The 6 Best Milk Frothers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Nov 03, 2024

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We tested 22 manual, handheld, and countertop milk frothers to find our favorites.

Cindy is a freelance writer and editor whose career began in cookbook publishing. An expert in bakeware, cookbooks, and kitchen organization for Food & Wine, she has reviewed over 25 vacuums, 23 steak knives, and dozens of baking tools, such as cookie sheets, silicone utensils, and proofing baskets.

In This Article

Food & Wine / Russel Kilgore

With so many pieces of coffee gear to choose from, it can be hard to determine what you need to make a delicious cup. But whether you’re loyal to your pour-over coffee maker, drip coffee maker, or espresso machine, we recommend you pick up a milk frother. The best milk frother can turn any cup of coffee into a specialty cappuccino, latte, or macchiato. Plus, the milk frother is useful for amping up non-coffee drinks like hot chocolate and matcha, and blending protein powders to perfection — and it has a few more clever uses beyond beverages.

We tested 22 highly rated milk frothers of every size and design to see which performed best. We made foams and froths both cold and hot, evaluating key factors like usability, design, and texture to determine the best milk frothers for morning lattes and so much more. Keep scrolling for our list of the best milk frothers for barista-level coffee drinks without leaving the house.

There are three main types of milk frothers, each with its own advantages.

This double-whisk milk frother is inexpensive, easy to clean, comfortable to hold, and created a nice foam with various liquids.

The whisk attachments don't always click in securely and are prone to falling out during use.

This milk frother is a winner in our books for so many reasons. For starters, you’ll notice that it has a pair of wire rings at the end attachment compared to the single one on most competitors. The double-whisk action made a real difference during testing, creating a nice glossy foam with whole milk and a silky, structured foam with oat milk. It also produced an inch and a half of foam atop a mug of hot chocolate. We felt the dual rings aerated liquids much more quickly than many of the other frothers we tested, and for the price it just couldn't be beat.

The ElitaPro received our highest possible score in the design category, as it's very light with a comfortable grip, and it comes in 17 different colors. The whisk cleans easily with a quick buzz in a glass of soapy water, a rinse, and then another buzz to dry. We liked the little stand included to prop it up next to your coffee equipment. Plus, it comes with an extra egg beater attachment for omelets and similar dishes. Our one complaint is that the attachments can fall out in use if they're not properly secured.

Type: Handheld electric | Self-Heating: No | Dimensions: 9.45 x 2.52 x 2.44 inches | Weight: 5 ounces

This versatile device can create cold foam, hot froth, or just heat up coffee and tea.

It's expensive compared to a handheld model, and it can be tricky to secure the oblong whisk.

The people behind the Instant Pot are great at efficient and multifunctional design, so it's not a big surprise that the brand's milk frother does more than just froth milk. It's also effectively a mug warmer, able to simply heat your coffee or tea as well as to create hot or cold, thick or thin foam.

In all our tests, the Instant machine shined. With whole milk, the froth held up over time and kept its integrity on top of hot coffee, and with oat milk, the airy foam didn’t deflate after pouring. During our cold foam test, the result was a very stable and silky texture, ideal for latte art — especially since this frother has a narrow and accurate pour spout. And the hot chocolate results were perhaps our favorite: We got a rich treat as creamy as a milkshake. On the extra-frothy setting, the Instant performed so well that it overflowed our cup!

"I got the Instant frother during a sale event, and I really like it," says Food & Wine associate commerce editor Arnesia Young. "I mainly bought it to experiment with making tea lattes, but I love its versatility and the fact that it can froth and warm your milk. I usually set it to froth while my tea steeps, and it's done by the time or before my tea's ready, which is convenient. It's also easy to clean. Just be careful not to wet any of the electrical components."

This machine is more expensive than most handheld versions (including the ElitaPro above), but it's also a lot more capable — and during testing, the Instant stood out among countertop frothers as the most versatile. Really the only design or performance issue we encountered in testing was getting the inner whisk properly seated. The oblong shape takes a few tries to get the hang of.

Type: Countertop electric | Self-Heating: Yes | Capacity: 10 ounces | Dimensions: 4.7 x 8.25 inches | Weight: 1.7 pounds

This high-performing, high-design machine can heat and foam a large volume of liquid at once.

It’s louder and more expensive than other countertop models.

With a futuristic and compact design, Bodum's electric milk frother takes up very little space despite holding more than any of the other countertop models on our list. More importantly, this machine performed well in every test, making tight, stable foam that held well together after pouring.

