We Found the 7 Best Milk Frothers After Testing 22 Different Models

Best Overall: Elita Pro Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother

Why It's Great

• Silky, light foam
• Double-layered coils
• Foam holds well
• Easy to clean

Grain of Salt

• Better for oat milk than whole milk

The Elita Pro Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother is our best overall pick because of its outstanding performance and design. It's made with a double-layered stainless steel coil that whisks milk quickly to produce "very silky tight foam with small bubbles," as our testers noted. What's more, you can keep your coffee station extra organized by neatly storing the wand on the included stand.

Our product testers found that this model is better for frothing oat milk but still saw good results with whole milk. The only difference between the foams from the different types of milk was that the bubbles were slightly larger with whole milk. However, it held both its shape and height for some time. Overall, the frother did such an exceptional job that one tester said they "had to spoon the foam onto the beverage."

The Details: Handheld; no heating capability

Best Electric: Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother

Why It's Great

• Stable foam
• Tight bubbles
• Great for cold foam

Grain of Salt

• Slightly noisy

Although its on the pricier side, the Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother made our list because of its impressive performance during all of our tests. For the whole and non-dairy milk tests, the frother achieved the ideal consistency featuring small, tight bubbles and maintained its fluffy shape in the cup after the pour. The cold foam was described as silky and tightly-bubbled with a "nice wave pattern on the pour with no air pockets." As for the hot chocolate, our testers said it made the drink so frothy that it was "almost like a milkshake."

The frother is made of stainless steel construction with a nonstick interior, so it's built to last and can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher. With a capacity of about 13.5 ounces, this model is an excellent choice when making several lattes at once.

The Details: Electric; heating capability; holds 13.5 ounces

Best Manual: Fino HIC Frother

Why It's Great

• Perfect foam in one minute
• Excellent cold foam results
• Easy to clean

Grain of Salt

• Not recommended for hot chocolate

This manual milk frother nailed the whole milk, oat milk, and cold foam tests. Our product testers said that both types of milk produced super stable foam with tight bubbles, and they even compared the cold foam's consistency to Starbucks, saying, it made a "smooth, velvety foam that's pourable."

With its sleek stainless steel construction, this frother is as pretty to look at as it is fast to clean. It has a 14-ounce capacity, which allows you to whip up enough froth for multiple drinks. The only area where this frother didn't excel was with hot chocolate, where it didn't incorporate the mix as well as our other options did.

The Details: Manual; no heating capability; 14-ounce capacity

Related: The Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers Our Allstars Love

Best Budget: Zyliss Milk Frother

Also available at Sur La Table.

Why It's Great

• Works well with different milks
• Glossy frothing
• Tight foam

Grain of Salt

• Feels cheap compared to other models

For an under-$20 price tag, this milk frother is hard to beat. It performed really well during our tests, effortlessly frothing the milk, cold foam, and hot chocolate, and was very easy to use and control. When whisking the cold foam, our testers noted that the cold foam quality was "beautiful, silky, pourable, and held its shape." We love that this frother works quickly and creates a glossy, tight foam after being poured into the drink.

To clean the frother, give it a spin and rinse to release any foam caught in it and then spin again to dry. One downside to note is that the handle felt slightly uncomfortable in the hand and that our testers could tell that the gadget was cheaper without knowing its actual price.

The Details: Handheld; no heating capability

Best Travel-Friendly: Golde Superwhisk

Why It's Great

• Compact size
• Rechargeable design
• Double whisk
• Aesthetically pleasing

Grain of Salt

• Foam doesn't hold long

Don't settle for boring coffee (or matcha): This Golde Superwhisk is the perfect size to stash in your bag for vacations or the office, so you can always have the option to top your drink with frothy milk. We love its sleek white design, double-layered coil, and that it's USB-rechargeable. Plus, it has two speeds — fast and superfast — so you can get the job done in a snap.

During our tests, we found that the frother performed well with whole and oat milk as well as hot chocolate, but it wasn't as successful with the cold foam. With that said, this is quality basic option for on-the-go use.

The Details: Handheld; no heating capability

Best for Cold Foam: Ninja Coffee Bar Easy Milk Frother

Also available at Home Depot.

Why It's Great

• Ideal for cold foam
• Easy to use
• Dishwasher safe

Grain of Salt

• Requires more pumps than instructed

If you prefer your cold brew topped with thick, creamy foam, the Ninja Coffee Bar Easy Milk Frother will give you the best results. Our product testers said "the cold foam quality was perfect" and even had to be scooped out of the frother because of its dense consistency. For an affordable price, this gadget could save you a lot of money by making your own cold foam drinks at home.

