What does a milk frother do?

"A milk frother does just that," says Anthony Contrino, an Emmy-awarded culinary producer and the host of Saucy on NBCUniversal's streaming platform Peacock. "It froths milk by whipping or agitating the liquid to create small bubbles." The tiny bubbles create a thick foam that rises to the top of either hot or cold dairy-based beverages.

Do milk frothers heat milk?

"It depends on the actual type and brand; some do and some don't. A handheld device will just agitate the milk, while larger electric varieties will both heat and froth," Contrino says.

Can you froth almond milk, oat milk, and coconut milk?

"Most plant-based milks will froth well, especially those with higher protein and fat contents. The more fat, the more luxurious the foam will be," Contrino says. If you choose low-fat or fat-free versions of plant milks, you will get minimal foaming, but there are also plant-based milks that are specially designed for foaming. Look for ones labeled extra-rich or barista-style.

We Tested the Best Milk Frothers for Velvety-Smooth Results—Here Are Our Winners

With so many different coffee makers and accessories to choose from, it can be hard to determine what you really need to make a delicious cup of coffee. But whether you’re a pour-over coffee person or a drip coffee devotee, one of the tools we recommend is the milk frother. This inexpensive device takes boring cups of coffee to specialty drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, and macchiatos. Plus, the milk frother is useful for amping up non-coffee drinks, like hot chocolate and matcha, and blending supplement powders to perfection.

We put more than 20 highly-rated milk frothers to the test to see which ones perform the best, evaluating key factors like usability, design, and the quality of foam produced. Keep reading to learn what models made our list.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

ElitaPro Double Whisk Milk Frother at Amazon

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Best Value:

Instant Pot Instant Milk Frother at Amazon

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Best Splurge:

Nespresso Aeroccino 4 Milk Frother at Amazon

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Best Electric:

Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother at Amazon

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Best Manual:

HIC Fino Milk Frother at Amazon

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Best Set:

PowerLix Handheld Battery Operated Milk Frother at Amazon

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4.8

ElitaPro Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother

Amazon

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Pros: This double-whisk milk frother is easy to clean, comfortable to use, affordable, and creates a nice foam with various liquids.

Cons: Due to its lightweight design, the whisk stick is prone to falling off, meaning you’ll want to err on the side of caution.

This milk frother is a winner in our books for so many reasons. For starters, you’ll notice that compared to other handheld frothers, this model has not one but two whisks at the end. One of our testers said that “the double-whisk action makes a difference” and that it created a nice, glossy foam with whole milk and a silky, structured foam with oat milk. Plus, the frother performs well with more than just coffee drinks. We also found that the double whisk does a great job of mixing hot chocolate, observing that it produced a nice 1.5 inches of froth.

The frother received the highest score possible in the design category, with one tester praising it for being “very light with a comfortable grip.” Be careful, though, because the light design with high power means that the whisk may pop off if not secured properly. When you’re all done whisking, cleaning is a cinch: All you have to do is spin it in soapy water, rinse, and spin again to dry. There’s even an included stand to prop it up next to your coffee machine when not in use.

Price at time of publish: $11

Type: Handheld
Heating: No
Capacity: N/A
Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 5.6 ounces

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

Amazon

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Pros: This frother is versatile, user-friendly, and operates quietly.

Cons: It may be tricky to secure the whisk due to its shape.

For being an electric milk frother that does all the work for you, this product comes at an attractive price. You have four programs to choose from, including cold foam, light warm foam, thick warm foam, and warming without foaming. In all our tests, this frother shined. With whole milk, the resulting froth held up over time and held its integrity on top of the coffee, and with oat milk, the froth didn’t deflate after its initial pour. During our cold foam test, the result was “very stable” and “silky.” So what about hot chocolate? Our tester noted that the frother “created a highly frothy drink that was creamy like a milkshake.”

Even while the milk frother is working hard, you can expect a “whisper-quiet operation.” The only slight drawback we found was that because the inner whisk is oblong in shape, it may take a little more effort to put into place, but that’s something you’ll get the hang of over time. Want to get a little fancy? The frother’s narrow spout is helpful for latte art.

