11 Ways to Use a Handheld Milk Frother, From Whipped Cream to Smooth Tequila This small-but-mighty tool can take on dishes from scrambled eggs to salad dressing. Close Credit: Getty / Siarhei Khaletski If you don’t have a handheld milk frother in your kitchen toolkit, now is the time to get one. And, if you already own one but are wondering how to use a milk frother, we're here for you. Our guide to how to get the most from this handy gadget goes beyond the obvious (your morning latte), to using it for sauces, condiments, other drinks, even eggs. Any of these ideas can be done with a built-in frother on an espresso machine, but our focus is the convenient and affordable handheld version. How to Make Your Favorite Coffee Shop Drinks at Home How to Use a Milk Frother To use your milk frother, all you need is an accompanying bowl, canister, or pitcher (the vessel you use will depend on what you’re using the frother to make). While you don’t need to apply heat as you would do when frothing milk, it’s a good idea to use a heatproof container when working with this handy little tool. While a milk frother is handy for whipping up everything from creamy sauce to hot chocolate, it is the most effective when done in smaller portions, just like you would do for a cup of coffee in the morning. Whipped Cream Credit: Yunhee Kim If you’ve ever whipped cream by hand, you know it can be an exhausting workout. If all you need is enough whipped cream for a few dollops, the milk frother will be your best friend. Pour no more than ¼ cup of cream into a frothing pitcher and run the frother for about one minute, just until the cream is light and airy. Make flavored whipped cream: The milk frother is also great for incorporating other ingredients, such as ground cinnamon or orange zest, into the whipped cream as you whip it. Add it to the pitcher at the start. Hollandaise Credit: decorvow Hollandaise sauce is made by emulsifying egg yolks and warm melted butter. Place the yolks in a frother canister and slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whirring the milk frother, then continue frothing for a few seconds more until a smooth, creamy sauce emerges. Finish it off with some fresh lemon juice and salt, as usual. Mayonnaise Credit: Marcus Nilsson Similarly to hollandaise, mayonnaise is also made by emulsifying egg yolks and fat–in this case, a neutral oil. You don’t need to warm the oil; just slowly drizzle it into the egg yolks while frothing. Turn your homemade mayo into a beautiful aioli by adding some grated or roasted garlic. Vinaigrette Vinaigrette is also made with an emulsion process. Process like you would when whisking by hand; froth together the acid (vinegar and/or citrus juice), mustard, and other seasonings before slowly drizzling in the olive oil. 26 of Our Tastiest Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes Protein Shakes Credit: Jacob Fox If you want to make a protein shake but don’t have a high-powered blender at your disposal, go ahead and incorporate the protein powder with some liquid using the milk frother before mixing it with the other ingredients. Scrambled Eggs Using a milk frother can actually aerate eggs much more easily and effectively than you could ever do with a simple whisk. Crack them into a bowl and froth them until they turn a pale yellow and develop a significant amount of foam on top. From there, pour them into a greased skillet as usual. Martha's One Ingredient That Makes Your Scrambled Eggs Even Better—and It's Already in Your Fridge Egg Whites Credit: Rachel Marek If you need to whip up one or two egg whites, reach for the milk frother. It’s an especially handy tool if you need to aerate just a bit of egg white for a cocktail like a whiskey sour. Just place the whites in a bowl and froth them until light, airy, and stiff. The same can be done with aquafaba, the liquid found in canned garbanzo beans. It can be whipped up and used as a plant-based substitute for egg whites. Dalgona Coffee Dalgona coffee had a social media moment a few years ago. It’s made by whisking instant coffee, sugar, and water until it creates a fluffy, cold foam-like texture. You can easily make enough for one or two servings using a milk frother instead of a whisk. Matcha Credit: AnnaPustynnikova / Getty If you don’t have a whole setup with the matcha whisk, consider using a milk frother to whisk the water and matcha powder together before making your latté. Hot Chocolate Instead of getting a whole saucepan dirty, place warm milk and hot chocolate mix in a frother pitcher and give it a whir until well combined and slightly foamy. Tequila Surprisingly, aerating tequila with a milk frother can actually remove some of the excessive “burn” that you can experience from the liquor. We won’t say no to a smoother-tasting margarita. Explore more: Food & Cooking Cooking How-Tos & Techniques