Bodum have come up with an ingenious system for making milk froth, but using their standard plunger design and making a device that works on a pump action.  These can be used with both hot and cold milk, but should be used with caution when working with hot milk.

The big questions is how well do these devices work?

This product has received some excellent reviews and is very popular with over 80% of customers, but the biggest drawback for many of the customers was the designs where the beaker was made from glass.  Many people found that giving just that little bit too much pressure resulted in the  beakers breaking.

In some cases, customers have opted to using their bodums as the design and structure is very similar and as many of these are made from plastic and the glass ones are cheaper to replace than the milk frother ones, they are a handy substitute.

Another feature that some people found difficult to get around, was that when working with hot milk, it did occassionally build up pressure and spill out, making a hot mess.  Beware of this, but for cold milk frothing, it is a great tool.

While the convenience of standard milk frothers is taking the market by storm, there are a few individuals who will treasure the purity of a milk steamer and finding the right style for you coffees is important.

There are ideally, just two designs that most individuals will want to look at.  The first being the stovetop frother.  This device allows you to heat up water in a canister device.  Once the water is boiling and steam is being created, you can steam your milk into a creamy froth.  Although these are relatively inexpensive, they do come with a few disadvantages such as only bing able to produce froth for one or two cappuccinos.

If you are going to be entertaining on a much larger scale, then an automatic milk steamer is probably a much better bet, being able to produce around 20 cups worth of foam in one sitting.  With an internal thermastat, they can be left on for longer durations allowing for seconds and they are almost always very easy to operate and clean.

Steamers that allow for heating of milk as well as foaming will broaden your spectrum of coffees allowing you to make lattes and other hot milk drinks such as hot chocolate.

Using a frother is not difficult and although their are individual instructions for each make and model, there are some fundamental strategies to getting the very best froth.

If you are using a steam frother, it is important to use a stainless steel jug to produce the best milk froth.  Tilt the jug at a 35% angle and place the spout of the steamer just below the milk surface.  As the steam churns the milk it will create froth.  Placing the steamer nozzle too far down will only heat and eventually scorch the milk, so it is important to keep it as close to the surface as possible.

Using a slow motion of up and down, you will produce an excellent foam that should remain firm whilst you top your coffee.

In the event that you are using a handheld frother.  The principle is similar, but the it is important to have a high edged jug for your frothing or you may experience a lot of splashing.  Place the frother again, just below the surface of the milk and move it slowly in an up and down motion.  If you break the surface of the milk, you are likely to break the froth that has already been formed, so it is best to keep the agitation section of the frother below the milk line.

When frothing useing steamers or hot milk, do be careful of scolding yourself and always turn the frother off before taking it out of the milk where possible.

By far the biggest seller online, is the aerolatte handheld frother and for just short of $20, this little number is an excellent addition to the kitchen.  It froths milk for coffees in just twenty to thirty seconds, works with both hot and cold milk and is easy to clean.

The fantastic design, the aa battery power and 5 year warrenty also make this a great little number, but ultimately, those are all selling points and what you really want to know is what are people saying about this gadget.

Here are a few of the best and worse reviews that we have found online at Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars This works so well, it’s INSANE  January 2, 2008

By   Jonathan Sabin (Ellenton, FL USA)

This review is from: Aerolatte Milk Frother, Satin Finish (Kitchen)

I just got the box from Amazon, pulled out my new Aerolatte, removed the protective cover from the battery compartment (yeah, it even comes pre-loaded with a pair of “aerolatte” double A’s!), and put about 2 oz of NON-FAT (skim) milk in a glass.

I nuked the milk for about 20 seconds, pulled it from the microwave, stuck the aerolatte in the glass and pushed the switch.

DANG!

Nearly INSTANT foam. GOBS of it. It formed PEAKS!! You could make small milk-animals out of it. I really can’t believe how well this thing works. The only thing that would ruin it for me is if it simply fell apart after a few uses, but frankly, with a little bit of care, it looks like it’ll hold up. We’ll see. But in the meantime, call me Doctor Foam.

UPDATE ***9 MONTHS LATER***

Notwithstanding the complaints of people who claim that their aerolatte lasted about 5 minutes, I just replaced the batteries for the first time since buying it back in January. (Yes, it still works, but I was disappointed that I was no longer able to make foam-animals!)Well a couple of fresh Duracells later, and I sound like a deranged dentist with this thing in my hand. The “buzz” I had become accustomed to, is now a high-pitched whizzing sound, that actually made my molars uncomfortable.

But I’m back to making some seriously decent foam again!

While this is a very good review, there is a reference to the machines not lasting very long by other members of the public and there were also a number of customers who felt that it just didn’t froth the milk as well as it should have.  Overall, we have found that 10% (calculated from a variety of sources including Amazon votes) were not happy with this particular model.

Automatic milk frothers have the ultimate convenience of set and forget and before you know you have your perfect coffee drink ready and piping hot.  So what are the key models available and what do they offer in the way of advantages and disadvantages.

