Best Milk Frother Overall: Zulay Original Milk Frother

What’s the best milk frother? To find out, we purchased milk in several varieties: cow, soy and almond. Then we tested several top brands to find which was most quiet, efficient and easy to clean.

One tip we’d suggest: warm up the milk first before frothing. We had better results this way!

For the best milk frother overall, we recommend Zulay’s Original Milk Frother. This affordable frother works on 2 AA batteries and was the quietest model we tested (and yes, we used a decibel meter to measure sound levels). Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Froths milk in just 10 to 15 seconds. That was the quickest among the ones we tried.

• Easy to clean.

• Stand is well designed.

• Lightest weight among those we tested: 4.8 ounces.

What Needs Work

• More power? We thought this frother had the right amount of power, but some folks wished it was stronger . . . especially for dissolving protein shakes. For that use, we’d recommend the next pick.

Best for Protein Shakes: PowerLix Milk Frother Handheld Battery Operated Electric Foam Maker

In addition to testing milk frothers with milk, we also tried out these devices on protein shakes. Which dissolved protein powder quickest and thoroughly? We found not all frothers are alike—one stood out from the pack on this task: PowerLix’s Milk Frother.

The reason: this frother has more rotations per minute (RPM) than competitors like the Zulay (about 19000 vs 13500). This additional power enabled protein powder to more completely dissolve our testing. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Affordable,

• Lightweight.

• Works on 2 AA batteries.

• Easy to clean.

• Higher RPM = better at protein powder dissolving!

What Needs Work

• Splatter! The powerful motor in this frother can sometimes decorate your kitchen. Splattering can be prevented by using this frother in short bursts, we discovered in our testing.

• Eats batteries faster than others. The Zulay frother recommended earlier lasts for about 2 weeks with daily use, based on our research. The PowerLix is more like a week or 10 days. If you don’t want to go through so many batteries, consider a frother that is rechargeable—see our next pick for that!

Best Travel Milk Frother: Basecent Electric Milk/Coffee Frother

If you want a portable frother that is great for the road, we’d suggest a rechargeable model like the Basecent Electric Milk/Coffee Frother. Yes, it recharges via USB . . . so you’ll save on batteries (although it is pricier to start out).

What We Liked

• Cover is great for travel. Yes, this frother has a nice travel case/cover that keeps it from being damaged in transit.

• Easy to use.

• Easy to clean.

• 2 speeds.

• Nice foam!

• No batteries! It recharges via USB.

• High RPM = great for dissolving protein powder for shakes!

What Needs Work

• Almost too powerful! This frother has a bit of a learning curve—it is so strong, it can fling milk foam a good distance! Using the lower speed to start out is a good move!

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!