Since the Irish Mirror published a story announcing the arrival of the Dreo BaristaMaker Milk Frother, I’ve been inundated with requests from readers (and friends and family) enquiring about this clever kitchen appliance.
It is perfect for making flat white coffee, cappuccino or latte - along with a range of other drinks - and what’s best of all is that anyone can use it and get great results.
It is now available on Kickstarter and goes on general release in September on the Dreo website.
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Here are the reasons I enjoyed using it so much…
What’s in the box
The key part of the Dreo BaristaMaker Milk Frother is the smart base, which contains the heating element on the inside and all the clever tech on the outside - the latter is accessible using a simple and responsive touchscreen.
Also in the box is a milk jug (that you can use as a pitcher) and a detachable lid (that it is best to leave on when making your hot milk.
And you get a holder for your two magnetic tips - the amazing Impeller tip and the Disc tip. I’ll explain what each does in more detail below.
The Milk Frother has a compact design and will fit in every kitchen. It takes up the same space as an electric kettle.
How to operate
You must insert the right frothing tip into the jug before you insert your milk. The machine will tell you which magnetic tip to use after you choose your drink. Installing and removing them is effortless.
To the left of the front display is a panel for Froth mode - you choose your milk from the list of presets (full milk, half and half, almond, soy, oat and coconut) then choose the type of foam you require.
There are three foam programs that make latte art possible - hot cappuccino, hot latte and hot flat white. You can also choose hot thick foam for the likes of macchiato, and cold thick foam for iced drinks such as iced cappuccino.
To the right is Stir Mode and options to choose your speed (low or high) and temperature (130 degrees to 170 degrees fahrenheit). This is for non-foam stir drinks such as protein powder or matcha.
There really is nothing to think about, as the Milk Frother makes everything so easy. There are markings inside the jug for the minimum amount of milk to use, the optimum amount for latte art, the maximum amount for foam drinks and the maximum for stir drinks.
It takes less than four minutes to make your milk which you can then add to your espresso coffee. I've also been happy with results adding the milk foam to coffee brewed using a pour over method such as a V60 or Aeropress.
The narrow spout on the jug makes the latte art possible. Practice makes perfect with latte art.
What milk to use
I tried the Milk Frother out with a selection of milks: full fat, lactose free, slimline among them. I also tested out almond, oat and coconut varieties.
Dreo recommends certain brands in the literature bundled with the machine but I only recognised one brand (Oatly) so I assume the rest are American.
The only Irish World Barista Champion was Stephen Morrissey who won the competition in 2008 in Copenhagen. He told me back then that the best milk to use when making milk-based coffees is Avonmore as it is the brand which offers year-round consistency in its milk because of the breed of cows the firm uses.
That must still be true today, as using Avonmore full fat milk or Avonmore Lactose Free milk with the Dreo Milk Frother produced excellent results that were superior to other brands I tried.
When it comes to non-dairy alternatives, remember that the main ingredient in most nut milks is water so the thickness of the foam won't always be quite the same and this is not Dreo's fault. I found it’s worth paying a little extra for the best quality versions of these milks you can buy. I was not happy with the thickness of the foam from the coconut, soy or almond milks I tested with the Milk Frother, but I found the oat milks I tested delivered consistently pleasing results.
My best advice would be to use the barista-branded varieties of whichever nut milk is your favourite.
Cleaning up
You can easily clean the jug, lid, and frothing tips with warm soapy water. They are dishwasher safe. The smart base should not be exposed to liquid, however.
Verdict
Dreo BaristaMaker Milk Frother is an inexpensive and easy-to-use machine for making milk-based coffees. If you like latte, cappuccino - whether iced or hot - or a flat white, then this machine can elevate your home brewing experience.
It’s such an easy machine to use. You don’t need to be a coffee nerd. The user interface is simple to operate and the smart tech takes care of everything else. It’s also easy to clean afterwards.
Availability
Dreo BaristaMaker Milk Frother is available on Kickstarter, with an early bird offer of up to 30 percent off the suggested retail price of $99. If you join the Dreo community, you could win a grand prize worth €3,200. And if you sign up for the BaristaMaker launch on dreo.com, you can enjoy a €15 storewide discount.
On September 15, Dreo BaristaMaker Milk Frother will be available on general release at full price on dreo.com and other retailers.
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