7 Best Cold Foam Blenders
Cold foam is perhaps the best coffee innovation in years — and you can easily recreate the same frothiness at home using the right blender!
What are the best cold foam blenders? The best cold foam blenders are the ones that can quickly incorporate air into the milk mixture. They are also designed to dispense cold foam in the quickest way possible. Blenders like the Magic Bullet, Nutribullet, Vitamix, Ninja Fit, and more are great for making cold foam at home.
Read below to learn more about what cold foam is, how to make it, and the best blenders for making quick cold foam at home!
What Is Cold Foam?
Cold foam was first introduced by Starbucks in 2018.
In simple terms, it’s just a dollop of thick-frothed milk that sits on top of any cold beverage.
What makes cold foam so unique is that it doesn’t immediately mix into the drink, but rather floats on top and slowly cascades down, creating a slow and visually pleasing immersion.
The benefit of cold foam is that you can make it using any flavoring ingredient and it provides a separate layer of flavor.
This essentially means that you can get multiple (and discernable) flavors from a single beverage! A great example of this would be a regular cold coffee beverage that has a vanilla-flavored cold foam on top.
Not only will you get separate flavor notes from the coffee, but as the beverage passes through the vanilla-flavored layer of cold foam, it will also add that delicious vanilla flavor to it!
This is why cold foam is unlike what you would normally find in a hot beverage.
Hot Vs Cold Milk
When you heat milk, the fat and protein molecules in the milk create a barrier around the escaping air bubbles.
The air bubbles themselves are due to the protein content in the milk; the more protein, the more bubbles! This is why you wouldn’t find the same frothiness in alternatives like almond milk, which would only form small bubbles.
As the water evaporates, the milk solids keep the bubbles from bursting, and within seconds the milk doubles in volume and becomes aerated.
When this happens, the consistency of the milk changes — it thickens and creates a frothy mixture of air and milk.
However, pouring this mixture into any hot beverage will cause it to immediately mix with the hot coffee. This happens due to the kinetic charge of the molecules in the hot coffee and frothed milk.
To keep things simple, you can just remember this effect with a simple phrase: hot mixes, cold floats!
Handheld Frother Vs Blender
You may be tempted to use a handheld frother instead of a blender — while you may be able to achieve some success, the frother just won’t be able to aerate the milk enough due to its relatively lightweight 15-25W motor.
Can you get cold foam from any handheld frother? Yes. Will that cold foam be of high quality and match the consistency of top coffeehouses? Absolutely not!
Remember, hot milk is easier to froth, which is why most handheld frothers can get the job done without requiring a lot of torque — cold milk requires a high-powered motor to forcefully add air into the milk.
In other words, a handheld frother is great for superficially creating froth over hot beverages.
But if you want the real deal when making cold foam, you will have to go for a high-powered blender that can make quick work of the milk within seconds instead of requiring several minutes, as is in the case of the frother.
How To Make Cold Foam
We have already talked about how frothed milk is just another way of saying “aerated” milk.
The formula for creating cold foam is similar to creating frothed milk — but instead of using hot milk, you will just use cold, low-fat milk to create a frothy mixture.
Why low-fat milk? Low-fat milk may have less fat, but it is also fortified with added protein — as we have discussed above: more protein, more bubbles!
The protein content in low-fat milk also works to stabilize the froth and mimics the characteristics of fat — without the added calories.
Here is how to make cold foam at home:
- In a blender, add low-fat milk and close the lid.
- Pulse the mixture for about 10-20 seconds or until the milk thickens and you can visibly see it double in size.
- Remove the blender chute from the machine and lightly tap on the base to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Simply pour the cold foam over any cold beverage and enjoy!
Note: You can also flavor the mixture using syrup or a “flavor pump,” just like Starbucks. Add the flavoring with the milk in Step 1, then continue as instructed.
How Does Starbucks Make Cold Foam?
Starbucks uses specialized blenders with a one-button function. Their blenders have a preset that is specifically made for cold foam.
However, they only do this to save time and to reduce error — not because making cold foam requires specificity.
In theory, you can use any type of blender to create cold foam, but there are a few considerations that you need to keep in mind.
Buyer’s Guide For Cold Foam Blenders
Before you get into our recommendations, please go through this buyer’s guide that will help you pick the best blender for cold foam and other generic kitchen use!
Here is what you need to look out for:
- Size And Wattage
- Presets/Controls
- Versatility
Size And Wattage
Size and wattage go hand in hand when it comes to blenders.
Think about it — a smaller blender with a compact jug will not require a lot of power to blend food. So, even with a low-wattage motor, you will still get a very decent cold foam.
Just make sure that the blender has a power wattage of around 250W and a capacity of approximately 0.5 liters.
Avoid going for blenders that have a lower wattage and a larger size than the above-mentioned ratio — these appliances won’t be able to aerate the milk and create a thick cold foam.
Presets/Controls
While having presets isn’t necessary, if you have added controls for the speed and timing of the blender, then that could minimize effort from your side!
In most cases, you will only need to run the blender at high speed for just a few seconds — but it would also be nice to have a pulse setting that can help you aerate the milk exactly as per your preference.
Having presets will also come in handy when you want to use the blender for other purposes as well! Smoothies, for example, may require presets to get the most out of their texture.
But if you don’t mind a single-button operation then you can easily use that to make cold foam with a bit of guesswork and manual control too!
Versatility
Since cold foams are incredibly easy to make, we highly recommend that you purchase a blender that can help you with your everyday kitchen tasks as well.
