Customer Reviews

Bodum Shin Bistro 4-Ounce Milk Frother

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have had my Bodum frother for about three years (older model than this one, black plastic top) and have had no problems with it other than my husband hitting the top rim with something and chipping the glass. I smoothed it out with an emery board nail file and it is fine, but that prompted me to look on Amazon to see if they still sold them so that I could order a backup but they are a little pricey now; I think I paid only about $10 for mine.

Many people have criticized this product because the glass broke and it seems many people are using metal spoons with it. To me it is common sense when dealing with a thin glass product such as this to use a plastic utensil if you need one. One of those long handled plastic spoons like you get at an ice cream shop work well. I usually just pour my froth out and wait a few seconds with a couple of little shakes which gets most of it out.

I always heat the milk (or half & half which I use most of the time) in the microwave first right in the beaker, then do the pumping and have had no problems doing it that way. I actually think heated milk froths better and creates a finer froth. Many people are under the false impression that heated milk won't froth but I think this is because most of the instructions on frothing are for espresso machines where it is always suggested to use very cold milk before steaming and frothing. But this is because of the heating factor with the hot steam. You have to use cold milk or you won't have enough time to froth before the milk reaches the ideal temperature. If you used preheated milk it would quickly overheat using hot steam to froth. So I think because of this many people assume that you need cold milk for any kind of frothing.

My Bodum has held up extremely well over the years that I have used it but I am careful with it and never put it in the dishwasher. I always immediately rinse both the wand and beaker, fill with a little warm water and detergent, then pump a few times to disperse the detergent. I then rinse well and air dry. I rarely take it apart to clean. Once in awhile I use a very soft brush to clean the screen.

This little frother is both convenient and stress free, no worrying about timing, or temperature, as with the espresso machine wands. You just pump for as long as you want until you're happy with the volume of your froth, which you can easily see because of the clear glass.

Laura

After using my sister's Bodum milk frother I experimented with my Bodum 3-cup coffee press to see if it would froth my skim milk, and sure enough! It was just as good, if not better than her frother! (I also like to add a little Splenda to the froth I make to use it as whipped cream on my fruit desserts...) You could try the Bodum coffee press you now use for your coffee and make your froth first, then the coffee. So, no need to go out and buy another product to clutter up your cupboard.

The glass beaker is a useful shape, which fits easily into a microwave to heat the milk, and is also easy to wash and dry. The plunger does what it is supposed to do - create froth. It gives a satisfying appearance to coffee drinks with milk, and I find the result more interesting and pleasant than just adding hot milk. But the foam does not approach the silky texture and consistency that can be achieved by a good barrista using the steam wand of a high quality espresso machine - not surprising considering the low price.

This works really great using fat free milk - nice foam. It's better than the metal version because I can put the milk in the frother then in the microwave vs using 2 containers to heat it. I bought 2 - one will make a very nice "house gift" when I visit my sister soon.

Ok. I'm not really driven to spend time writing product reviews, but this frother has changed my coffee habit into a daily joyous occasion. Bottom line is this Bodum frother makes the best froth you could ever hope for. But there's a little bit of history.

I bought my first Bodum frother from a catalog. The top seal broke within a week rendering the frother unusable. I sent it back to the catalog company. Got a replacement, no problem. No hassle. Now it took an accident for me to blunder into the best way to make frother. Use 2% milk. Fill to line (or half way to line for one cup) and pump for 15 or 20 seconds while still cold. Then microwave for 30 seconds. Voila! Best froth ever. Better than all the cappuccino makers, electric frothers, pumps, hand held spinners, I've tried them all.

One last caveat. Don't get too attached to the glass beaker. I've broken three of them. They are very fragile and no doubt you too will break it after a few weeks or months of use. But not to fear. What you are paying for, and it is well worth the price, is the frother pump. Simply find a cheap mug that will fit the pump and you are good to go. While using it the office, I found out that one of those cheap, standard small-sized promotional mugs fits the frother and makes one perfect cup using the method above.

Your friends and family WILL be amazed. If everyone had one of these Bodum forther pumps Starbucks traffic would dwindle. For the price of the frother pump, I made the most amazing Mocha Latte with Carmel topping you could imagine. Beve Tutti!

Easy to use, easy to clean, works well frothing 2% milk. However, I don't
own a microwave; therefore, I heated my milk first in pan on stove, care-
fully trasferred into pre-warmed beaker and proceeded to froth. Method
was working beautifully until I noticed the plastic covering on the underneath center of the frothing wand had split. Apparently, this product is designed to be used in cold milk only. However, cost was minimal ($10.00) from a local food co-op. So, overall, you get your money's worth.

I have had problems in the past with the steamer wand plugging on my cappuccino machine. This is quick and easy to clean.

I've purchased two of these now (first one broke when dropped) and have been extremely pleased with the product produced. I have the most success by reversing the recommended procedure: pump first, then microwave.

If you are looking to make really full & creamy froth, this is it, look no further!

I have a BonJour Primo Latte Frother & Capresso 121.01 Ultima & Saeco Super Automatic one, nothing compares with this simple design. It's so easy to use, you wonder why can't these $500 machines can't make the same froth as this $20 manual gadget.

BonJour Primo Latte Frother - It's nice & easy to use, but the froth dissappears after a few minutes, and doesn't have as much volume or as smooth as this Bodum.

Espresso machines with steam, the problem is it's #1 - hard to clean / set up, #2 - it heats up the milk so it's never possible to have cold froth. And because it heats the milk to a boil, sometimes the milk boils before there's enough froth.

Resolution - Bodum Shin Bistro. This gadget is so easy to use, just pour milk, pump, and enjoy. cleaning is basically just run it thru water right after use, can't get any easier. If you let it sit there after use and the milk dries, then it might be more difficult to clean. As far as the glass being fragile, I've had no problems so far. It's glass, you can easily see it's glass, so use common sense and be reasonablly gentle with it and it'll be perfectly fine.

Normally, I'm a Bodum fan, but not this time. Everything here is loose. Where the plunger shaft goes through the lid is loose. The lid has significant play and does not fit tightly into the glass carafe. So, when moving the plunger up and down to froth the milk, milk is drawn up onto the outside of the lid as well as splashed out between the lid & carafe. It's a bit of a mess.

Additionally, you can't really froth a small amount. I normally do just an ounce to cap my espresso with, and should have suspected that the 4 oz. "Maximum" line is really a 4 oz. target line.

I'm going to replace my battery-powered whisk-style frother and chalk this up to lessons learned.