The Best Electric Milk Frothers

Last Updated on November 26, 2023

Frothing milk at home can save you a lot of money over buying cappuccinos and lattes at a coffee shop.

You’ll need the right tool for it. Some milk frothers are entirely manual. They demand a lot of effort and might leave you needing a deep tissue massage the following day. Unless you’re looking for a workout, you’re better off finding the best electric milk frother you can get your hands on.

We can help with that.

There’s a lot to consider. You need to decide if you are fine with a handheld unit, or if you want an all-in-one frother that heats and froths your milk. 

We recommend a nice automatic option, and our favorite is the Nespresso Aeroccino 3: 

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The Aeroccino 3 performs well and has a good track record for durability. This frother cleans up easily and lets you make lattes and any other foamy drink with ease.

Best electric milk frothers at a glance

While we love the Aeroccino 3, there are more affordable units out there and also some semi-automatic handheld frothers that are worth a look. Before we discuss them in detail, here’s our full list of the best electric milk frothers:

Best electric milk frothers in detail

1. Nespresso Aeroccino 3

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The Nespresso Aeroccino 3 is Nespresso’s own electric milk frother. It has multiple settings that allow you to make two types of hot froth, hot milk, and cold froth. Many drinks are possible.

You can froth up to four ounces (or half a cup) of milk, or heat up to eight ounces (one cup) of milk with this unit. Perfect volumes for singles or couples.

If you like drinks primarily with dairy milk, this frother will give you very good results. It produces a nice, consistent foam, much more reliably than cheaper frothers on the market, and it can do so with less milk.

The machine includes a single whisk attachment and everything can go in your dishwasher.

Pros: 

• Delivers four types of foam at the push of a button
• Dishwasher safe
• Can make up to a cup of hot milk
• Teflon nonstick coating

Cons: 

• Maximum half a cup of milk for frothing
• Somewhat difficult to hand wash

2. Breville Milk Cafe 

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The Breville Milk Cafe is an electric frother that can heat your milk and froth it. It comes with two frothing disks—one for cappuccinos and one for lattes—which can be kept in a built-in storage compartment.

The heating element is in the base, which means you can wash the milk jug in the dishwasher. 

One important note about the Mlik Cafe is that it needs a minimum of one cup of milk to work properly. (It can froth up to three cups.) It’s ideal if you like a lot of milk or frequently make multiple drinks at a time, but less ideal for single coffee drinkers who don’t go heavy on the milk.

One of our favorite features is the choice of temperature settings. You can pick whatever temperature you want for your drink. There is even a “cold stir” option that allows you to froth hot or cold milk without applying any heat.

You can make a nice, smooth hot chocolate by adding chocolate or cocoa powder while the milk is frothing. This makes the Milk Cafe a nice option for families with kids.

We liked the smooth, consistent froth created by the Milk Cafe. If you have gotten inconsistent froth with a manual frother or a steam wand, you may like this. 

Our main concern about the Milk Cafe is its durability, as a significant number of users have reported that it didn’t last as long as they’d hoped. Many of these problems are related to the heating element, which in some cases has begun overheating after a few years.

Pros: 

• Heats milk and froths in one unit
• Big capacity
• Can be washed in the dishwasher
• Adjustable temperature
• Cold stir feature

Cons: 

• Needs at least one cup of milk to work
• Doesn’t work very well with plant-based milks
• Potential longevity issues
• Takes up significant counter space (it’s about the size of a blender)

3. Capresso Froth Pro 

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The Capresso Froth Pro is another electric machine that heats and froths your milk at once. It comes with disks that let you either heat your milk, froth it, or froth and heat it. It is dishwasher-safe and can froth up to a cup of milk or heat up to a cup and a half.

The cup itself is non-stick, so you don’t have to worry about burnt milk sticking to the bottom. 

The volume of this frother makes it a great option for those who make many drinks at once. It’s also more affordable than many other options, so if you’re looking for a budget model this might be the one. 

Pros: 

• Large capacity
• Can heat or froth separately
• Dishwasher safe
• More affordable

Cons: 

• Nonstick coating is Teflon and chips
• Breaks quickly

4. Secura Automatic Electric Milk Frother 

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The Secura Automatic Electric Milk Frother is also relatively affordable. It can’t go in the dishwasher, but it can both heat and froth milk separately. It heats up to a cup of milk and froths up to half a cup. You do need the minimum amount of milk for it to work as it should. Helpfully, this level is marked on the inside of the jug.

