Coffeehouse coffee at home on the cheap - milk frother

I love coffee and coffee for me is always a treat. But I also like to be frugal and do not spend money on fancy coffeehouse treats, with the exception of buying up high quality coffee when it is on sale because I can taste the difference between  bargain coffee and good quality brew.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - cheap frother generates a nice cup of coffee with milk overlay!

 A few years ago I picked up a frother at Ross. Ross is already a bargain store and the frother was maybe $3, so I bought it. I hoped it would last me a while, but it is still functioning perfectly on two regular batteries. I have learned by now that lower fat milk works best, but in the pictures here I used reduced fat milk and that forms a nice milk overlay as well. I love drinking the froth of the cup and enjoying the remaining milk slowly seeping into the coffee layer.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - froth some low fat milk (skim works best) and who needs to spend $5 on a cup?

 Here you can see the frother outside of the stand that was included. It basically just aerates the milk, expanding it on volume and making it stiffer. This will ensure that you have a nice second layer in your cup or glass. The milk, because of the air, will stay on top and slowly seep into the coffee layer. The process takes about 10 seconds to form reasonable stiff milk peaks and you are done, ready to add a milk layer to your coffee. This process is much faster and less messy than trying the frothing attachments on commercial espresso machines, especially if you are talking about budget models.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - milk frothing turns basic coffee into a treat!

 So if you want to enjoy some coffeehouse style coffee at home, get into the nearest discount store and pick up a basic frother. Make sure your milk is cold and if you want a fairly stiff milk layer, select skim milk. If you are like me and enjoy regular Vitamin D milk, try to find reduced Managers Specials at Kroger for skim milk and you can enjoy your coffeehouse coffee at a bargain price and at home - saving gas at the same time!