Review: Nespresso Aeroccino3 milk frother

I tried:

• Whisking hot milk with a fork (it’s tiring and a bit of a flop).
  
• Using a small blender (“meh”).
  
• Using a stick blender (it’s messy as well as “meh”).
  
• Shaking milk in a jar, then heating it in the microwave to stabilise the foam (an inexpensive hack that’s fine if you’re desperate).
  
• Stumping up $2.50 for a little battery-powered whisk of dubious quality (it does an OK job, but don’t expect it to last).
  
• Pumping air through hot milk with a coffee plunger (not quite “molten marshmallows” but a solid option that costs nothing if you already have a French press).
  
• Splurging on a Nespresso Aeroccino3 (at $119 it’s not cheap, but it is the quickest, simplest way to make really good foam).
  

Like the Kmart model, the Aeroccino3 froths hot or cold milk at the touch of a button. If you want less froth, remove the coil. If you want hot milk without the froth, remove the whisk altogether. To clean it, wipe the jug with a soft cloth.

The Kmart frother did as good a job as the Aeroccino3, for a third of the price, but its flawed design meant it was too easy to get the electrics wet. I’d rather buy once, buy well, so I’ll pass on the Kmart frother. The French press was pretty decent, though, with the added bonus that it’s no longer a single-purpose gadget.

As a conscious consumer, I'm reluctant to add yet another appliance to my kitchen, so I feel I should make do with the plunger. But the Aeroccino3 really is the cream of the crop.

Tech info

• 120ml milk froth capacity (70 seconds for hot; 60 seconds for cold)
  
• 240ml hot milk capacity (no froth, 120 seconds)
  
• 185x100x100mm (with the base)