In our cold foam test, it delivered silky, tight-bubbled pourable foam, and with hot chocolate, it created a milkshake-like texture. This frother made some of the best foam of testing; all the bubbles were tight and very glossy. It can heat and froth separately or do both together, though it doesn't have multiple texture options like the Instant above.

The cup, lid, and whisk parts are all dishwasher-safe, so the Bodum Bistro was one of the easiest frothers to clean during testing. A trade-off is that it makes more noise and costs more money than the other countertop models we tested. However, if you want to froth multiple batches at once, we think the high capacity is worth a few extra dollars and a few seconds of loudness.

Type: Countertop electric | Self-Heating: Yes | Capacity: 13.5 ounces | Dimensions: 4.1 x 8.3 inches | Weight: 1.86 pounds

This powerful frother makes a tight, high-quality foam, hot or cold, and it's even dishwasher-safe.

It's expensive, and the highest heat setting can scorch hot chocolate and other creamy beverages.

Whether or not you've invested in a high-end Nespresso coffee machine, the brand's milk frother is about as fancy as it gets. The gadget whips up a tight foam that holds its structure perfectly, and the comfortable handle makes it easy to make latte art right in your cup. It's quite powerful, bringing hot chocolate to 137°F at the lower of its two heat settings. Just be very careful on high; Nespresso claims a maximum of 158°F, which could potentially overheat milk and created burnt flavors in our hot chocolate test.

You have many options, including making dense or airy foams, heating without frothing, or both. During our cold foam test, the Nespresso whipped up foam that held its shape for 5 minutes with no deflating or air pockets — better than almost any other frother we tested.

Another big advantage of the Aeroccino4 is that essentially the whole thing is dishwasher-safe; there's no need to scrub the chrome pitcher and lid. However, it's also pretty pricey, more than double the cost of the already-expensive Instant above.

Type: Countertop electric | Self-Heating: Yes | Capacity: 8 ounces | Dimensions: 4.3 x 7.4 inches | Weight: 1.9 pounds

This battery-powered milk frother can make you a proper latte at work or on the go.

Its lower power makes for a looser, softer foam than plug-in models.

"This milk frother is unbeatable for small kitchen spaces," says editorial director Megan Soll. "It’s a breeze to clean and operate, and so simple that visiting relatives aren’t even too intimidated to try it. If you’re trying to limit your appliance collection but still want great frothing capabilities, this is an easy option."

The PowerLix looks and works much like our best overall ElitaPro, except it's powered by two AA batteries instead of a wall plug. You can bring it to work to improve less-than-delicious break room coffee, or even take it (and a percolator) on a camping trip for fireside lattes in the morning. In terms of performance, this milk frother created a looser foam with whole milk than with oat. Both held up for less time than with other models; the foam started to dissipate pretty soon after pouring. There's really no way around the fact that you have to sacrifice power for portability. On the other hand, it comes in more than 20 different colors to match even the most demanding of design schemes.

Type: Handheld electric | Self-Heating: No | Dimensions: 2.75 x 9.84 inches | Weight: 5.3 ounces

You can make foam like a barista with this sleek and efficient pump frother.

It didn't do a great job in testing with hot chocolate.

Sometimes, the electric model isn't the right choice. A manual frother doesn't require an outlet or batteries, so it can truly be used anytime, anywhere. This pitcher's manual double-mesh aerator gives you complete control over the texture of your milk, and pumping it takes little effort. It only took about a minute in testing to get a super-stable, glossy, and tight-bubbled foam. Since there aren't any electronics or batteries involved, you can also just toss the whole thing in the dishwasher (keep it on the top rack) to clean.

While great for coffee drinks, the Fino is not ideal for hot chocolate. The aerator doesn't scrape the bottom well enough to incorporate ingredients, and you can't see how well everything is mixed without stopping to remove the lid, and release heat. The Fino performed best during our cold foam test. The bubbles were tiny and ultra-velvety, some of the best we were able to make.

Type: Countertop manual | Self-Heating: No | Capacity: 14 ounces | Dimensions: 5.25 x 6 inches | Weight: 11.2 ounces

We chose the ElitaPro Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother as our overall favorite because of its great price-to-performance ratio, comfortable grip, and easy cleanability. For a more versatile self-heating countertop option, we recommend the Instant 4-in-1 Milk Frother and Steamer and its multitude of options.

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

We tested 22 milk frothers in total for this story, including nine handheld electric frothers, nine countertop electric machines, and four manual models. We put each one through an identical series of tests designed to evaluate all the common ways you might use a milk frother.

