Instant Pot Magic Frother Review

The day my friend (and Serious Eats editor) Grace Kelly gifted me the Instant Pot Magic Frother, I had no idea it would become one of my favorite appliances. Before then, I enjoyed using my handheld milk frother. But as I ran back and forth between heating up the milk in the microwave and manually frothing it, something was missing I couldn’t put my finger on. But when I received the shiny, simple Magic Frother, well, I found what that was.

I discovered the peaceful routine of pouring in milk, selecting a setting, and walking away as the frother whirred, creating soft, silky frothed milk for my morning London Fog. And a curious thing happened: Sometimes I’d be reading in the living room, only to hear that faint buzzing coming from the kitchen. Roommates who’d rarely cared to borrow my handheld frother couldn’t wait to use the Magic Frother.

Why I Love the Instant Pot Magic Milk Frother

There are two types of frothers: handheld and countertop. I’ve mainly used the handheld kind, and while they get the job done, none of them have stood up to the Instant Pot Magic Milk Frother. (And the Serious Eats team agrees with me, seeing as they crowned it the top milk frother.) 

What sets this particular frother apart is that I can multitask and leave it to do its work. With a handheld frother, I have to be present and patient as I bob the whisk up and down to create a silky milk foam. Handheld frothers also don’t heat milk. I’ve had a few unfortunate instances where I’ve overheated milk and sent scalding droplets splashing onto my hands as I tried to froth it. With the Magic Frother, the heating and frothing all happen inside the 17-ounce stainless steel pitcher.

I also like how simple and intuitive the Instant Pot Magic Frother’s settings are; I haven’t needed to consult the instruction manual to figure out how to use it. I simply set the pitcher on its plugged-in stand, place the plastic lid snugly on top, and then select my preferred combination of temperature and froth level using the buttons on the base. (I like medium froth and medium heat, or high froth and medium heat.),

Additionally, for someone who rents a city apartment with three other roommates, counter space is quite precious. Since the Magic Frother base and pitcher only measure six inches wide and a little over six inches tall, it doesn’t eat up much space. The whole contraption is also small and light enough that I can easily put it away in a cabinet.

Why We’re the Experts 

• Abigail Clarkin is a writer for Serious Eats who frequents cafes as part of her day job as a social media manager for restaurants in Providence, Rhode Island.
• Abigail has been avidly using the Instant Pot Magic Frother for over a year to make London Fogs, matcha lattes, hot chocolates, and a variety of other hot, milk-based drinks.