The 6 Best Milk Frothers for Coffee Aficionados

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.Subminimal//Nespresso/SmegProsStainless steel pitcherAll non-electronic parts are dishwasher safe Can be used for hot chocolate and matcha tooConsNot a lot of room for troubleshooting Instant Pot might not be the first name you think of when you think coffee, but this affordable gadget will change that. The MagicFroth is easy to use, with two buttons that let you set the temperature and froth level between low, medium, and high settings. This makes it easy to get the hang of, although it does lack the depth and nuance that some more expensive machines offer.One of the big advantages of any frother of this style is it can be used to heat up milk for other beverages like hot chocolates or a matcha latte. With that in mind, this is a pretty tremendous value. Plus, the stainless steel pitcher, plastic lid, and whisk all are dishwasher-safe, making cleanup as easy as humanly possible.ProsStriking retro look in a handful of great color optionsOne button operationConsOnly ideal for one drink at a timeNot enough settingsIf you’re really dedicated to the idea of a milk frother, you probably want something that looks good on your countertop. The SMEG mini frother is a one-button smooth operator that has that striking retro ’50s look we’ve come to expect (and sometimes lose our minds over) from the brand. You can choose between hot froth, cold foam, or a warm milk mode, and those are the only choices. That can be a pro or a con depending on what you want from your frother. If you value aesthetics and simplicity, you can’t go wrong with this single-serve milk frother.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsCase for safe storageUSB Rechargeable Modes for mixing and whisking ConsNot as hands-off as the dedicated machinesWe praised this handheld, travel-friendly hand frother in this year’s Esquire gadget awards. It’s small and dead quiet, but has enough power to it to make a decent little milk foam. Plus, it can be quickly disassembled into the storage case to either be safely put away for later or packed into your luggage.It foams—it can even be used as a whisk or mixer with the other two of its three attachments. Use it to whisk your eggs or blend your protein shake in the morning. It can handle it all, and once it runs out of juice just plug it in with a USB-C cable to recharge it in a matter of minutes.ProsA perfect companion to the Vertuo Dishwasher safeFour milk settingsConsRequires manual cleaningPeople love their Nespressos, and the Aeroccino matches the performance and aesthetic of most machines. If you have an original Nespresso or Vertuo machine and want to elevate your pod drinks with some latte art, well, this is the next step. Four different touch buttons get you to any of the four settings: cold frothed milk, airy frothed milk, silkier frothed milk, and just straight up warmed milk. It’s just the one compartment, so it’s not dishwasher safe. You’ll be cleaning by hand and rinsing by hand between batches too. It’s a little more hassle than some of these other machines in the long run.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsEasy to cleanPrecise temperature controlEnough for three to four beverages per batchConsTakes up a lot of counter spaceIf you have a family of latte lovers, you might need something with a bit more capacity for foaming multiple drinks’ worth of milk at once. That something is the stainless steel Breville Café Milk Frother. It’s a high-capacity frother that can hold about double what the average one does.For control freaks, Breville's milk frother has the most amount of options for you to play with. You can dial in the exact temperature of your foam, which most other models don't let you do. Plus, the top half comes out, and you can just put it in the dishwasher. Despite its size, this makes it easier to clean than pretty much any other model out there.ProsHas a setting dedicated to plant milksLooks great on the counterIf, like me, you just can’t do whole milk in your lattes anymore (or ever), you want a machine that will do just as good a job with any alternative. Be it oat, almond, or any plant milk of your choice, you want to be able to put anything in your frother and have it whip up a delicious foam. This De’Longhi frother has a button dedicated to it (as well as one dedicated to cold foam). It also happens to be the second-best-looking option on this list.