How to clean your milk frother (all types)

Dried or burnt milk can be a real problem to clean your milk frother.
And while these increasingly popular devices help us make our foamy milk, not many of us enjoy cleaning them.

Also Read: best milk frothers – Comparison and buying guide

In addition, not every milk frother is cleaned in the same way. For example, electric and stovetop frothers can suffer from milk burns.

The problem is that this can’t just be scrubbed off because it can damage the non-stick coating of many of these types of milk frothers.

While handheld skimmers, the dry can stick to the whisk head, which can be tricky to remove.

Milk tends to stick to our milk frothers because it contains sugar (lactose) and protein (casein) that can caramelize into a sticky paste.

But if you don’t thoroughly clean your milk frother, it will cause problems. Worst of all is a build-up of bacteria and unpleasant odors on the milk froth itself.

This can even affect the taste of your drink – yay!

In this guide, we’ll take a look at how to clean each kind of milk frother. We’ll also show you the best methods we know of to keep your milk frother simple and easy to clean.

Cleaning a handheld/manual milk frother

Handheld milk frothers are by far the easiest to clean. Compact units like the ever-popular Aerolatte can be cleaned in two ways.

The first is immediately after use. Careful cleaning with a soapy sponge and a rinse in warm water will quickly make your milk frother sparkle.

It is always best to clean your milk frother soon after use. Milk is always harder to remove once it dries.

The second way is just as easy, and a little more fun

Step 1 – Fill a cup or small glass with warm water and a little dish soap (a drop or two is enough).

Step 2 – Place the whisk head in the water and turn on your milk frother. Let it run for 10-15 seconds and then turn it off and remove it.

Step 3 – Empty the glass, rinse it quickly, and fill it with clean water (no soap this time). Place the whisk of your pipe back in the water and turn it on again for 10-15 seconds and remove it.

This will wash away the soap residue. Although a rinse under the tap works just as well.

Never submerge the housing of a manual milk frother. Instead, wipe it gently with a damp cloth and then dry it before storing it.

Cleaning an electric milk frother

Popular electric brothers like the Jura or Nespresso can be cleaned quite easily and generally all electric brothers follow a similar cleaning process:

Step 1 – To start, unplug the milk frother and remove the main jug from the bottom of the appliance.

Step 2 – Remove the whisk and clean it by gently washing it under a running tap with a soapy, non-abrasive sponge. Once clean, dry thoroughly.

Step 3 – Remove the lid from the milk frother and wipe it gently with a soft wet sponge. Milk can sometimes get behind the rubber seal found on many lids.

If it can be removed gently, do so and wipe the seal itself. Then dry the lid and gasket thoroughly before reattaching the gasket to the lid.

Step 4 – Finally, the housing of the milk frother is cleaned. It should never be submerged in water. Instead, you should gently wipe it with a wet, non-abrasive sponge. Many electric milk frothers have a non-stick coating that should make this easy.

But, if you notice some stubborn, stuck-on, burnt milk. Then you can clean it in two ways.

The first is to put a little water in the milk frother and let it soak for 5-10 minutes. After that, you can wipe off the burnt milk.

The second is to gently scrape off the milk with a small wooden or plastic spoon. NEVER use a metal spoon as this will damage the non-stick coating.

When you’re done, you can give the case a quick rinse, taking care not to let the device get wet or dry.

Step 5 – The main body can be gently wiped with a soft damp sponge and then dried. Cleaning chemicals can sometimes attack the chrome or copper finish of some appliances, so their use should be avoided.

Cleaning a cooker / manual milk frother

Manual milk frothers like the Bodum are one of the easiest to clean. Some can be placed in the dishwasher whole.

And because they have no electrical parts, they can even be washed like any other kitchen utensil or cutlery.

If your manual milk frother has plastic parts, first check whether they are dishwasher safe.

If you plan to hand wash a stovetop/manual milk frother, we recommend this:

Step 1 – Remove the plunger and mesh from the jug and wash it. This should be washed with warm soapy water and then rinsed under a running tap.

This way you can not only remove all soap suds but also ensure that you have rinsed away all milk.

The mesh should be dried thoroughly after washing as some are metal and can rust if damp.

Step 2 – Clean the carafe with a soft soapy sponge to wipe off any milk residue. For stubborn burnt-on milk, let it soak for 5-10 minutes before wiping it off. Dry thoroughly and replace the plunger.