Our New Favorite Handheld Milk Frother Does More Than Just Froth
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I enjoy a perfectly made latte as much as anyone. But I don’t careenoughto become anespresso-grinding,shot-pullingaficionada in my own home. At the end of the day, I’m not overly fussy: Give me a well-builtelectric coffee makerwith one button, and I’m good to go.
Still, I understand the appeal of coffee-making rituals, and over the years in this job, I’ve actually tested quite a bit of gear. The one I find the easiest to translate to my style of caffeine intake is a milk frother, which adds some delight with very low effort. When it comes tomilk frothers, there are jug versions, which can heat milk as they froth, and stick versions, which can’t. Of this latter category, there is one model I love the most: the NanoFoamer, made by Subminimal.
This is a brand that was first introduced to me several years ago by two coffee aficionados, Suyog Mody, founder ofDriftaway Coffee, and James McCarthy, the coffee educator there. At the time, they expressed their utter amazement that a stick frother — generally the lowest in the totem pole, after jugs, which are considered inferior to the really powerful kinds built into espresso machines — could achieve “microfoam.” For the uninitiated, microfoam is the extremely fluffy but not too dense texture ideal for lattes and cappuccinos. Too frothed, and foam almost acts as a solid mass. Too loose, and you’re drinking big bubbles with no satisfying texture.
Instead of a small whisklike head like that of most stick frothers out there, the NanoFoamer works with a broader three-pronged plastic whisk (this part looks like a mini-fan) that is covered by a fine mesh screen. This design does wonders.
Though you could take the original on the go, the brand has introduced an even more portable version of the Nanofoamer. It’s smaller, packed into its own carrying case, and is USB-C chargeable (I’ve used mine about six times so far, and it’s still going). As a fun bonus, it comes in ten color options. But the best part of all is that it doesn’tonlyfroth.
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There are two other interchangeable heads that the original doesn’t have: the flatter whisk you can reveal by taking off the fine mesh piece, and a rounded whisk you can attach instead. Among the three, you’re meant to be able to foam, mix, and whisk — which makes this compact tool truly versatile. For mixing, you can make matcha and hot chocolate andprotein-powderandelectrolytedrinks that don’t leave powdered bits floating around. You can ensure simple syrups and flavored syrups evenly distribute throughout, too.
And then there’s the mighty little whisk. With this, you can go beyond drinks. I’ve used mine to quickly make salad dressings and marinades. I’ve used it to emulsify an aioli without the wrist ache (and without pulling out a biggerimmersion blender). And I’ve used it to blend eggs for scrambles. I can imagine it being extra-helpful for a rental-house vacation or for a college student in theirdorm. Still, it’s cheaper than the original USB-C chargeable model (and the same price as the battery-powered version), so opting for this one for regular use at home feels like a no-brainer to me. When all is done, it takes a matter of seconds to clean and rinse, put it into its case, and stash it away in a drawer out of the way.
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