I see quite a few coffee oriented threads posted here and this question is related.
I use my old fashioned Moka Express expresso maker to make lattes at home.
Last year I bought an inexpensive milk frother on Amazon for ~$16 "Frothy Hand Mixer and Milk Frother by Cafe Casa". However, it only works about 75% of the time despite fairly glowing Amazon reviews (which makes me skeptical). The battery compartment gets rusty which I think is part of the problem.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good milk frother that will be more reliable long term? I'm looking for something simple and separate vs. some of the fancy machines out there that do everything.
We use one of these in the motorhome. There are several brands of these Chinese products all made in the same factory. It works pretty well. Not as well as our high end home espresso machine, of course. One complaint my wife has is that it shuts off before it gets quite hot enough for her taste. But it’s brain dead simple to use, easy to clean, puts up with the abuse the motorhome inflicts on everything. And it’s $40.
We use an old cheap French press to froth whole milk that has been heated on stove. Heat milk until bubbles form on the edges of the pot (3 minutes for 2 cups of milk on our stove) then fill the French press a little less then half way and pump up and down. A count of 20-30 works for us. We have been doing this for years. We also have a Capresso milk frother, but like the foam from the French press better. Using the Capresso takes just about the same amount of time as the heat milk/French press method, but requires less attention. The wands are good for travel, but they go through batteries very quickly and make a mess if--make that when-- you get distracted.
Puakinekine wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2020 2:54 pm
We use an old cheap French press to froth whole milk that has been heated on stove. Heat milk until bubbles form on the edges of the pot (3 minutes for 2 cups of milk on our stove) then fill the French press a little less then half way and pump up and down. A count of 20-30 works for us. We have been doing this for years. We also have a Capresso milk frother, but like the foam from the French press better. Using the Capresso takes just about the same amount of time as the heat milk/French press method, but requires less attention. The wands are good for travel, but they go through batteries very quickly and make a mess if--make that when-- you get distracted.
Thanks! I will have to try this since I have a French press.
The need to frequently change batteries (on top of the rust) is another pet peeve I have with the current one.
We also have a Secura frother. It worked well the first year, but now I'm having issues with cooked milk sticking to the bottom. I've been trying to find a real stand-alone milk steamer wand, like in actual espresso machines, but haven't had much success.
newinvestor84 wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2020 7:37 pm
We also have a Secura frother. It worked well the first year, but now I'm having issues with cooked milk sticking to the bottom. I've been trying to find a real stand-alone milk steamer wand, like in actual espresso machines, but haven't had much success.
Thanks! It seems the Secura frother looks similar to the Miroco Milk Frother that quantAndHold linked to on Amazon above so I will have to check both of these out.
newinvestor84 wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2020 7:37 pm
We also have a Secura frother. It worked well the first year, but now I'm having issues with cooked milk sticking to the bottom. I've been trying to find a real stand-alone milk steamer wand, like in actual espresso machines, but haven't had much success.
Thanks! It seems the Secura frother looks similar to the Miroco Milk Frother that quantAndHold linked to on Amazon above so I will have to check both of these out.
I think the one we have is actually the Secura. I couldn’t find it in my orders (wife must have bought it), but that one looks right.
newinvestor84 wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2020 7:37 pm
We also have a Secura frother. It worked well the first year, but now I'm having issues with cooked milk sticking to the bottom. I've been trying to find a real stand-alone milk steamer wand, like in actual espresso machines, but haven't had much success.
Thanks! It seems the Secura frother looks similar to the Miroco Milk Frother that quantAndHold linked to on Amazon above so I will have to check both of these out.
Over a year ago I managed to pick up an open-box DeLonghi EC155M for $60. It’s one of the least expensive machines with a steam wand. We’ve loved it for making lattes during the year of working from home. Probably not as high-pressure as the $500 machines, but it’s a significant improvement over the “frothers” and much easier to clean.
We use an out of production steam wand-only tool called Cappucino Crazy, often labelled De Longhi brand. They don’t last forever, but I’ve accumulated a few on EBay. Used or new, average price probably $25 plus shipping. I even bought some spare Teflon o-rings for the plastic air-inclusion nozzle, on Amazon. OEM ring seems like silicon rubber.
Note that milk type and age has an effect on results.
crefwatch wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 6:29 am
Note that milk type and age has an effect on results.
I want to put in a plug for Grassmilk. It’s what the name implies, milk from cows that eat what they were intended to eat. It is naturally sweet and has a higher fat content so it will froth better. Other grass fed milk is probably equally good, this product is just easy to source. It does benefit from a good shake before pouring.
After using a handheld frother, I have switched to the type (see above links) that heats and froths milk but that unfortunately needs to be cleaned after each use. The price a husband pays to make his wife’s morning just a little bit nicer (I drink my coffee black).
