Brewing a barista-quality coffee drink at home is easier when you have the right tools. A coffee maker with a built-in frother gives you the power to pull espresso or brew your favorite coffee and froth your choice of milk to top it off.
These brewing and frothing machines range from semiautomatic to super-automatic, offering options that fit your lifestyle as a coffee enthusiast. Coffee makers with frothers are ideal for anyone who regularly wants to enjoy a latte or cappuccino at home.
For coffee drinks, a milk frother is a utensil for whipping up either dairy or alternative milk for espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos. The quick whirring mechanism creates air bubbles that turn creamy milk into a thick, foamy texture.
A milk frother lets you craft specialty drinks normally found in cafes and restaurants. These include lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, mochas and more.
Without a built-in frother, you would need to use a separate manual milk frother to achieve the fluffy consistency you'd expect from a barista.
Frothed milk and steamed milk are similar but not the same. They are two separate steps, and you don't necessarily need both to mimic cafe-quality drinks.
Professional brewers will froth the milk first, introducing air pockets. Then, they will steam it to heat it to around 150 degrees, which expands the milk and makes a softer texture before adding it to a drink.
When using a coffee maker with a frother, the attached frother will likely be a dual-purpose frother and steam wand. That means it will let you froth and steam your milk in one go, creating warm, thick and fluffy milk.
Super-automatic machines will froth and pour your milk for you as long as the milk reservoir is full. Semiautomatic machines have an external milk frother or steam wand for you to froth the milk at your convenience.
Choosing the right machine depends on your preference and how much time you want to spend preparing your drinks. Larger capacity coffee makers work well for shared environments like offices, waiting rooms and homes with many coffee drinkers. Single-serve machines are ideal for those who only prepare drinks one at a time.
Brew rich espressos, cappuccinos and lattes with this coffee maker that froths the milk for you. The plastic construction and small frame and constrained drink selections to make this one of the most affordable options for quality at-home espresso drinks.
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Ninja Specialty Fold-Away Frother CP307
This versatile coffee machine makes a wide array of coffee drinks, from french press to iced coffee to a frothy latte. The fold-away frother is especially handy to pack away when you're done using it.
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Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse
This easy-to-use coffee and espresso machine combine multifunctionality with affordability. Brew your favorite milk drinks with a large removable milk reservoir and both automatic and manual frothing modes.
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De'Longhi All-in-One Combination Coffee Maker & Espresso Maker
This barista-quality machine offers simultaneous brewing for both drip coffee and espresso lovers. The milk frother is easy to use, low profile and easy to clean.
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This single-serve machine offers the same convenience as other Keurig machines for espresso lovers who only need one drink at a time. A simple interface makes drink selection easy and an external frothing pitcher makes it easy to pour your milk when ready.
Beginners and prosumers can brew an outstanding espresso drink with this machine. Froth and steam your milk like a barista with a manual wand for full control.
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GE Cafe Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine
For those who want a quick brew without sacrificing quality, this super-automatic machine is a sleek addition to any size kitchen. Grind and brew with a single button, and froth milk with the front-mounted steam wand.
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This machine caters to coffee fiends who appreciate the ritual of pulling espresso shots and don't mind maintaining high-end equipment. The steam wand is easy to use and the one- and two-shot settings produce consistent pours.
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Nespresso Latissma Pro Coffee and Espresso Machine by DeLonghi
Convenience meets volume in this large-capacity coffee machine. Brew multiple lattes with a 1.3-liter water reservoir and extra-tall milk container. The built-in frother sits up front for easy access.
Miele CM5300 Countertop Coffee System
This luxury coffee machine grinds beans, brews nine drink styles and froths and pours your milk for you, all in under a minute. With regular cleaning, this is a solid investment for a busy latte lover who wants a quick brew at home.
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Jura WE8 Automatic Coffee Machine
One-touch selections let you brew 12 types of barista-quality drinks with this high-end and high-capacity coffee maker. Froth the perfect amount of milk with an adjustable steam wand.
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Katy Palmer writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
