Do you wish you could recreate those perfectly frothy coffees you buy from your favourite café yourself at home? Maybe you’re looking to level up your hot chocolates or give your lattes a bit more punch. The gadgets we’re diving into can handle all that and more, and with coffee obsession at an all-time high, now’s a great time to find the best milk frother for your setup.
But first, a little advice from the pros – in this case Esther-Hope Gibbs, founder of Hope Espresso. “Most milk frothers are designed for whole milk,” says Esther. “Due to the high content of fat, they’re much easier to texturise, and the heat and the foam will always hold better for longer periods of time. With skimmed and alternative milks, it’s harder to get a nice texture, so it’s often worth investing a bit of extra money. For plant milks, always buy the barista-style milks, as they have added proteins and fats which allow them to hold the texture better. Regular plant milks won’t give you the same result and will often curdle in your coffee too.”
As for the key things to look out for, corded bases tend to have more accessible controls, although models with the controls on a removable jug can work better if you’re tight on space. Personally, I prefer removable whisks for hygiene reasons, and most of the frothers I tested had whisks fixed to the base of the jug, often held in place with magnets.
That said, it’s worth noting that most frothers are fairly easy to clean after use. You can usually just add a drop of washing-up liquid and run a frothing cycle to clean both the whisk and jug, although it’s still important to give the jug a deeper clean regularly, either in the dishwasher or by hand. I’d also look for a motor with at least 400W of power and a capacity of 200ml or more, plus a frother that can heat milk to around 75°C or higher. Of course, those specs don’t apply to handheld models (I’ve included two in my round-up), but don’t rule them out completely, they’re ideal for weekends away or if you’re short on space.
Read more: 19 best coffee machines for 2026, tried and tested for barista-quality cups
The best milk frothers for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Hotel Chocolat velvetiser: £119.96, Hotelchocolat.com
- Best budget buy – La Cafetiere drinks frother stainless steel: £7.99, Robertdyas.co.uk
- Best for ease of use – Salter the chocolatier EK5134: £34.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best handheld design – Bodum x Moma schiuma: £15, Selfridges.com
- Best for quick frothing – Melitta cremio: £42.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for aestestics – Daewoo 200ml electric milk frother warmer: £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Read more: I tested the £35 alternative to Hotel Chocolat’s £150 velvetiser – here’s how it compares