I bought the Miroco frother about 2 years ago and LOVED it. However, this morning it had no power, even after cleaning contacts, etc. The warranty is only for 12 months, according to the manual.pdf on Walmart site. Secura, which looks idential, has a 2 year warranty, so I am getting that as a replacement. So, the main difference I can tell is that Secura has a better warranty. Also Miroco is Scottsdale, AZ and Secura is Lakeforest, CA. I think both brands, honestly, get the same product from China.
'best' is such a loaded word when talking about consumer goods
a coffee purist will say true coffee milk froth only comes from a full on espresso machine using a boiler to create steam.
the most popular standalone alternative is the Bellman Steamer. It's $100-$200, and based on the same concept with a steam wand as a pressure outlet. It can be fiddly to use if you're not a hobbyist.
my spouse uses a $100 Nespresso Aeroccino which is dead easy to use. It's a mechanical whisk like the handheld ones, except the whisk is fixed to a base which also does the heating, so all you have to do is pour in milk and press a button. the mechanical aeration does not have the same texture of a "true" steamer, but the resulting bubbles are very fine and considered good for most people.
We have used an Aerolatte (Williams Sonoma or Amazon) for many years. Works great. I microwave some milk, whip it for 30 seconds to high froth, then fill the cup with espresso from the Jura machine. Best part is I can just rinse the frother under running water for 30 seconds and put it away.
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SleepyCatzzz wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2025 10:59 am
I bought the Miroco frother about 2 years ago and LOVED it. However, this morning it had no power, even after cleaning contacts, etc. The warranty is only for 12 months, according to the manual.pdf on Walmart site. Secura, which looks idential, has a 2 year warranty, so I am getting that as a replacement. So, the main difference I can tell is that Secura has a better warranty. Also Miroco is Scottsdale, AZ and Secura is Lakeforest, CA. I think both brands, honestly, get the same product from China.
Update: I ordered the Secura, and it came with much better documentation on how to make various coffee drinks, how to clean, etc, but the warranty is, indeed, 2 years limited. It looks totally identical to the Miroco, so short of inspecting the design board inside and comparing chip numbers, I can't say it is different. I also put the new foamer on the old electric pad and it works, so the Miroco motor is what failed. It makes the same incredible foam, though, the best foam I've made vs hand whisks (since it heats) and another brand of similar design with the mug, interior whisk, and electric pad. My brother, visiting from out of state, asked for the link to it.
hunoraut wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:05 am
'best' is such a loaded word when talking about consumer goods
a coffee purist will say true coffee milk froth only comes from a full on espresso machine using a boiler to create steam.
the most popular standalone alternative is the Bellman Steamer. It's $100-$200, and based on the same concept with a steam wand as a pressure outlet. It can be fiddly to use if you're not a hobbyist.
my spouse uses a $100 Nespresso Aeroccino which is dead easy to use. It's a mechanical whisk like the handheld ones, except the whisk is fixed to a base which also does the heating, so all you have to do is pour in milk and press a button. the mechanical aeration does not have the same texture of a "true" steamer, but the resulting bubbles are very fine and considered good for most people.
I also have an Aeroccino that I used to keep at work. It does a great job foaming dairy and alt milks - soy, almond, oat. The instructions say not to use cocoa powder or other additions with the milk in the Aeroccino, so I also have the more expensive frother from Nescafe. In it I do hot cocoa, matcha lattes (hot and iced), chai lattes, recently foamy eggnog. It does a proper cold foam too. For foamy milk only though, none of the frothers mentioned here are as good as a steam wand which I think heats the milk up to a higher temp, making it a bit naturally sweeter.
I don't know that I can recommend a discontinued product, but we have been using a Maxim Cappuccino Crazy steam-frother for a long time. They last about five years, but new or slightly used ones keep coming up on Ebay. They look like a tiny pressure cooker, with a downward pointing wand that I put in a stainless steel 1 pint (?) pitcher. It's very authentic, but perhaps too much trouble for everyone. I have four spares on the basement shelf, perhaps a lifetime supply for two retired people. They do not brew coffee, they only steam milk.
Technique is important and milk type and milk age both affect results.
The device is so old that some come with a VCR cassette showing how to use it. Good luck on viewing the tape!
snackdog wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:10 am
We have used an Aerolatte (Williams Sonoma or Amazon) for many years. Works great. I microwave some milk, whip it for 30 seconds to high froth, then fill the cup with espresso from the Jura machine. Best part is I can just rinse the frother under running water for 30 seconds and put it away.
That is a thing of beauty. Excellent.
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I use a simple IKEA wire type that rotates if I dip it into my cofffee/tea and it froths nicely. Easy to clean and very cheap. Better than the dedicated brother I bought before which was a pain to clean.