Steam does two things — heats and injects air with shear. Substitutes manage parts of it.
A French press
The best cheap method. Heat the milk to 60 °C, pour it into the press, and plunge rapidly 20 to 30 times.
The mesh shears the bubbles reasonably well and the result is decent — good enough for a cappuccino, not for latte art.
A handheld electric whisk
The small battery frothers. Fast, cheap, and they produce airy foam rather than microfoam — large bubbles that collapse quickly.
Fine for topping a drink, no good for pouring.
A jar
Heat nothing yet. Fill a jar a third full, seal it, shake hard for 30 seconds, then microwave uncovered for 30 seconds.
The shaking creates foam; the microwave stabilises it. Genuinely effective for the effort.
An automatic frother
A jug with a heating base and a magnetic whisk. Consistent, hands-free, and it produces foam rather than microfoam.
The most convenient option if you have no wand.
The microwave alone
Heats milk, adds no air. Fine for a caffè latte where you want hot milk without foam.
Do not boil it — 60 to 65 °C, which is 40 to 60 seconds for a mugful.
What none of them do
Create a vortex under pressure, which is what shears bubbles into true microfoam. That needs steam.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026