The 3 Best Stainless Steel Milk Frothing Pitchers

Paul's passion for making and consuming coffee goes back over 30 years. An extensive traveler, he currently lives in Florida.

One thing I know from my thirty years of coffee making and drinking is that the perfect beverage doesn't just come from getting the brew right, it's also essential that the added milk is faultless too.

A milk frothing pitcher provides you with the right receptacle for frothing up, serving, and pouring the milk. It's an ideal way to complete a cappuccino or latte, and do it in style. They are also great for people who like to be creative with their foam and make some latte art.

Typically constructed from stainless steel, milk pitchers come in different sizes and shapes, so it is important to consider which is the most suitable for your needs.

Twelve ounce and twenty ounce are the most common sizes. I like to have both, because although I am normally just making drinks for me and my wife, it's nice to have something larger for when we have guests staying.

Top 3 Milk Frothing Pitchers Made From Stainless Steel

Here are my three frothing pitcher suggestions.

• The Update International: Inexpensive and Dishwasher Friendly
• The Star Coffee: Measurement Scales Inside and Out
• The Espro Toroid: Beautifully Designed

I will explain my reasons and experiences for my selections in full detail below.

The Update International: Inexpensive and Dishwasher Friendly

I used an Update International EP-12 as my regular pitcher for three years to serve up the microfoam for my morning coffees (there is also a 20-ounce version but the small capacity version is fine for my everyday needs).

It's a solid and practical product, nothing super fancy, but offers value for money and is fine for personal use (I use something more stylish for guests and dinner parties).

Update International Pros:

• Great product for everyday use, at home, in an office or for traveling.
• Very affordable product that offers excellent value for money.
• Solid stainless steel construction makes it durable and attractive.
• It pours well (unfortunately, not all pitchers do, in my experience!).
• Dishwasher friendly and easy to clean by hand.

Update International Cons:

• Technically, not the "best" in terms of quality, there are better pitchers out there, but certainly offers excellent value for money at the affordable end of the scale.
• Depending on your needs, this particular pitcher may be too small for some. To get the full 12 ounces you would have to fill it to the brim, which is not advisable. There is also a 20-ounce version, however.

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The Star Coffee: Measurement Scales Inside and Out

The Star Coffee is my current everyday milk frothing pitcher. It replaced my old Update International, which I took on vacation and left behind by mistake. All turned out well in the end as the Star is an excellent product and I was due for an upgrade.

Star Coffee Pros:

• The Star's main advantage over most pitchers is that there are measurements on both the inside and outside of the pitcher, making it easy to gauge the right amount of milk required (3-11 ounces) and create the perfect cup of coffee.
• It's dishwater safe and also easy to clean by hand.
• Great look and feel. The handle is comfortable to hold, sturdy and heat resistant.
• I bought mine online and it came with a free microfiber cloth and eBook, which came in useful.
• It's available in three different capacities: 12, 20 and 30 oz.

Star Coffee Cons:

• I've not encountered any problems with this pitcher so far. I will update this section if I discover any issues.

The Espro Toroid: Beautifully Designed!

I use a 20-ounce Espro Toroid when I have friends over for dinner parties, partly for the extra size, but mainly because it really is a beautifully designed frothing pitcher. It's also great for latte art, which is fun and makes a talking point.

Normally, in order to create the vortex effect that breaks up the large bubbles, you need to position the steaming wand lightly off center and then dip the wand deeper. The clever design of the Espro Toroid makes the process more straightforward.

Espro Toroid Pros:

• The easiest pitcher to use that I've experienced, thanks to its special design which works by circulating the milk back to the steaming wand.
• An excellent pourer and great for making latte art, always a fun experience at a social gathering.
• It looks and feels great to hold in your hands.
• Best pitcher I've owned or used.

Espro Toroid Cons:

• It's more expensive than the average frothing pitcher (worth every cent, in my opinion, but some might disagree it's worth the additional cost).

We want to do a lot of stuff; we're not in great shape. We didn't get a good night's sleep. We're a little depressed. Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful little cup.

— Jerry Seinfeld

Latte Art Basics

• When pouring the cream, begin with the pitcher high (around two inches from the coffee) and pour slowly, lowering the pitcher as you pour.
• The position of the pitcher is also very important, as is the flow. You should start gently and then increase. Eventually, after increasing the flow, the spout of the pitcher should be low enough that it is touching the cup.
• Height, positioning and flow are all you need to create a heart, but to make a more complex design like a rosetta, or a tulip.

© 2015 Paul Goodman