother: Golde Superwhisk at Golde.co $25 Jump to Review Best Milk Frother for Hot Chocolate: Zyliss Handheld Electric Milk Frother at Amazon $12 Jump to Review Best Milk Frother for Cold Foam: Ninja Coffee Bar Easy Milk Frother at Amazon $20 Jump to Review Best Milk Frother for Non-Dairy Milk : SALE Rösle Dual Speed Frother at Amazon $40 $32 Jump to Review Best Manual Milk Frother: HIC Fino Milk Frother at Amazon $26 Jump to Review Best Automatic Milk Frother: SALE Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother at Amazon $83 $50 Jump to Review Most Versatile Milk Frother: SALE Instant 4-in-1 Milk Frother and Steamer at Amazon $50 $35 Jump to Review Best Overall Milk Frother ElitaPro Double Whisk Milk Frother PHOTO: Amazon $15 at Amazon What Stands Out The budget-friendly frother works well for every type of liquid, especially oat milk. What Could Be Improved You have to hold the power button during the entire frothing process. This little milk frother from ElitaPro sure packs a punch, as it successfully produced delectable foam for every one of the liquids we tested. The whole milk foam was shiny and glossy, while the foam from the oat milk had a silky smooth consistency. Although both milk foam types performed well during our testing, it was the oat milk’s very tight, small bubbles that particularly stood out to us, enabling it to hold up better over time. If you’re someone who opts for oat milk with their coffee, this product is the best option. As for cold foam, this milk frother produced stiff peaks that maintained their height and shape during our tests. We were also able to mix our hot chocolate quite well, with the end result being a thick, velvety foam. We can attribute this excellent performance to the product’s double whisks. You can keep this tool in a drawer or upright on your counter with the help of the included stand. The package also comes with a separate whisk attachment and is available in multiple colors, including baby blue. The one thing we didn’t like about the ElitePro Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother is that you do have to hold the power button down the entire time you use it, which may get frustrating depending on the task. Type: Handheld | Power Source: Batteries | Care: Hand wash Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Best Rechargeable Milk Frother FoodVille USB Rechargeable Milk Frother PHOTO: Amazon $20 at Amazon What Stands Out It can last for a month on one charge. What Could Be Improved The foam may deflate within a few minutes. The coolest part about this handheld milk frother is that it doesn’t require batteries. Instead, you charge it via USB, a feature that Markiewicz recommends people look out for when shopping for a handheld milk frother. Once fully charged, the milk frother can work for up to a month until it runs out of power again. Other convenient features of this milk frother include a stand, a second frother head that resembles a traditional whisk, and two speed levels. We absolutely loved the USB charging capabilities but found that the performance of this handheld milk frother varied in our tests. Frothing both the whole milk and the oat milk resulted in small glossy foam that consisted of tight, small bubbles. After about a few minutes, however, both foams ended up deflating. This FoodVille model did better with cold foam, as that foam was able to keep its shape as well as maintain a silky texture. We were also able to mix our hot chocolate well and produce foam, but on the product’s low speed setting, the milk overflowed in our cup. With all of that said, this is still a fantastic option for multitaskers and people on the go who need a milk frother that can easily power up and be ready exactly when they need it. Type: Handheld | Power Source: USB | Care: Hand wash Real Simple / Fred Hardy Best Portable Milk Frother Golde Superwhisk PHOTO: Golde $25 at Golde.co What Stands Out Its compact design is ideal for travel, and it has two fast speed settings. What Could Be Improved It’s a bit heavy to hold. The travel-friendly Golde Superwhisk is a solid option for people who like to make their own coffee, regardless of where they are. You can pop it in your purse and take it to the office or bring it with you on vacation so your homemade coffees are always an option. This portability is made possible thanks to the frother’s small size and convenient travel case. On the other hand, we did find this milk frother to be a bit heavier than others we tested. Although small, this little machine sure has a lot of power—the Superwhisk gets its name from its speed settings. Unlike other milk frothers that feature a low and high setting, this one offers a fast and superfast one. These fast settings created glossy foams when mixing warm and cold whole milk, and formed a small, tight-bubbled foam while mixing oat milk. The foams, however, did fall within the first five minutes, and the whole milk actually started to fall after just a minute. It performed better with our hot chocolate, resulting in a fully mixed drink with a nice layer of foam. Type: Handheld | Power Source: USB | Care: Hand wash Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Best Milk Frother for Hot Chocolate Zyliss Handheld Electric Milk Frother PHOTO: Sur la Table $12 at Amazon $13 at Sur La Table What Stands Out This no-frills frother produces a small but consistent amount of foam. What Could Be Improved It doesn’t produce large quantities of foam. People usually think of milk frothers as a tool for coffee drinks, but they’re also great to use when creating a cup of hot chocolate. The speed of an electric frother allows