The Secura has a non-stick coating as well, but the manufacturer warns that some milk may stick to the bottom if burned. 

This is a good option for making a decent amount of drinks for a low price. 

Pros: 

• Nice budget option
• Heats or froths quickly and easily
• Has two whisks to either heat or froth milk
• Works with any milk

Cons: 

• Hand wash only
• Can break quickly

5. Zulay MilkBoss 

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The Zulay MilkBoss is a handheld frother. While this won’t heat your milk (which you have to do separately before using it), it will blend and froth anything from milk to matchma to hot chocolate. It is powered by two AA batteries. 

This is the most affordable option on our list, and likely the easiest to clean of anything under $50. 

If you want to try frothing milk for your coffee and you don’t want to shell out too much money, this is a good option. People like their Zulays.  

Pros: 

• Handheld unit
• Works quickly
• Affordable
• Makes lots of foam 

Cons: 

• Not all in one
• Doesn’t run on its own
• Needs you to heat the milk

6. Powerlix Milk Pro 

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The Powerlix Milk Pro is another affordable handheld frother. It works great with any milk. Like the Zulay, you need to heat your milk separately and operate this on your own. If you want to have a machine do all the work, this isn’t for you.

The Powerlix works well for a basic froth, and gets it done quickly. It also uses batteries, and users have noted that when battery power becomes low, so does frothing power. A fresh set is best.

Pros: 

• Handheld unit
• Affordable
• Easy to clean 

Cons: 

• Goes through batteries quickly

What to look for in an electric milk frother 

Consider what you want from your frother. These are a few things to keep in mind when making your choice.

Automatic vs. Semi-automatic 

A fully automatic model lets put your milk in and walk away. Semi-automatic frothers require you to work the machine. If you’re trying to make your drink in a hurry every morning, the automatic will save you time and let you prep breakfast or do other things while your milk is frothing. However, they are more expensive. 

Battery-operated or power cord 

Cord-powered frothers are great, but they will use up an outlet and tie you to the wall. Battery-powered frothers give you a bit more freedom, but they can run through batteries quickly and may not be as effective as batteries get low.

Temperature control 

Not all frothers offer temperature control. If you know you like your milk a little on the hot side, you either need to buy a frother where you heat the milk yourself, or find one that lets you set the temperature.

Pulse switch 

This feature lets you use small pulses to reach your desired consistency. It works much like the same feature on a blender or food processor. It’s mainly useful on handheld frothers.

How to use an electric milk frother 

Instructions for use vary slightly depending on which type of frother you choose. With an automatic model, you just add milk, select your setting and hit a button or flick a switch to start heating/frothing. With a handheld model, you just insert it into your jug of milk and run it like an immersion blender until you reach your desired consistency, moving it up and down to get an even froth. 

Our choice for best electric milk frother 

In our opinion, the Nespresso Aeroccino 3 narrowly edges out the Breville Milk Cafe, although you can’t go wrong with either one. The Aeroccino works quickly, cleans up well, and gives you the most options for milk volume. Of course it pairs great with any Nespresso machine, but you can use it regardless of how you make your coffee. The Aeroccino 3 has many users and fewer concerns about durability than its competitors. All this considered, the Nespresso Aeroccino 3 is our pick for the best electric milk frother on the market.

Milk frothing FAQ 

What’s the best milk frothing temperature? 

We recommend 139-149 F. This let’s the milk fat melt and denatures the whey protein so you have a more stable foam.

How long should I heat milk in a microwave for frothing? 

This will depend on the volume, but for a typical latte or cappuccino for one person, you should aim for about 30 seconds. Some experimentation may be necessary to get it right based on the power of your microwave. Keep a close eye on it, increase only in 5- or 10-second increments, and use a thermometer rather than a finger to check the temperature.

What milk froths best? 

Whole milk makes the creamiest foam, but skim milk creates larger air bubbles. So if you want volume, go for skim milk.

Can you use half-and-half in a milk frother? 

You can use half-and-half in a milk frother. In fact, a cafe breve is specifically made with half-and-half.

Can you froth almond milk? 

You can froth almond milk, although you are likely to end up with a thinner froth than you will with other milk.

Can you froth milk in a blender? 

You can froth milk in a blender, but when hot milk gets agitated it tends to splash and splurt a bit when you open the lid. We suggest keeping the volume to a minimum and being careful when you open the blender. It’s hot liquid.

Can you use an immersion blender to froth milk? 

You can use an immersion blender, but as with a regular blender keep in mind that liquids expand when heated and can splash and burn you.