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We updated this article in November 2022 to reflect the results of our most recent round of testing. Our best overall pick remains the same, but the rest of our recommendations are new.
If you like lattes and cappuccinos — and don’t own a fancy espresso machine or latte machine with a built-in steam wand — a milk frother is worth every penny. They’re a relatively small addition to your coffee nook, and they’re simple to use. The two basic types are handheld milk frothers, little battery-powered or rechargeable whisks that can fit in a drawer (or suitcase!), and countertop milk frothers, which generally plug in and can produce cold froth, hot froth and sometimes even hot chocolate.
Frothers work by incorporating air (and sometimes heat) into the milk, which creates bubbles and produces a creamy mouthfeel. They can be used with dairy milk as well as non-dairy alternatives, although some milks froth better than others, mostly due to fat content or thickeners.
The pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab recently tested 15 milk frothers to find the best. We considered handheld and countertop frothers at various price points and with useful features like temperature settings. We frothed both whole milk and almond milk and made hot chocolate where applicable. We chose whole milk because it makes a luscious foam, which can showcase a frother's potential, and almond milk because it is among the more challenging non-dairy milks, which shows the frother's ability. We also sent frothers to home testers so we could get real-world feedback.
Our top picks:
Read on for more details on how we tested the milk frothers as well as for helpful advice on what to consider when shopping for a milk frother.
Nespresso Aeroccino 4 Refresh
Pros
- Ergonomic handle makes it easy to pour
- Performed well in dairy and non-dairy testing
Cons
- Available only in stainless steel
The Aeroccino 4 improved on the slim design of the Aeroccino 3 (our previous top recommendation and still a good choice) with the addition of the handle, which makes it easy to pour. And the Aeroccino 4 Refresh improves this pick even more by moving the controls to the carafe and tightening the footprint of the base. Our Kitchen Appliances experts were impressed with how the Refresh performed our Lab tests. It produced a silky, uniform froth with both whole milk and almond milk. It can be used to create hot or cold froth in about 90 seconds, and we found that the "less foam" setting generated the style and volume of foam for a latte (more milk, less foam), which is different from a cappuccino (more foam).
The controls are user-friendly: They light up when on and flash when frothing. One home tester agreed, saying, "I'm typically not a gadget person because I'm too impatient to use them, but this was very fast and incredibly easy to use." It has an auto shut-off feature for safety. We like that the carafe, whisk and lid are dishwasher safe.
| Settings | Cold foam, hot milk and two hot foam options |
|---|---|
| Attachments | One frothing whisk |
| Weight | 2.27 lbs |
| Dishwasher safe | Carafe, whisk and lid |
Instant 4-in-1 Milk Frother
Instant 4-in-1 Milk Frother
Pros
- Performed well in Lab tests
- Easy to pour
Cons
- Not the most compact frother in our tests
This affordable electric countertop milk frother impressed our Lab experts as well as our home testers. We appreciated the sleek design as well as the generous handle for more control when pouring. It also produced frothed whole milk with a great mouthfeel in our Lab tests. We found that it was less successful with almond milk, but one home tester was pleased with how it frothed oat milk, noting that it delivered "great volume and body that held its shape as I poured it — and it stayed foamy even as the coffee sat for a while." Another praised its cold foam setting and said that it produced a matcha latte that didn't leave chunks of dry matcha powder. The "less foam" setting was less differentiated than other models, but did produce slightly less volume than the "more foam" option. While the whisk and lid are dishwasher safe, the carafe must be washed by hand.
| Settings | Cold foam, warm foam, thick warm foam and warming without foaming |
|---|---|
| Attachments | One frothing whisk |
| Dimensions | 6.2" x 4.7" x 8.25" |
| Weight | 1.7 lb |
| Dishwasher safe | Lid and whisk only |
Pros
- Portable design with the handle fitting into its cover
- Whisk is removable for easy cleanup
Cons
- Does produce some large bubbles in the froth
The Superwhisk lived up to its name in our Lab tests. It quadrupled the volume of both whole and almond milk to produce a generous serving of froth. We did note that the surface was uneven with some large bubbles, but the majority was uniform and fluffy. Our home tester noted that the double whisk design "helped make thicker, creamier frothed milk." We also like the streamlined design, where the whisk slips into a cover that makes the frother portable and easy to store in a drawer. It's rechargeable, so there are no batteries required, and we were impressed that it shipped with enough charge to work right out of the box. The whisk can be removed from the handle for easier cleanup. The downside is that you must heat the milk yourself if you prefer hot foam; the whisk does not warm the milk.
| Settings | High and low |
|---|---|
| Attachments | One frothing whisk arm |
| Dimensions | Not provided |
| Weight | 4.5 oz |
| Dishwasher safe | Removable whisk arm only |
Capresso Froth Control Milk Frother
Capresso Froth Control Milk Frother
Pros
- Makes hot chocolate from chocolate chips
- Affordable
Cons
- Makes a rattling noise during frothing
If you love your cappuccinos but also crave cocoa, this is the frother for you. In our tests, it created a stiff foam, so it's good for those who like a fluffy froth for coffee drinks. And it produced very rich and delicious hot chocolate with just milk and chocolate chips. Several Capresso models — like the Froth Select and the Froth TS — work for making cocoa, but what our kitchen experts like about the Froth Control is that your cocoa is ready in less than 9 minutes (compared to nearly 11 for another model). We appreciated that the "less foam" and heating settings delivered distinct results from the "more foam" option. We also like that the removable carafe can be stored in the fridge and is dishwasher safe. It was not the quietest in our tests, however; it makes a rattling noise when it operates.