Price at time of publish: $50

Type: Electric
Heating: Yes
Capacity: 9.8 ounces
Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.7 x 8.25 inches
Weight: 1.7 pounds

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

4.2

Amazon

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Pros: You can turn your coffee into a work of art with this easy-to-hold, dishwasher-safe frother that makes a tight, high-quality foam.

Cons: You’ll want to go easy on the heat when using this one with hot chocolate.

Willing to splurge? It doesn’t get much better than this milk frother. The gadget whips up a tight foam that holds its structure perfect for latte art, and its comfortable handle makes it easy to pour your decoration right into your cup. The milk frother can successfully heat liquids up; in our tests, we measured hot chocolate that reached 137°F. However, be careful since going up to the second heat setting could run the risk of burning the beverage.

While this model requires more counter space than others, it’s not a big obtrusion overall since it’s very quiet. To top it off, cleanup is easy because you can put the frother in the dishwasher, and the whisk’s design makes things even easier: One tester said, “the whisk is magnetized, so it almost seats itself.”

Price at time of publish: $120

Type: Electric
Heating: Yes
Capacity: 8.1 ounces
Dimensions: 7.08 x 7.08 x 8.26 inches
Weight: 1.9 pounds

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food and Wine / Russell Kilgore

4.5

Amazon

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Pros: This high-performing, attractive milk frother can be counted on for consistent results at the push of a button.

Cons: It’s louder than other options.

With a futuristic design, this compact electric milk frother takes up very little space on your countertop. More importantly, our testers noted that the “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 cold foam, and with hot chocolate, it created a milkshake-like drink. So regardless of what you use this frother for, you can expect excellent results.

As easy as it is to use, it’s also easy to clean. You can just pop the top off, put it in the dishwasher, and then wipe out the nonstick interior (the whisk is simple to take on and off too). The one trade-off with this milk frother is that it is a bit louder than other options, but a few seconds of noise is a small price to pay for the high-quality foam you’ll get each time.

Price at time of publish: $83

Type: Electric
Heating: Yes
Capacity: 13.5 ounces
Dimensions: 4.25 x 4.25 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 1.86 pounds

4.8

Amazon

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Pros: You can make foam like a barista with this sleek, well-priced frother that may be manual but doesn’t take much work.

Cons: This one isn’t the best for mixing hot chocolate.

If you prefer a manual model, this shiny, stainless steel frother functions by you pumping the built-in double-mesh aerator — and only takes about a minute. When using it with regular milk, the foam turned out super-stable with very tight constructed bubbles featuring high gloss. Overall, our testers said this appliance is “perfect for cold foam and frothing with a barista-like prowess.”

While great for coffee drinks, it’s not ideal for hot chocolate because you can’t see once everything is thoroughly mixed, and the aerator doesn’t scrape the bottom well enough to incorporate the cocoa mix. Since there aren’t electronics or batteries, you can throw it in the dishwasher to clean (just keep it on the top rack). Otherwise, rinse and let air dry until it’s time for another beverage.

Price at time of publish: $23

Type: Manual
Heating: No
Capacity: 14 ounces
Dimensions: 5.25 x 3.625 x 4.25 inches
Weight: 0.59 pounds

Fino HIC Frother — Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

4.3

PowerLix Handheld Battery Operated Milk Frother

Walmart

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Pros: You get a pitcher, latte art stencils, and a stand with this quiet, ergonomic milk frother.

Cons: The foam sometimes comes out looser, so it doesn’t always hold up for long.

For under $30, consider getting this milk frother set. In addition to the handheld frothing wand with a soft grip, it includes a 12-ounce metal pitcher for mixing and pouring and a template with three different decoration stencils. If a delicious layer of froth wasn’t enough to spice up your coffee, dusting a cocoa powder heart or a cinnamon snowflake on top will do the trick.

In terms of performance, this frother created a looser foam with the whole milk but produced tighter bubbles with the oat milk. You can knock cleaning out in a matter of seconds: Just spin the milk frother in soapy water, rinse, and give it another spin to dry.

