The Best Stainless Steel Milk Frothing Pitchers in 2020

I know from over thirty years of coffee making and coffee drinking experience that the perfect drink doesn't just mean getting the brew right, you also need to make sure that the milk you add 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.

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 the reasons for my selections in full detail below.

I used an Update International EP-12 as my everyday pitcher for several 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 basic, solid and practical product, nothing super fancy, but great value for money and fine for personal use (I have something more stylish for guests and dinner parties).

My 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 (not all the pitchers do!).
• Dishwasher friendly and easy to clean by hand.

My Update International Cons:

• Technically, not the "best" in terms of quality, there are better pitchers out there, but certainly exceptional in terms of value for money.
• Depending on your needs, this pitcher may be too small for some. To get the full 12 ounces means filling it to the brim, which is not advisable.

The Star Coffee is my current everyday milk frothing pitcher. It replaced my old Update International, which I took it on vacation one time and left somewhere by mistake, never got it back despite trying! Anyway, it turned out well as the Cafe Luxe is an excellent product and I was due for an upgrade. has turned out to be great value for money.

My Star Coffee Pros:

• Its 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.
• The handle is comfortable, sturdy and heat resistant.
• I bought mine online and it came with a free microfiber cloth and eBook.
• It's avilable in three different capacities: 12, 20 and 30 oz.

My Star Coffee Cons:

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

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 design of the Espro Toroid makes the process more straightforward.

My Espro Toroid Pros:

• The easiest pticher 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.

My Espro Toroid Cons:

• It's more expensive than the average frothing pitcher.