for a more incorporated hot cocoa mix and gives you the ability to create foam, resulting in an overall creamier drink. The Zyliss Milk Frother is the tool to create the perfect cup of hot chocolate with. We found that its head design made for an especially even mix, and created an inch of foam with a consistency of small bubbles (exactly what we were looking for). You can also use this device to create foam for your coffee drinks. It produced small-bubbled foam with whole milk that was glossy and tight after the initial pour (though it deflated almost completely after five minutes). This Zyliss model also produced a very silky foam during our cold foam test. The foam only lost about 1/8 of its shape after five minutes, which is impressive compared to other frothers we tested. However, it didn’t produce a sizable amount of foam during our oat milk test. If you’re still interested in trying this frother out, know that it comes with a two-year warranty. Type: Handheld | Power Source: Battery | Care: Hand wash Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Best Milk Frother for Cold Foam Ninja Coffee Bar Easy Milk Frother PHOTO: Amazon $20 at Amazon $20 at Walmart $20 at Home Depot What Stands Out It includes a microwaveable carafe. What Could Be Improved To achieve tight foam, it requires more manual pumping than the manufacturer recommends. Famous for their great blenders, Ninja also created a superb milk frother. In testing, we thought the foam was perfect—nice and silky with tight bubbles—and this was the case for both hot and cold milks. To achieve this, we did veer from the brand’s instructions, using 60 to 70 pumps instead of the recommended 20. This required more work on our end, but we found the end results were totally worth it. The same amount of reps produced similar foam results with oat milk, but it didn't perform as well while making chocolate milk. The carafe can hold 12 ounces of milk and is microwave-friendly, making it super easy to quickly heat up your milk and get going with frothing. Type: Countertop | Power Source: Manual | Care: Dishwasher-safe Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Best Milk Frother for Non-Dairy Milk Rösle Dual Speed Frother PHOTO: Amazon $32 at Amazon $36 at Walmart $40 at Sur La Table What Stands Out This frother produced a tight, long-lasting foam with oat milk. What Could be Improved You have to hold down the power bu Whether you're lactose intolerant or simply prefer the taste, non-dairy milk may be the right choice for you. Even so, finding the perfect frother to tackle these dairy-free alternatives can be challenging. Enter: the Rösle Stainless Steel Dual Frother. With two speed settings, this milk frother performed consistently across the board. It not only produced a smooth, pourable foam with cold whole milk but also stood out in our oat milk tests—the tight bubbles clung together and retained their volume longer than with dairy milk. Despite it's impressive performance with oat milk and cold whole milk, however, the frother fell short when mixing hot chocolate. Though it formed about an inch of foam, it struggled to fully blend the mix into the liquid. This battery-powered frother is very lightweight and easy to hold, though you do have to hold down the power button during operation. Given the ease of use and affordable price, we think this would be a great pick for beginner at-home baristas. The cleaning process proved similarly simple, requiring us to just spin the whisk in soapy water. It also comes with a stand for storage, along with an extra egg whisk. Type: Handheld | Power Source: Battery | Care: Hand wash Best Manual Milk Frother HIC Fino Milk Frother PHOTO: Amazon $23 at Amazon $23 at Walmart What Stands Out It's decorative enough to display on the countertop. What Could Be Improved The stainless steel material doesn’t allow you to view the mixing, making it more difficult to gauge when the process is complete. This milk frother stands out because it can double as a cute little creamer jar that will display well on your kitchen’s countertops. It differs from electric options in that you have to put in more elbow grease to create your own foam—the product promises quality foam with 60 seconds or less of pumping. While the extra work may turn some people off, our testing revealed that this manual option created better foam than some of the electric ones we tested. During our whole milk test, this frother created a super stable foam that was both very tight and glossy. The cold milk foam also came out great, with the resulting foam comparable to what we’d typically see at a coffee shop. The oat milk produced larger bubbles compared to the whole milk but still had an overall good froth. The hot chocolate, on the other hand, didn’t mix well at all, a result we attribute to not being able to see the actual mixing process. Keep this in mind before you buy if you prefer to watch the frothing take place. Type: Countertop | Power Source: Manual | Care: Dishwasher-safe Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Best Automatic Milk Frother Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother PHOTO: Amazon $50 at Amazon $62 at Wayfair $25 at Walmart What Stands Out It’s automatic and requires no manual effort. What Could Be Improved It’s louder than most milk frothers. People who don’t want to put in manual labor of any kind to froth their milk will like this luxurious automatic milk frother from Bodum. It can hold 10 ounces of liquid and heat milk up to 158°F in under a minute. And if you remove the whisk, this Bodum model turns into a milk warmer. The Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother