SIMPLETASTE Milk Frother Handheld Electric Foam Maker Battery Operated

Why it's worth it

This is a battery-powered wand with a stainless whisk that whips hot or cold milk into foam in 15 to 30 seconds. It won't make latte art. But it turns a plain espresso, a drip coffee or a matcha into something that feels like a treat.

For milk drinks on a budget, nothing else here comes close. It runs on two AA batteries, sits in a little stand on the counter, and rinses clean under the tap in about five seconds. If your machine has no steam wand — or you're making chai, hot chocolate or a cold foam — this covers you. The motor is genuinely strong for something the size of a pen.

It's also the most flexible thing in this guide. Owners reach for it as often for protein powder, electrolyte mixes and matcha as for coffee. If you're building a setup piece by piece, this is the one that earns its space on day one and never becomes redundant, even after you eventually buy a machine with a proper wand.

From our review of 9 home barista gear, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +For milk drinks on a budget, nothing else here comes close
• +It's also the most flexible thing in this guide
• +The foam it makes is the airy, bubbly kind — closer to the top of a diner cappuccino than the dense microfoam off a steam wand

What to know

• –Handhelds die. Owners report motors quitting after a few months of daily use often enough that you should treat this as a…
• –The stand is flimsy, and a fair number of buyers find theirs bent in the box