Price at time of publish: $27

Type: Handheld
Heating: No
Capacity: N/A
Dimensions: 9.7 x 0.8 x 0.8 inches
Weight: 3.52 ounces

PowerLix Milk Frother — Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

Our Favorite

We chose the Elita Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother as our overall favorite because of its great price-to-performance ratio, comfortable grip, and easy cleanability. For an electric option, we love the Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother since it consistently delivers top results with almost zero effort.

The Tests

In our test kitchen, we performed side-by-side testing on 22 top-rated milk frothers. First, we used each milk frother to create microfoam for a latte using whole milk as well as oat milk, assessing the quality of the foam produced. Then, we further tested the products’ foam quality using skim milk to make cold foam. In additional tests, we checked the versatility of each milk frother when used with hot chocolate as well as the general ease of cleaning. Overall, the testers scored the milk frothers 1 through 5, with 5 being the highest, based on usability, design, and performance.

Keurig Standalone Frother — Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

Factors to Consider

Types of Milk Frothers

There are three main types of milk frothers: manual, handheld/stick, and electric/countertop. A manual milk frother doesn’t have any sort of electric or battery components and looks similar to a French press. With this type of milk frother, you push the appliance’s perforated plunger up and down to introduce air into the milk. Powered by batteries or a charger, a handheld or stick milk frother looks like a small wand featuring a mini whisk at the end that spins quickly once the device is turned on. An electric milk frother is a larger battery-operated device you set on your countertop. With this one, you add milk inside and simply push a button to start whisking and creating the foam.

Preferred Drinks

Milk frothers are often used to make barista-style cappuccinos, flat whites, and lattes at home if you don’t have an espresso machine with a steam attachment. They can also help produce extra-special hot chocolate or frothy chocolate milk and create a sweet foam that can be a fun garnish for a dessert.

Cleaning

In general, you should follow the instructions that came with your unit. Many frothers have dishwasher-safe parts, but if they have a nonstick coating, you will always get a longer life out of them by hand-washing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a milk frother do?

"A milk frother does just that," says Anthony Contrino, an Emmy-awarded culinary producer and the host of Saucy on NBCUniversal's streaming platform Peacock. "It froths milk by whipping or agitating the liquid to create small bubbles." The tiny bubbles create a thick foam that rises to the top of either hot or cold dairy-based beverages.
Do milk frothers heat milk?

"It depends on the actual type and brand; some do and some don't. A handheld device will just agitate the milk, while larger electric varieties will both heat and froth," Contrino says.
Can you froth almond milk, oat milk, and coconut milk?

"Most plant-based milks will froth well, especially those with higher protein and fat contents. The more fat, the more luxurious the foam will be," Contrino says. If you choose low-fat or fat-free versions of plant milks, you will get minimal foaming, but there are also plant-based milks that are specially designed for foaming. Look for ones labeled extra-rich or barista-style.

What Didn’t Make the List

Strong Contenders

Rösle Stainless Steel Dual Speed Frother ($40 at Amazon)
FoodVille MF05 Rechargeable Milk Frother ($19 at Amazon)
Golde Superwhisk ($24 at Golde)
Ninja Coffee Bar Easy Milk Frother ($26 at Amazon)

Results Still Simmering

Zyliss Milk Frother ($12 at Sur La Table)
Secura Detachable Milk Frother ($60 at Amazon)
Miroco Stainless Steel Milk Steamer ($47 at Walmart)
Aerolatte Milk Frother ($30 at Amazon)
Nespresso Aeroccino 3 Milk Frother ($99 at Amazon)
Vava Electric Milk Frother ($30 at Walmart)

Low Performers

Capresso Froth Max Milk Frother ($60 at Amazon)
Zulay Original Handheld Milk Frother ($22 at Amazon)
Keurig Standalone Frother ($80 at Target)
Bodum Manual Milk Frother ($36 at Amazon)
Bodum Schiuma Milk Frother ($10 at Target)
Bellman Stovetop Steamer ($112 at Prima Coffee Equipment)

Our Expertise

Cindy Brzostowski is a freelance writer and avid home cook who has previous experience in cookbook publishing. Her writing has been featured in Allrecipes, Blue Apron, The Kitchn, and EatingWell among other publications. To determine the best milk frothers, she used data and insights from Food & Wine editors who tested 22 of the most popular models on the market.