Frieling Milk Frother

[Lisa1349]

I saw this frother at Williams Sonoma. Does anyone have experience with it? Does it really do the job?

I'm addicted to froth and may have to buy an espresso machine just for that.

I am at your mercy... thanks for your guidance.

["T"]

I have a frother similar to this one. Frabosck??? I think the brand is called.

I sold the Frieling frother at my store but never got around to trying it. I'm sure it will work as well as the one I have. These type are the best for frothing milk. Thick, rich and creamy.

[Lisa1349]

Thanks! I'll pick it up then. Williams Sonoma should send you a comission!

[andiesenji]

I've had one of these for a couple of years and wrote about it in an earlier topic about coffee.

I even bought a second one to keep as a back up, just in case this was discontinued.

I use it all the time and love it. I have also given 4 or 5 as gifts and the recipients all have found them very handy (and safe to use).

It is not a single-purpose item, it can be used for many things other than just frothed and heated milk.

I gave one to one of the women who works in my office after she fractured her jaw in an auto accident. With her jaw wired shut her diet was very limited and she found she could mix soft custards, cheesy mixtures as well as frothy cocoas, and etc.

[skyflyer3]

I've had one of these for a couple of years and wrote about it in an earlier topic about coffee.

I even bought a second one to keep as a back up, just in case this was discontinued. 

I use it all the time and love it.  I have also given 4 or 5 as gifts and the recipients all have found them very handy (and safe to use). 

It is not a single-purpose item, it can be used for many things other than just frothed and heated milk.

I gave one to one of the women who works in my office after she fractured her jaw in an auto accident.  With her jaw wired shut her diet was very limited and she found she could mix soft custards, cheesy mixtures as well as frothy cocoas, and etc.

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I'm wondering what these other uses might be for a frother. Smoothing ganache or soups, like with an immersion blender?

[alanamoana]

for about ten dollars less for the exact same thing as the Frieling, you can buy a French Press. that's all it is. please read Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" and look up milk and frothing milk. invaluable information. i'm assuming that since this is eGullet that everyone has a copy of this great reference book.

[Andrew Fenton]

for about ten dollars less for the exact same thing as the Frieling, you can buy a French Press.  that's all it is.  please read Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" and look up milk and frothing milk.  invaluable information. 

Indeed! McGee has a method that's basically free and works like a charm:

1) Pour some milk in a clean jar. Close the lid and shake for 20 seconds.

2) Remove the lid and microwave for about 30 seconds.

You end up with a jar filled with lovely frothed milk, hot and stabilized and ready to go. Given the ease and efficacy of the technique, I'd say that $30 spent on a milk frother is $30 wasted.

[Lisa1349]

Have you tried it? Does it really work? I haven't bought the Freiling frother yet so maybe I won't! Would it work with 1/2 and 1/2?

[Andrew Fenton]

It works great. I'm sitting here drinking a cup of cafe au lait topped with a 2" high mound of froth. If there's any problem, it's that the froth is too stiff, almost like meringue. If I think of it, I'll take some pictures tomorrow and post them. But in the meantime, you should just try it: it's absurdly easy.

I don't know how well it would work with half-and-half. I'd guess it would work okay (though skim milk is the easiest to foam, thanks to its added proteins). It'd be worth a try.

[Andrew Fenton]

Okay, I didn't think of it for a while, and this is maybe overkill. But overkill is what the interweb is for, right? Anyway, some photos of the jar-froth method:

EXHIBIT ONE: cold skim milk in a clean jar. (The windowsill-- where the light is good-- isn't so clean, as that's where the cats sit. Please ignore the footprints. Thanx.)

EXHIBIT TWO: the milk, shaken for around 30 seconds, then microwaved for another 30 seconds. Please note the large increase in volume. There's still some hot, unfrothed milk at the bottom of the jar.

INTERLUDE: while I'm doing this, the coffee's a-brewin'.

And finally, EXHIBIT THREE: a cup of coffee topped with froth.

As you can see, this produces a very stiff foam. Usually I shake it a little less, to get a softer foam. I imagine that a higher-fat milk would also produce a softer foam.

CONCLUSION: this is one of those situations where the easy, cheap and effective all come together to produce an optimal result. Rock!

[Lisa1349]

Thanks for the pictoral, Andrew! I tried this method with heavy cream and with half and half during the week, wonderful! Since I don't have a steamer at home, it's nice to get a better than Charbucks experience in my own kitchen. Last week I ordered a soy latte as I'm newly intolerant to lacotse. I thought it tasted a lot like a regular latte, but thought I was just really getting used to the soy taste. Boy was I wrong, they sabotaged my latte with lactose ruining my trip to the shore. Foam at home! Thanks for the info.