performed well during all of our tests. It consistently produced foam made up of tight, small bubbles that held well in the glasses, regardless of the liquid type. For the hot chocolate, the resulting foam was actually so frothy that it reminded us of a milkshake. The only downside to this automatic milk frother is that it is much louder than others we tested. And even though the price is certainly a lot higher than your average milk frother, we would not only buy this product for ourselves, but we would also recommend it to family and friends. Type: Countertop | Power Source: Electric | Care: Mug and lid are dishwasher-safe Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Real Simple / Russell Kilgore Most Versatile Milk Frother Instant 4-in-1 Milk Frother and Steamer PHOTO: Amazon $35 at Amazon $35 at Target $35 at Walmart What Stands Out With four different settings, this frother allows for a more customized drinking experience. What Could Be Improved The whisk’s oblong shape makes it a bit hard to situate. Some days call for iced coffee, while others require a warm beverage to snuggle up with. With this versatile milk frother, you can craft any coffee beverage you'd like. Unlike more standard models on our list, this device offers an impressive four settings: cold foam, warm thick foam, warm light foam, and hot milk (without foam). It can also hold up to 10 ounces of milk and create 5 ounces of foam. Though the whisk was a bit tedious to situation, switching between settings was a breeze—the machine features an intuitive two-button interface, with one button to change the setting and one to start or cancel the process. The frother excelled with whole milk, producing a silky, consistent foam that held its shape atop our drink. The oat milk foam had larger, looser bubbles, yet we were pleased to see that it didn't deflate and even tightened after the initial pour. Better yet, the machine operated silently, making it suitable for early morning brews. The lid and whisk are dishwasher-safe, and you can clean the inside using non-stick wipes. This is one of the more expensive models on our list, and the variety of settings may not feel necessary for a beginner barista. Still, we think it's advanced capabilities make it well worth the price tag. Type: Countertop | Power Source: Electric | Care: Lid and whisk are dishwasher-safe 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. For a top-performing option you can throw in your bag and take to work, pick up the Golde Superwhisk. 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 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. After using the frothers, we considered how easy each one 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. Real Simple / Russell Kilgore How to Shop for Milk Frothers Like a Pro Drink Type According to Manson, the different types of coffee drinks that require frothed milk traditionally include macchiatos, cappuccinos, flat whites, and lattes. Cappuccinos contain espresso, steamed 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: 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 exert any manual labor to froth their milk, which isn’t the case with manual and electric handheld options. Handheld options do require some effort, 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 notes 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 considered. Automatic milk frothers are always the biggest and will take up as much counter space as small tea kettles. 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 opt for 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. Real Simple / Russell Kilgore 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 warm whole milk and oat milk, and a smooth, pourable foam for cold whole milk. After five minutes, though, the foams started to fall, making the high price seem not worth it. Miroco Milk Frother: We were impressed by this milk frother's ability to produce smooth foam with small, tight bubbles. It particularly excelled with hot chocolate, thoroughly mixing the powder. The foam fell rather quickly, though, and we encountered difficulty repositioning the whisk after cleaning. 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 results with plant-based milks as you would with whole 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 Manson. “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 results in a milk foam with better texture. Real Simple / Russell Kilgore 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 milk with a 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 and updated by Jamie Fischer, a shopping 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. We also spoke to three coffee experts for advice on how to shop for the best milk frothers: Bailey Manson, the director of innovation at Intelligentsia Coffee; Jiyoon Han, certified Q Grader and owner of Bean & Bean Coffee Roasters; and Josey Markiewicz, senior director of coffee quality at La Colombe. What Is Real Simple Selects? Next to each product on this list, you may have noticed a Real Simple Selects seal of approval. Any product appearing alongside that seal has been vetted by our team—put through tests and graded on its performance to earn a spot on our list. Although we buy most of the products we test, sometimes we do get samples from companies if purchasing a product ourselves isn't an option. All products go through the same rigorous process, whether they are purchased or sent by the company. Love our recommendations? Check out more products that have earned the Real Simple Selects, from humidifiers to cordless vacuums.