What exactly is the difference between a Milk Frother and Steamer?
Delicious coffee beverages like Cappuccino, Lattes, or Mocha have one thing in common: they are all made of Milk. But, is it frothed or steamed?
And how do we tell one is different from the other? To get you started let’s learn what exactly is a milk frother and a steamer and what is the difference between the two.
What is a Milk Frother?
Exactly as the name suggests, a Milk Frother is an equipment that froths milk. The process of frothing milk involves incorporating air into the milk until it becomes light and foamy.
Most Electric frothers have spiral whisk attachments that whisk or stir the milk this is done to introduce air in the milk. Doing this causes the milk to create spheres around the milk and then the protein in the milk stabilizes the air bubbles, that is the foam.
There are mainly 3 different types of Milk frothers – Electric, handheld, and manual frothers.
The Electric Milk frothers are professional frothers, they create high-quality milk foam. With manual and handheld frothers they are easy and convenient to use but it requires a lot more effort and does not always result in good quality foam.
How To Froth Milk?
Creating Frothed Milk is a really simple process. Milk foam can be created using a lot of methods. Let’s learn how to create Milk foam using electric, handheld, or manual frothers.
Using Electric frothers: Creating Milk foam using an Electric frother is the fastest and also the easiest method. Simply pour milk of your choice into the milk jug of a frother and turn on the power. The temperature and froth settings vary, depending on the frother you are using.
Using Manual frothers: Manual Milk frothers are plunger-style frothers. To create Milk foam in a manual milk frother, heat milk up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and fill the beaker or milk jug up to ⅓ with milk. Next, cover the lid and pump the plunger for around 20 seconds. Continue plunging if you need more foam for your drink.
You can also use cold milk for this process to create cold foam. Using hot milk froths the milk faster and the heat helps in stabilizing the air bubbles.
Using Handheld frothers: Using a handheld frother to create milk foam is a very simple process. Simply add milk in a mug or cup and dip the end of the frother wand. Turn on the frother and let it whisk, until you see that foam is created and milk has increased in volume.
If you do not have a professional frother you can still froth milk using basic equipment available in your home. To learn more read our guide on 9 ways to froth milk without a milk frother.
What Is A Milk Steamer?
The process of steaming milk involves heating the milk and slightly aerating it creating small air bubbles. Unlike frothing milk this process does not result in frothy foam.
Steaming milk produces a very delicate foam called microfoam. This makes the texture of the milk heavier and velvety, suitable for drinks like a latte.
In coffee shops, a steam wand is used to steam milk. A steam wand is present on almost all espresso machines.
How To Steam Milk?
Milk can be steamed in several ways, but the most common method to steam milk is Using a steam wand. Let’s discuss the process involving the steaming of milk.
Steaming Milk Using A Steam Wand
The first step is to pour the milk into a metallic pitcher. Do not overfill the pitcher with milk since it will expand in volume.
Next, submerge the tip of the steam wand just below the surface of the milk and turn on the steam. The steamer wand will start making a loud hissing noise at this point. During this process, the steam blows bubbles, which helps in incorporating air into the milk.
After enough air has been pulled into the milk and bubbles have been formed, submerge the wand a little down to the surface, this will create a whirlpool-like motion in the milk. This will help in steaming the milk and breaking down the bigger bubbles into tiny foam also known as microfoam.
Once the Milk reaches 140℉, turn off the steamer and keep the pitcher aside for a few seconds. Next polish the milk by tapping the pitcher and swirling it around gently. This is done to remove any larger air bubbles.
Pour the steamed milk on top of your espresso and enjoy a creamy latte!
Milk Frother VS Milk Steamer- What’s The difference?
The main difference between a Milk frother and a Milk steamer is that frothing milk creates very light and airy milk foam while steaming milk heats the milk and slightly aerates it resulting in microfoam which creates a shiny velvety texture.
Key Differences:
To understand how frothed Milk is different from steamed Milk, let’s discuss some key differential points:
Process
The process of steaming milk is a little more complicated than frothing milk. During the process of steaming the milk is heated and milk is exposed to steam.
Due to the high pressure of the steamer, the fats in the milk expand and create foam.
While with frothing milk, the air is incorporated in the milk which creates larger air bubbles in the milk resulting in light and airy foam.
Texture
Frothed Milk has a light and airy structure. It is more suitable for drinks like cappuccino as it requires milk foam in larger quantities. When frothing milk it doubles in volume and creates larger air bubbles and milk foam.
On the other hand, the texture of steamed milk is thick and velvety. The process of exposing steam to the milk creates smaller bubbles in the milk so it does not double in volume. Steamed milk is perfect for drinks like a latte or flat white.
Temperature
With frothed Milk, there can be both cold as well as hot milk froth. But, with steamed milk, it is always hot.
7 Best Milk Frother And Steamer For Coffee In 2024
Different Coffee Drinks – Steamed Or Frothed?
| Coffee | Proportions |
| Cappuccino | Made of 1 part espresso, 1 part steamed milk, and 1 part milk foam. |
| Latte | Made of ⅓ espresso, ⅔ steamed milk, and a small layer of milk foam. |
| Mocha | Made of 1 part espresso, 1 part hot chocolate, and 1 part steamed milk. |
| Macchiato | Made of a shot of espresso and topped with foamed milk. |
| Flat white | Made of 1 part of espresso and 2 parts of steamed milk. |
Is A Milk Frother Or Steamer Worth it?
If you are an avid coffee drinker and really enjoy spending time and money in trying out new beverages then investing in a frother and steamer is definitely worth it.
We recommend getting equipment that does the job of both a steamer and a frother, this way there are fewer things to worry about and also saves a lot on cost.
Most Electric frothers are also Steamers and therefore are equipped to either just steam milk or steam and froth Milk both.
When buying such equipment, it is important to consider some important factors such as:
- What temperature settings does it offer
- What is the price range for such gears
- How is the cleaning process
To read a more detailed guide on the Best Milk frothers and steamers and a buying guide check it here!
Top Recommended Milk Frothers and Steamers
Breville BMF600XL Milk Cafe Milk Frother
The Breville Milk frother tops our list for Milk frothers and steamers as it comes with amazing benefits and features. It is more on the expensive side but we feel the price is totally justified for the service it offers.
Special Features:
- It offers adjustable temperature settings.
- It is a fully automatic device
- The Milk jug is dishwasher safe, which makes it super easy to clean.
Nespresso Aeroccino
The Nespresso Aeroccino is a smart compact Milk frother and steamer. It is equipped with a single button. For frothing hot milk you simply need to press the button and the button lights up red. For cold froth keep the button pressed for around 2 seconds and the button lights up blue.
Special Features
- One button performs all functions
- Can froth both hot and cold milk
- Auto-off feature