Remember, cold foam usually requires a high-powered and compact blender to aerate cold milk, unlike warm milk, which can easily be aerated with just a handheld frother.
If you have a very large blender, then chances are that you won’t be able to make high-quality cold foam — unless you add a lot of low-fat milk.
This is why you may need to purchase a separate and smaller blender for frothing milk. Fortunately, they don’t cost much and you can also use the blender for other purposes too!
Please keep in mind that the best way to ensure that you get your money’s worth out of an appliance is to first assess your overall needs — try to go for a separate, smaller blender if it fulfills other kitchen requirements.
Best Cold Foam Blenders
It’s time to look at the best cold foam blenders on the market!
Remember: there isn’t any specific blender that is purposefully designed for making cold foam at home. So, we picked the ones that will work just as well!
These blenders will help you with not just cold foam, but also general purposes:
| Rank | Product | Best Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Bullet Blender | Compact, powerful, and convenient. The best option for making cold foam at home! |
| 2 | Nutribullet Personal Blender | Make cold foam and virtually any other type of beverage using this versatile and convenient blender. |
| 3 | Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender | True to its name, this blender is fast, discreet, and very convenient. Excellent choice for making thick cold foam. |
| 4 | Vitamix Explorian Blender | An all-in-one solution for making regular or flavored cold foam at home. |
| 5 | Mueller Ultra Bullet Blender | Inexpensive, compact, and highly capable. The best option for making cold foam on the go! |
| 6 | KOIOS PRO 850W Bullet Blender | Make quick work of milk and any other ingredient with this multipurpose blender. |
| 7 | Healnitor Nutri Blender | Get full control with this compact and powerful blender. Comes with presets and convenient controls. |
1. Magic Bullet Blender
The Magic Bullet Blender is your one-stop solution for making cold foam and everything in between.
This is a highly popular, all-purpose blender that is perfect for making all types of beverages.
It can plow through dense foods with ease using its relatively low-wattage but high-torque motor.
The Magic Bullet balances size with power and delivers consistent results without taking a lot of time! It is designed to finish most functions within 10 seconds — which makes it perfect for making cold foam.
All you need is to add low-fat milk and a splash of vanilla syrup and run the bullet at high speed for about 10 seconds – et voila! Instant cold foam without the accompanying mess.
The best part? Its low-profile container doubles as a frothing cup that you can simply tilt to pour the thickened foam!
2. Nutribullet Personal Blender
The Nutribullet works in the same way as the Magic Bullet, but it is equipped with a much more powerful motor.
Coming in at 600W, this powerhouse of a blender can easily render dense foods — it can also make quick work of milk and any other ingredient you throw at it!
You can try mixing the milk with other thick flavoring syrups and this blender will still emulsify the mixture within seconds. It is easy to clean, compact, and designed to work effortlessly with a one-push design.
Load up the milk and froth away, then simply pour the cold foam straight from the container!
3. Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender
The Ninja Fit is one of our favorite picks for making cold foam because of its tall, narrow, and cylindrical container design.
The machine is equipped with a powerful 700W motor that can easily cut through any type of food with ease.
Its narrow design is extremely beneficial for frothing milk because it will allow the milk to aerate more efficiently due to the increased torque.
Ideally, you can make a glass’s worth of cold foam within 5 seconds using this blender. It’s also dishwasher safe and it can be kept in any tight space thanks to its slim design!
4. Vitamix Explorian Blender
You might have already heard of the Vitamix blender. This popular machine has been around for quite some time but it has perhaps never been advertised as a cold foam maker!
The Vitamix is designed to process very dense food using its incredible 1500W motor — so, you can be sure that it can easily aerate milk within seconds!
The machine comes with a manual knob control that allows you to change the speed of the motor.
We recommend starting at the 3rd (third) level and then adjusting the power setting to get the right consistency.
5. Mueller Ultra Bullet Blender
Looking for an on-the-go solution for your cold foam needs? Then check out this fantastic blender that you can just throw in your backpack!
It may not look powerful, but this machine is equipped with a heavy-duty motor that can process thick pieces of ice within seconds.
It is the perfect blender for people who are always on the go. Thinking of going on a camping trip? Then take this blender with you and make delicious cold foam coffee under the stars!
The blender is easy to clean and intuitive to use — it even comes with a safety lock so that you can leave the machine unattended, without worry!
6. KOIOS PRO 850W Bullet Blender
The best thing about the KOIOS Pro is that it features a whopping 850W motor in a slim and low-profile chassis.
This blender is an excellent addition for anyone keen on making smoothies and other types of beverages.
It can easily froth milk within seconds using its high-powered, 22,000 RPM motor — and it is also incredibly easy to operate!
The blender comes with a range of different lids that you can use to store the cold foam in the fridge before adding it to your favorite cold coffee.
7. Healnitor Nutri Blender
Get full control over the blending capabilities of your blender!
The Healnitor Nutri Blender is perhaps the most powerful machine on our list, given its power-to-size ratio.
It is equipped with a 1,000W motor in a 0.5-liter chassis — and despite this, it is one of the most well-tuned and quiet blenders on here.
Its high RPM motor allows it to quickly process milk and virtually any other ingredient within seconds! You can even adjust the power setting on this blender to increase or decrease the consistency of the foam.
Use the convenient pulse button on the blender to quickly aerate the mixture or just turn it on at medium and make thick and rich cold foam within 8-10 seconds!
This blender is also easy to clean and convenient to store — it comes with a range of useful lids to store your unused cold foam and other beverages, too!
