I am so happy I bought this machine! I have a DeLonghi espresso maker, and it makes great espresso, but the milk frother on my machine is a joke. In looking for a better milk frothing solution, I tried Aerolatte machines, but I wasn't satisfied with their weak results either. Luckily, I stumbled onto this device.
To be clear, I was seeking out very thick, creamy, meringue-like froth. My espresso machine and the Aerolatte made foam with bubbles far too large to support this type of froth, so I was skeptical when I saw that this machine advertised "meringue-like frother," yet works on pretty much the same principle as an Aerolatte frother. Nevertheless, I decided to try it out, and on its first run, it gave me exactly what I was looking for: mounds of soft, pillowy forthed milk that looked more like whipped cream or meringue. I was also left with just enough steamed milk at the bottom of the pitcher to make my cappuccino.
Making frothed milk with this machine couldn't be easier: add cold milk, put on the lid, and press a button. A few minutes later, the machine automatically shuts down when it's done. As I said, you're left with mounds of perfect frothed milk, and just enough steamed milk to finish your drink. The pitcher has a nonstick surface, so cleanup is pretty simple and doens't take much time.
My only complaint is that it's a bit difficult to remove the frothing disk from the bottom of the pitcher, and the instructions don't provide any guidance or tips. My technique is to reach down underneath the disk and just pry up one side until it pops off. The disk is quite firmly connected to the pitcher and is made of thin plastic, so it doesn't seem like the best design. Like a previous reviewer, I was initially scared that I might break the disk, but it hasn't happened yet, so maybe it's more rugged than it looks. There's a little tab that sticks up from the center of each disk--it looks like it's for gripping the disk, but I didn't have any luck removing it that way. Another complaint is that the disk-mounting assembly sticking up at the bottom center of the pitcher is like a little needle! I got a pretty bad poke when figuring out how to attach and remove the disks, and, again, I didn't see any warning in the instruction book.
Overall, however, these are very minor complaints, and I'm more than satisfied with this unit. It is a bit pricey for such a specialized machine, but if you'd otherwise be buying your coffee at a coffee shop, you'll make up the cost of the machine and then some in no time!