| Settings | Cold froth, hot froth, hot milk or hot chocolate |
|---|---|
| Attachments | One frothing disk, one heating disk (both of which store magnetically in the base) |
| Dimensions | 6.25" x 5" x 8.75" |
| Weight | 2.74 lbs |
| Dishwasher safe | Carafe, whisk and lid only |
Davids Tea Electric Milk Frother
Pros
- Simple to operate
- Silky froth that suits one beverage
Cons
- Must wipe out or scrub out by hand
Some milk frothers require a large volume of milk, which is great if you're serving a crowd. But our pros loved that the Davids Tea milk frother can produce the right volume of froth for one drink. It also aced our Lab tests for both whole and almond milk, creating silky foam with a great mouthfeel. Our at-home testers were pleased with the froth as well, and one praised the straightforward design: "There is literally just one button to press to turn it on (once for hot, twice for cold), and it turns itself off. It could not be simpler." It comes with two attachments: a frothing whisk and a heating disk. We did note that the heating disk still frothed — rather than just heated — the milk, but it was a lesser volume than with the frothing whisk. One caveat is that while it's not dishwasher safe, it also recommends that you not clean it under running water, so you'll need to wipe it out after each use.
| Settings | Hot and cold froth, hot milk |
|---|---|
| Attachments | One frothing disk, one heating attachment (the attachment not in use stores magnetically on the back of the base) |
| Dimensions | Not provided |
| Weight | 1.67 lbs |
| Dishwasher safe | No, and cannot rinse under running water |
How we test milk frothers
For this article, experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab and more than 20 at-home testers tested 15 handheld and countertop milk frothers. We chose the frothers based on models that performed well in previous tests as well as those from popular brands with strong reviews. In the Lab, for all models, we produced hot froth using the highest foam setting (often used to make cappuccinos). We frothed whole milk, an option known for its silky mouthfeel, and almond milk, which is difficult to froth and therefore a good indicator of a frother's abilities.
Depending on the model's options, we also tested other settings, such as less foam (often used to make lattes), flat (for steamed milk with a very thin layer of foam) or just heating (for warm milk and hot chocolate) to determine whether the frother was versatile for different coffee drinks.
We noted the time it took to froth if it ran on a pre-set cycle, or we frothed for one minute if it did not. We took the temperature of the frothed milk immediately after frothing to ensure that the milk was warmed without being scalded. (An ideal temperature for warmed milk is about 140˚F.) We tasted the milk by itself to assess whether it tasted scalded and with coffee to evaluate the mouthfeel. We noted the volume after holding for 5 minutes to check stability. We also assessed the noise level and the intuitiveness of the controls, and we considered the ease of cleanup for each.
In addition, we sent each model to two home testers, who were given two weeks to use the frother before completing a survey. Not only did this give us insight into real-world usability and performance, but it also provided feedback on additional milks, such as 2% and oat milk. We weighed our external testers’ feedback when making our final selections.
What to consider when shopping for a milk frother
There are lots of tools around the kitchen that could be used to froth milk: a French press, a blender, a whisk — even a lidded jar. But they won’t produce the silky mouthfeel that a milk frother can deliver. Here are the drawbacks and advantages of the options in this story:
✔️ Handheld frothers are battery-operated or rechargeable whisks that you stick directly into your cup of milk to froth it. It incorporates air into the milk to produce froth.
Pros:
- The most compact, portable and affordable option
- Convenient for other light whisking jobs like eggs, matcha and salad dressings
- The resulting milk is light and foamy with large bubbles — perfect for cappuccinos
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Require recharging or replacing of batteries, and power could run out mid-frothing
- Milk can spatter while frothed since there is no lid
- Most do not heat the milk
- Less precise frothing that doesn't give milk much texture
✔️ Countertop frothers are electric-powered jugs with a heating mechanism and a whisk inside so they can simultaneously heat and spin the milk to create consistently smooth and even foam. They also have the ability to froth cold milk. Some may have a hot chocolate setting that can melt and incorporate chopped chocolate, chocolate chips or cocoa powder.
Pros:
- Usually make better quality frothed milk than handheld frothers
- Easy to use — just add milk and push a button for hot or cold froth
- Generally provide consistent results
Cons:
- Take up more space than handheld milk frothers
- Can froth only a certain amount of milk at a time (usually up to 8 ounces)
- More difficult to hand wash, although some models are dishwasher safe
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Sarah Wharton led this test of milk frothers and helped develop the methodology. She conducted the testing in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab and reviewed feedback from more than 20 at-home testers. She has written about lattes and heated mugs for Good Housekeeping, and she is a big fan of decaf cappuccinos.
Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor for the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).
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