Smeg milk frother review
The Smeg milk frother makes up for all the disappointing milk frothers I've tried before. From the screechy to the sadly ineffective, there’s nothing worse than seeing a few large milky bubbles where there should be barista-quality cappuccino foam.
From my time as a barista, I’m pretty handy with steam wands. A number of espresso machines have inbuilt wands, frothing milk to a pretty silky texture. This one, however, is on another level. I took it to our test kitchen and tried hot, cold, thick, and delicate foams on dairy and non-dairy beverages.
The results were café-quality, frothy perfection. Smeg’s iconic design looks fantastic and the results don’t disappoint. It’s more expensive than the average milk frother, but I’d choose it for my kitchen.
Unboxing the Smeg milk frother
Smeg has perfected easy unpacking. I slid out the milk frother, which was secured with cardboard, and found it pretty much assembled. There were some pieces of plastic wrapped around the stainless steel jug to keep it pristine. It would be good for them to be recyclable in the future. On the whole, it’s good to see that almost everything was recyclable.
Setting up, there was little else to do. This comes with a 39 inch power cord, smooth whisk, and notch whisk. The power cord makes it easy to position your milk frother anywhere on the countertop. All you need to do is rinse out the jug, place your desired whisk in, and you’re ready to froth.
Who would it suit?
The Smeg milk froth is an obvious choice for the style-conscious. The iconic, retro appliance comes in a range of colors, from bright red to pastel green. It’s bigger than some other milk frothers, but this means that it can froth more milk at once. The 20 oz capacity could make hot chocolate for the family in one round. Press one button, and the machine can do the rest. You won’t need to stand by it, so you can carry on with your day. If you normally have drip coffee or French press, but yearn for some cappuccino froth, this can be your kitchen hack. In the summertime, you can make cold froths too.
If you’re looking to cut costs, save on space, or need value for money, there are other options out there. This might not be the one for you, but it's an excellent option, so is well worth considering.
What is it like to use?
As a barista, I’ve tested some more complicated steam wands, but I’ve also used some of the most simple coffee makers. Even though Smeg includes instructions, you don’t need them. It’s one of the most simple machines that I’ve used.
The stainless steel jug is removable for you to fill it up with milk. There is a minimum and maximum line inside the jug to stop you over or under filling. The front dial has seven icons representing: hot chocolate, hot milk without froth, hot milk with light froth, hot milk with thick froth, and all the cold versions of the same. There’s a manual option too.
Twist the dial, press go, and step away. The machine will make a small beep to let you know when it has finished frothing. The lid has a gap in the top with a detachable cap. You can use it to measure syrups, powders, or any other flavors that you would like to add to your drink.
Hot milk
I started very simply. I heated 500ml of milk to test the most basic function. I used the flat whisk, so that the milk wouldn’t stick to the bottom, but also so that it wouldn’t froth. In just over a minute I had two cups of smooth, perfectly warmed milk. It was warm, but very drinkable. Not too hot and not too cold, Goldilocks style.
I was really struck by how quiet this machine was. Steam wands can screech, that’s one of the reasons why cafés can get so loud. I recorded 65 dBA of noise from the machine, which is around the noise of a business office according to the Yale University Decibel Level Comparison Chart. That’s quieter than a normal conversation.
Hot foam
Next I tried a light foam. This would be perfect for lattes or flat whites. In a minute and a half, my milk was ready. There were no random large bubbles; the froth was a very fine, tight texture. It held its structure really well and made a very velvety drink.
The heavier froth is well suited for cappuccinos. In exactly two minutes, I had equal parts froth and milk. It was a little cooler than my plain, warm milk, but it was still a nice, drinkable temperature.
I love a frothy drink, but this could be too frothy for your cappuccino. However, it’s easy to modify how much foam you pour out. Swirl the milk around in your jug, moving your hand in a circular motion. Don’t be afraid for the milk to lap up the sides; this is how you get the seamless, velvety consistency of milk and froth. Once your milk looks glossy, pour quickly at a steep angle in short bursts to have a more foamy brew. Pour slowly at a lower angle to get more milk and less foam.
Cold foam
As a barista, we always used steam to froth milk, so I was skeptical that cold-froth would be any good. I started with cappuccino-style, maximum froth. I would say that it was a little less frothy than the hot milk, the ratio was more ⅝ milk ⅜ froth, but that’s still really good. I was pouring my pre-refrigerated milk in and, even after frothing, it was cold and refreshing in the glass. The foam was really velvety and smooth.