Lets take a look at the Jura-Capresso FrothXpress.   It really is one of the easiest system to operate.  Just let it heat up to two minutes and fill the water container, then fill the milk container and place your cup beneath the spout.
Now all you have to do is press and hold down the steam button and hot frothed milk will be dispensed.  You will need to release the button and wait around eight seconds before you can depress it again.  This action should be completed as many times as you need to achieve the foam you want, but on average most people only have to do it four or five times for the ideal foam experience. The rest of the milk can be stored in the milk container and the rest of the parts washed under running water.

The main features and benefits of this system include that it has a safety steam button and also has a child saftey device where the steam will not be released if the “frother assembly” is detached from machine.  You can adjust the milk temperature and has a removable water container so that it can easily be filled.  On average it will produce around 30 ounces of milk per filled water container and can also be used to produce hot chocolate.

The Nespresso Aeroccino Plus is a great machine that is fully automatic, creates excellent froth with skim milk, but doesn’t do as well with half and half.  It is easy to operate and will produce both warm and cold froth.
Hot milk is frothed in around 70 seconds while cold milk is a little quicker.  The aeroccino is ideal for making light summer drinks including iced lattes and iced cappuccinos and also works well with various coffee based desserts.

The device has extensive reviews online and is very popular.  Some of the issues of concern include making sure that the entire baseplate is 100% dry before operating and if you do get it wet to dry it as quickly as possible.

The Milk2Froth by Frieling is extremely convenient, but is not a stand alone system as it need to be connected to an espresso machine, compact and very easy to use.  This particular model is available in black and stainless steel and will keep your milk at the correct temperature for steaming.

The entire process is both very quiet and energy efficient and will produce 48 ounces or six cups worth of froth.

The Milk2Froth by Frieling is a revolutionary unit stays connected 24/7 to any espresso machine. It keeps milk cool but runs quietly, using less energy than a standard lightbulb. What could be easier?

Many of the stovetop frothers are manual pumping frothers that you can take from the stovetop to the table without having to decant the hot milk.

There are a few designs on the market ranging from the Standard stovetop pump design to stovetop steam frothers.

Stovetop Pump Frothers are ideal for producing those perfect cappuccinos. The manual frother transforms hot milk into a luxuriously thick creamy foam to top your coffee or espresso. They are ideal for heating up your milk for lattes and if they are made from stainless steel which is often the case, then you can take them directly to the table. Although these are primarily used for hot milk, they function just as well for producing cold milk froth and can also be used for whipping up milk shakes and beating eeg whites to a foam.   Cuisinox produce an excellent version that is dishwater proof and has a 27 ounce capacity.

Stovetop Steam Frothers are also most often made from stainless steel and work on pressurized hot water creating steam which can then be used to produce froth.  For an authentic froth taste and texture, you cannot beat the steam frothers.  This device is very easy to work.  Just fill it up with water and heat it on the stove.  Bellman produce this model which is based on a 1960 design.  It is ideal for both gas and electric stovetops.

Black Enamel Stovetop Steam Frother.  If you are looking for something a little different, there are some more austhetically pleasing options available online.  This particular design has a convenient trigger handle for one hand operation and has a very large 32 ounce water capacity.  This design is imported from Italy and is made from Aluminum.  It is distribued through 1st Line.

Frothers and in particular milk frothers have come a long way in the last decade. While the coffee industry has boomed, there is a growing number of households that wish to emulate the flavour and pleasure of producing wonderful lattes and cuppuccinos. While previously having a milk steamer in your home was a luxury that very few could afford, now with the advent of the electric as well as manual frothers, you can drink your favourite drink at home and without having to worry about scorching yourself or your milk.

So what are the most popular frother designs that have appeared on the market. In this website, we will investigate all the models presently found online and review their good and bad points. We will look at:-

Milk Frother Wands:- ideal for all your frothing needs that can be used on both hot and cold milk and that produce excellent results for such a small applicance. In addition they come in a wide variety of designs with cordless, rechargable as well as corded options. Some of these designs also include a stand with Aerolatte and Bon Jour being the leaders in this particular design.

Automatic Electric Milk Frothers:- for more extensive frothing requirements. Ideal for entertaining as it will produce more froth and doesn’t require any manual work. These are produced predonimantly by manufacturers such as Nespresso, Capresso and Froth au Lait.

Plunger Milk Frothers:- Leading this design is the Bodum manufacturing team. The simplicity of use and the fact that there is no need to purchase additional milk frother jugs, makes this a one stop shop for those wanting to froth milk at home.

Stovetop Frothers:- Easy to use and produce hot froth quickly and effortlessly. Ideal for lattes and cappuccinos.

Milk Steamers:- Still one of the very best options for the professional hot foam cappuccino or Latte. These devices are a lot more expensive, but if you are going to be producing large numbers of coffees, then this is a great option that will produce superior results every time.