Whether you have a cappuccino to get you started in the morning, or cuddle up with a cup of hot chocolate before bed, making the perfect drink of this variety can be tricky. The perfect drink in our eyes is one that has a decent amount of froth, which really enhances the drink. Creating the ideal amount of froth can be done a few ways, but we think the best way is to use a electric frother.
Capresso is one such company that makes electric milk frothers, and today we are going to be looking at the Capresso Milk Frother 202 model. Does it do a good job, or should you look elsewhere? More on this below.
Capresso Froth Pro Automatic Milk Frother 202
Capresso was formed as a company around 20 years ago, and was founded to introduce high quality European coffee appliances to the American market. The company has produced a number of innovative products over the years, and has gained a trustworthy following.
One of their most notable achievements was introducing the worlds first fully automatic milk frother to the market – the Froth Pro 202. They have introduced a few other models since then, but we are going to be taking a closer look at the 202 model in this article.
Design
Let’s talk about the design first. The color scheme they have used for this Capresso milk frother is black with stainless steel accents, which gives it a good modern feel. The top of the base is a stainless steel color, and the Capresso logo has also been added in stainless steel below that. The main controls are on the front, and these are the three buttons which are from left to right – Cold, Hot and Warm. These buttons each have a blue led behind them, and light up when in use.
The Capresso frother pitcher is black, and has a see through plastic top so you can keep an eye on things as the 202 works its magic. It is made out of aluminum, and has a stay cool handle. It also has a nonstick interior, and according to the specifications it is dishwasher safe. The nonstick coating is meant to be scratch resistant, although there is no mention of what kind of non stick coating has been used.
Features
The pitcher has three marked measuring levels inside, including 4 oz, 8 oz and 12 oz. 12 oz is the limit when warming milk without any froth, and of course 8 oz is the maximum you can do with froth.
This model comes with three discs, including two frothing discs and one heating disc. The two discs that are not in use clip into the underside of the base, which is handy for keeping them safe and out of the way. In most cases you will be using the frothing disc which is why a spare is provided.
The heating disc is mainly used if you want warm or hot milk without any froth, or if you want to mix a drink together. Each disc is attached to the bottom of the jug, and you simply need to pull it upwards to remove it. Pulling the discs out the first few times give you the feeling that they are about to snap in two, and it takes a little getting used to.
It’s a little easier once you get the hang of it, and the discs do seem to be resilient enough to last a long time. The cord at the rear of the Capresso froth pro automatic milk frother is unfortunately quite short, and this does limit you a little in terms of placement as it does need to be quite close to a power outlet to use.
Operation
Now lets talk about the operation of the Capresso frother. The Hot and Warm settings both run on an automated cycle, and switch off the machine when the required temperature has been reached. The Hot cycle leads to temperatures of around 140-150, which should be enough to satisfy most folks.
The Warm setting is quite handy if you have kids, and need something not quite as hot to prevent any burns. The Cold setting is not automated, and will run until you switch the machine off. There is no spindle running between the pitcher and the motor, and these two segments are linked together via magnets. This works quite well, and means there will never be any leaking or sealing issues with the pitcher.
So how long does the Capresso Milk Frother take to make froth? As an example, it takes around 4 minutes to make 4 oz of hot froth. The warm cycle doesn’t take as long, at around 3 minutes for the same quantity. Doubling the milk quantity will add a bit more to the overall time, so keep this in mind.
Skim milk or 2% milk will produce the best amount of froth, and it will leave you with large frothy bubbles. However it will not be quite as sweet as whole milk for example. However, whole milk is more difficult to froth, as the fat tends to weigh it down a little. In most case you will only get around 50% froth from a batch of whole milk, so it really comes down to what your personal preference is. You best bet is to experiment a little, and see what kind of flavor you prefer.
Flaws
There are a one or two minor things worth mentioning here regarding this Capresso frother. Firstly the pitcher does get quite warm when running on the hot cycle, so be careful that you don’t put it down on an unsuitable surface when it has finished. This is easy to avoid, and you can simply return it onto the base until it has cooled down. Another issue is that we have read some reports of the nonstick coating peeling off below where the frothing disc rotates. This seems to happen after a prolonged period of use, often after a few years. A tell tale sign of this is when the machine makes a scratching noise when in use. Capresso do sell replacement pitchers for $12, so getting it replaced is not too costly or difficult. Aside from that the only other complaint we have is about the short extension cord, already mentioned above.
Summary
If you are looking for any easy way to froth milk, then the Capresso milk frother 202 is a solid choice. It may be a little pricey at around $60, but you often see it on sale for less than that. You can find out more about the Capresso Froth Pro Automatic Milk Frother over on the Amazon page.