We kept the retail prices of the milk frothers secret until after we completed all of our other tests, but the revealed them to rate each model's value in comparison to the whole group and others of the same type. At the time of testing, the most expensive milk frother we tested was $120 and the least expensive was $7, with an average of about $43. In general, handheld electric models were cheapest, followed by the manual frothers and then the countertop electric machines.

To choose the right style of milk frother for you, the first thing to consider is whether you'd like it to be able to heat your drink automatically. If so, a countertop electric frother is the only option. Most self-heating models can heat and froth together or separately, and some have multiple temperature options to choose from. On the downside, these are the priciest type of milk frother.

An electric frother — either countertop or handheld — makes frothing as easy as pushing a button, while a manual model gives you more control over texture at the expense of requiring a little muscle power. Manual milk frothers are small lidded pitchers, with an aerator connected to a plunger you pump up and down to produce foam. The speed and amount of time you aerate determines the final texture, and you can achieve a range from barely bubbly to nearly whipped cream.

If you are limited on counter space or would prefer to simply stuff your frother in a drawer, consider a handheld model. They are often very slim and don't take up much space, and electric power makes creating foam a snap. (Keep in mind that you will have to charge or change the battery every so often if it's cordless.) If portability is high on your list, we suggest a manual or battery-powered hand-held frother. These don't require an outlet and can easily be tucked into an office breakroom drawer or nestled into a backpack for camping.

Both manual and countertop electric models take up more space than a handheld, as they include their own pitcher.

Alternative milks are more popular than ever, and not all milk frothers can handle the varying textures of milk. Be sure to confirm that your frother of choice can handle your preferred type of milk, whether it's traditional dairy or an alternative like oat or almond. For the best possible results when frothing non-dairy milk, look for containers labeled "barista-style" or any type of full-fat alternative milk, as these will be closest to dairy milk.

If you're using dairy milk, the higher the fat content, the better. The fat in milk helps the bubbles retain their shape, so whole milk is best for frothing. You can absolutely use 2% or even skim milk in frothers, but just know the foam won't be quite as velvety and won't last as long.

"A milk frother does just that," says Anthony Contrino, an Emmy-awarded culinary producer and the host of Saucy on Peacock. "It froths milk by whipping or agitating the liquid to create small bubbles." The tiny bubbles create a foam that sits on top of or mixes into various drinks with coffee or tea. The home versions are meant to replicate the foamy milk professional baristas make with the steam wand attached to a professional-level espresso machine.

"It depends on the actual type and brand; some do and some don't," Contrino says. "A handheld device will just agitate the milk, while larger electric varieties will both heat and froth." Most countertop machines have the ability to heat up and can do so independently of frothing, which allows them to make hot, unfoamed milk as well as cold or hot foam.

"Most plant-based milks will froth well, especially those with higher protein and fat content. The more fat, the more luxurious the foam will be," Contrino says. If you choose low-fat or fat-free versions of plant milk, you won't be able to get a great foam, but there are versions specially designed for frothing: Look for ones labeled "extra-rich" or "barista-style." You can also control the viscosity and fat content by producing your own custom blends with a nut milk maker.

A milk frother is great for any cooking job that requires thorough, rapid mixing. It's a great way to disperse grainy ingredients like matcha powder or protein powder in any kind of liquid. A quick buzz in pancake batter can turn the finished product extra-fluffy. If you're making cornstarch slurry to thicken a soup or sauce, a frother can eliminate clumps for a smooth mixture in seconds. You can even use a milk frother to aerate wine, in a sort-of-substitute for a wine decanter.

Rösle Stainless Steel Dual Speed Milk Frother ($40 at Amazon)

This milk frother made an okay foam with whole milk but performed better with oat milk, producing a tighter foam that held. The cold foam was smooth and pourable. It didn't perform as well for hot chocolate, with the mix not being entirely incorporated. It's a good machine, but the price is high for a handheld.

FoodVille MF05 Rechargeable Milk Frother ($20 at Amazon)

This is another good handheld milk frother option, especially for the price. It produced a glossy and tight foam for both oat and whole milk. But the ElitaPro and PowerLix above both did as well or better for a lower price.

Ninja Coffee Bar Easy Milk Frother ($25 at Amazon)

This manual milk frother produced near-perfect results with the different types of milk, and you can even put its glass pitcher in the microwave to make hot foam. It had a lot of trouble mixing the hot chocolate, though.

The milk frothers that finished at the bottom of our list did so for several reasons. Some were too weak to produce a glossy froth or made foam that deflated quickly. Other milk frothers were difficult to clean or awkward to operate. Further models performed okay but cost more than higher-rated competitors. A few of those brands include Zyliss, Zulay, and Keurig, as well as models from Nespresso and Bodum different from the ones above.