This frother mimics the design of a French press coffee maker with its glass cylinder-shaped beaker and plunge. A huge plus to its glass construction is that it's microwave safe, so you can use it to heat up milk for hot lattes. The only downsides our testers found with this model is that it's not a good fit for mixing hot chocolate and that it required nearly three times the pumps than the manufactured suggested.

The Details: Manual; no heating capability; 12-ounce capacity

Related: The 10 Best Cappuccino Machines That Bring the Coffee Shop to Your Home

Best for Latte Art: Nespresso Aeroccino4 Milk Frother

Also available at Williams Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and Sur La Table.

Why It's Great

• Suitable for cold and hot milk
• Quiet operation
• Works quickly

Grain of Salt

• More expensive than others

Whether you want to learn how to do latte art or already have it mastered, this top-of-the-line milk frother by Nespresso gives you everything you need to become an at-home barista. As an electric model, this milk frother requires zero effort during the frothing process — just one press of a button. Our testers said it produces the ideal consistency for latte designs and has a sturdy handle and precise spout for smooth pours.

This milk frother is versatile, easy to clean, and takes only a minute to work its magic. Unlike many other models, the Nespresso Aeroccino4 Milk Frother has heating capabilities, meaning you it can heat up milk to 170 degrees for hot cappuccinos and lattes. Better yet, it can prepare two different textures of hot milk to accommodate different drink recipes. The frother is also dishwasher safe and operates very quietly compared to other electric models.

The Details: Electric; heating capability; 8-ounce capacity

Our Takeaway

We chose the Elita Pro Double Whisk Handheld Milk Frother as our best overall pick because it's affordable, great for a variety of drinks, and suitable for beginners. Our testers gave it a 4.67/5 rating for its usability, design, and performance, emphasizing its durable double-layered coil and ability to produce small, tight bubbles for an ideal foam consistency.

About Our Tests

Our expert product testers performed side-by-side testing on 22 different milk frothers. They performed four different tests, including whole milk, oat milk, cold foam, and hot chocolate, to examine each model's performance, ease of use, and design.

Each milk frother was rated on the following criteria:

• Usability: Is it versatile? Is it easy enough for beginners to use?
• Design: Is it made of quality construction? Does it look aesthetically pleasing on a countertop?
• Performance: Is the foam frothy and fluffy? Does it keep its shape after being poured?

How to Pick the Right Milk Frother

Type

The first thing to consider when shopping for a milk frother is what design you want. Your options include handheld, electric standalone, and manual hand-pumping varieties. Handheld frothers tend to be the least expensive and the fastest to clean, while electric options can heat milk and may perform better for cold foam.

Size

Handheld frothers are usually used for a single drink at a time, while electric and manual models usually hold closer to 2 cups of milk. This is a better choice if you enjoy making multiple drinks at once. Stovetop steamers require you to use your own pitcher, so if you want to foam more than 2 cups of milk at a time, it's worth considering one of those, though our testers noted that they are trickier to use.

Purpose

Whether you'll be making latte art, hot chocolate, or cold foam influences the frother you should purchase. Handheld frothers are a simple all-purpose option that doesn't excel in any one area, whereas manual models tend to craft the most stable cold foam. Electric milk frothers work well for both hot and cold drinks.

The Leftovers: Other Milk Frothers We Tested

Zulay Original Handheld Milk Frother

Our testers gave the Zulay milk frother a 2.5/5 rating for its usability because it produced loose foam and overall felt flimsy and wobbly. The gadget features a single whisk opposed to a double-layered whisk, contributing to its instability. While the oat milk test fared better than the whole milk one, neither made the tight foam consistency of our top picks. The froth also didn't have the best longevity, and testers said that it "started to deflate after about a minute."

Bellman Stovetop Steamer

The stovetop nature of the Bellman steamer means that you can't be in too much of a hurry for your foam or froth, as it takes some time to use. Our testers weren't happy with the foam quantity or quality, noting that the foam was loose and the amount of foam it produced was not suitable for a proper latte. It worked better with oat milk than whole milk, but that still wasn't ideal, with testers saying that the oat milk foam contained "large bubbles."

Keurig Standalone Frother

You'll be able to achieve a tight and thick foam with this Keurig frother, but it doesn't hold up well enough for you to enjoy it through an entire beverage. Our testers said that the hot foam didn't last in the glass after being poured, and the frother created almost too much air in the foam. Though it can create cold foam too, that wasn't much more impressive: The testers found that it was "very loose and liquidy," which made it mix into the drink almost immediately.