I tried the latte, light foam and this was really quick. In less than a minute, I had some good foam. It was a little more airy, but this is easy to fix. The stainless steel jug is very similar to the ones baristas use. Simply tap the edge of the bottom on the edge of a surface gently and if the bubbles don’t pop, try with a little more vigor. Do this with three small taps and then swirl your milk to make sure that the froth doesn’t settle and start deconstructing. It will take some practice, but helps to revive your milk.
Non-dairy milks
I used barista oat milk and re-created each type of froth, hot and cold. The results were really impressive. I couldn’t fault any of them. Granted, oat milk has a more open-texture foam, but that’s compared to whole, dairy milk and it’s only a slight difference. I would have been happy with all of the oat creations in a top-quality café. I’ve certainly been served worse.
In this instance, the most important thing to remember is that you’ll want barista non-dairy milks. Their higher protein content can help them hold the foam texture and they’re much less likely to split. It’s also worth noting that non-dairy milks have different tastes: adding coconut, oat, almond, soya to your coffee will affect the flavor.
Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance
The detachable, stainless steel jug was easy to handle and pour. When it came to cleaning, it was even simpler to use. You can put the jug and lid in the dishwasher and it’ll come out clean and ready to use again. The rest of the machine can be wiped down with a damp microfiber cloth. It doesn’t really get messy so, if you do this after every use, your machine will always look super clean. The color and chrome are very forgiving in your kitchen.
You can wind the 39 inch power cord around the bottom, and remove the jug to make the base easier to store. That said,it’s not the smallest appliance. It’s best to have this out on the countertop, if you’ve got the space for it. Aside from wiping it down with a wet cloth, this won’t require much maintenance.
How does it rate online?
This rates really highly. Professional reviewers and customers alike give it top scores for quality, style, and performance. Even though it’s expensive, customers were very pleased with their purchases. I read lots of reviews raving about how well this makes hot chocolate. It’s smooth velvety and can melt all the chocolate flakes and integrate the milk really well. It’s not as foamy, but it’s still lovely.
The main issue people face was with temperature. Older machines had instances of overheating and burning the milk, but newer models have been updated so that they don’t show this problem. I read a few reviews where customers felt that the milk was not hot enough. It gets to 160 degrees, so too much more warmth could burn the milk.
How does it compare?
The Smeg milk frother is a premium product. It’s quieter than a steam wand and much better than a cheap USB milk frother. However, you are paying a premium for the Smeg label.
If you’re looking to save money, the Aeroccino milk frother costs less than half the price and achieves great results. It’s 6.7 inches tall and can hold 4 oz, whereas the Smeg is another three inches higher, but can hold 20 oz. This means that it’s better suited to compact kitchens, but not a good alternative for bigger households.
Smeg’s add-in lid is great for sweeteners and last minute extras, which the Aeroccino lacks. Smeg’s jug is great for adjusting your milk if it gets too airy, or if you want less froth in your coffee. You just treat it like a barista would and you can achieve perfect pours, every time. However, given that Nespresso’s Aeroccino makes exceptional cold and hot frothy milks, it’s a competitive option.
Should you buy it?
If you already own some Smeg appliances, you’ll know that they deliver premium products, but with a bit of a price tag. I really liked this. It’s an independent, capable, extremely quiet machine. The froth quality was really good, with a great range. The jug is also really useful for barista-style frothing. It’s not the most cost-efficient purchase; you could spend less and still enjoy a good frothy coffee, but I’m convinced.
How we test
We took the Smeg milk frother to our dedicated test kitchen for thorough, hands-on testing. We used all of the settings and a range of different milks, so that we could be sure that this caters to a range of kitchen needs. We make notes and take pictures from the unboxing, all of the way through to the clean-up. We’ll assess the process as well as the results, so if it’s luxurious, but loud, you’ll know about it. We also compare all of our appliances to other market-competitors. That way, we can check that they’re great value, good for performance, and user-friendly.
We independently review all products, so that you have a balanced perspective on whether an appliance is worth the investment. We also put our expert testers through a rigorous series of training. I have been a barista before, but I also completed our Customer Advisor training, so that I’m qualified to advise on all things coffee. This means that I’ve spoken to everyone from manufacturers, consumers, and professionals, so that we understand the mechanisms, must-haves, and nice-to-have aspects of coffee products. We have more detailed pages on how we test if you would like to know more about the process.
