9 best milk frothers for barista-quality drinks at home

There’s nothing better than a morning brew from your local Starbucks or Costa, but the cost of cafe-bought coffees don’t come cheap. If you want to save some money but worry that coffee made at home won’t be the same, fear not, as the best milk frothers are the ultimate life hack to creating barista-level cuppas from your own kitchen.

While we’re always testing the best coffee machines as they launch – including bean-to-cup and espresso machines – if you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to make barista(ish) quality hot drinks at home, a milk frother is a good start.

Frothed milk is perhaps one of the best parts of a coffee-shop coffee or hot chocolate. The micro foam we love on these hot drinks is usually made with a steam wand on professional machines – steam is blasted through the milk, causing the fat in milk to break down, creating super tiny bubbles and a silky texture. Milk frother machines tend to whisk the milk instead, heating it at the same time. It’s a slightly different approach but many of these gadgets are still achieving that smooth texture we’re looking for.

Recently, the milk frother market has expanded significantly, showing this is a trend that’s here to stay. Some are marketed as hot chocolate machines, others milk frothers. The functionality is fairly identical, though, whether you’re adding chocolate to it or just warming milk.