Aerolatte 1 Stainless-Steel Deluxe Edition Frother with Stand, Chrome

Possibly the best purchase I've ever made (2010-07-02) : 5/5
In an effort to curb my (very expensive) Starbucks habit, I've taken to only getting the $.54 refills of iced tea. However, it makes me miss my lattes like nobody's business. I started looking for a good milk frother without having to purchase an espresso machine... a feat I've attempted before and failed miserably before donating the machine to Goodwill. Long story short... after the first time I used the Aerolatte, I was hooked.

How I use it: I use a tall, 16 oz. latte mug and fill it 1/3 of the way with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. While heating this for 1 minute, I pour 3 oz. filtered water into a measuring cup. Once the milk is done, take it out of the microwave and put the water in for a minute. While the water is heating, use the Aerolatte according to the package directions, making sure to move the wand around the outside of the mug so it doesn't give you the tornado effect, but not necessarily touching the mug. Stop as soon as the water is done... this should be about 45 seconds of frothing and the milk/froth should take up about 2/3 of the mug. Mix instant espresso powder (yes I'm lazy) and a teaspoon of any flavored syrup you wish (I use sugar-free Torani) into the water. Pour this mixture straight through the foam into the mug and sweeten as you wish.

The creativity is limited by the flavored syrups you have on hand, but I tend to stick to 2 or 3 flavors at Starbucks anyway. By my calculations, the Aerolatte will pay for itself in about 5 uses.
So Pleased! (2010-06-27) : 4/5
First, I'm NOT a kitchen gadget person. I want a knife and a cutting board, not a different gadget for every different job.

We've had this for a few weeks now and LOVE IT! This takes up just a tiny bit of counter space, cleans easily (I wipe it down and run it in hot soapy water), and works well. We have rechargeable batteries in it and they last through 3 uses a day for about 2 weeks before having to switch out.

I've always thought Starbucks was over-roasted, muddy, and over-priced to begin with. The other day I was crashing so stopped for a mocha and was seriously woken up to how awful it is. After drinking lovely cappuccinos at home every morning for weeks now with this fabulous frother, there's no way I can go back to that yick.

Better for my body, wallet, and waistline!
Performs better than claims (2010-05-16) : 5/5
This little product will froth your milk in about 5 seconds, without mess or fuss, seriously, if you follow the extremely simple, foolproof directions. I was quite surprised at the quick action and impressed at the efficiency of this little unit. The case is solid, feels quality made and it's very stable sitting on the coffee bar in the provided bracket and looks quite nice. It also packs into luggage quickly - it's surprising how a bit of beaten milk will make even questionable coffee better. The actual beater is a sturdy, semi-flexible little wand perfect for dealing with liquids on a small scale, quickly - anything much thicker or bigger and you'd end up with a large ball of suds exploding out of your pitcher.

Getting that microfoam style takes a little fiddling and experimentation - I found that keeping the wand deep, rounding it around the cup, then removing the Aerolatte (uh, stopping it first, apparently that's not a given with some of these reviews here) and then slamming the pitcher onto the counter a few times (which is how they do it at local coffee shops) results in a 'settled' foam and one that is creamier with smaller bubbles. You can also swirl as you pour into your espresso which compresses the foam and gives it that micro feel. If you like the Starbucks soap suds style, run the wand a little higher in the milk, then after you're done, place a knife against the pitcher, pour your milk, then spoon the foam atop. This works as well for a cappuccino. Be sure you use warm or hot milk. Use a deeper cup, pitcher or tumbler, as per directions.

"Milkshakes" mean something a little different overseas than it does here - it's very cold milk beaten up with flavouring into a rich mixture, sort of like a light, foamy smoothy, not the actual ice cream beaten up, so the use pattern is different for that. It won't beat big hunks of ice cream or anything.

While the milk heats in the microwave I pull my shots, then whiz the milk, which takes a next to no time, put it all together, and there it is. Several times a day.

Oh yeah - no kid gloves; just, you know, just use your head. :-p
Right out of the box, didn't work (2010-05-10) : 1/5
I guess I would have given this item zero stars if I could have, because I never got it to turn on, right out of the box! It comes with its own "new" batteries and a little flexible plastic tab that you are instructed to remove to activate them, but it never did turn on. Even after replacing with brand-new batteries, item still would not work. Very disappointed... will be returning.
Froth Froth and Froth (2010-05-08) : 5/5
I just received this item and used it a few times. I am very impressed with the foamy froth produced by this small appliance. I had previously tried a coffee/cappucino maker with a steam frother and it was awful. This little appliance makes my coffee just like the cafe ole I enjoyed while in Spain. It is so easy to use; I placed a small amount of milk (skim plus) in my regular sized mug, microwaved to warm about 20 seconds and frothed. Then I poured the coffee on top of the froth. There is so much froth it is still in the cup after the coffee is gone. Also important is it takes only a tiny space on the counter, the stand is perfect, would recc only to buy with a stand.