Epica Electric Milk Frother and Heater, reviewed

I drink quite a bit of coffee – after all, it pairs so well with so many baked goods! – and definitely like some variety in my coffee routine. I have more than a few coffee makers, everything from an espresso machine to a Nespresso to a Chemex. There are lots of options for coffee makers out there, but there aren’t as many options when it comes to milk for coffee. Most of the time, people simply add cold milk or cream to their coffee and wait until they’re out at the coffee shop for a foamier latte or cappuccino. If you have an espresso machine, you can steam milk, but you may not want to fire that up just to take your regular drip coffee from good to great.

I recent picked up an Epica Electric Milk Frother and Heater as an easy way to up my at-home coffee game. The gadget froths milk into a creamy foam at the touch of a button and can be used for both hot and cold drinks because it can heat the milk while it froths it. I’ve used a variety of milk frothing gadgets in the past and, while many of them work, they don’t have the ability to heat the milk while doing it.

To use it, the frother is filled up with milk and you select the hot or cold froth button. The hot option brings the milk to a very comfortable drinking temperature in under a minute and the heat turns off automatically so you don’t need to worry about the milk burning. I found that while the milk isn’t as evenly aerated as traditionally steamed milk (made using an espresso machine) is, it is creamy when you first pour it out and makes a nice DIY latte. If you just want the foam, simply let the milk sit for 30 seconds before scooping off a pile of foam. Of course, the cold option works just as well and makes it easy to create your own iced cappuccinos and similar drinks. The foam is too stiff to allow you to make latte art, but it still looks and tastes great – and you can always dust a little cinnamon or cocoa powder on top of your mug to dress up your drink.

The Epica has a nonstick interior and is easy to clean as a result. A small, soft brush is included in the box to ensure that you can get around the frothing attachment. I recommend cleaning it right away, as heated milk can leave a bit of a coating on the bottom of the frother. Fortunately it only takes a few seconds to clean that nonstick surface and get it ready for next time.

This is a great addition to my coffee making tools. I don’t always take my coffee with milk, but this makes it so easy to enjoy a creamier coffee drink when the mood strikes. It also takes up very little space, so it is easy to store when not in use.