French Press vs Milk Frother: Difference and Comparison

There are many coffee brewing and frothing kitchen appliances in the market for coffee lovers. These gadgets froth and cream the coffee or milk, making it not only appealing but also delicious.

French presser and milk frother are two easy-breezy kitchen appliances for brewing and frothing the coffee. Otherwise, coffee does not become creamy and dense. People prefer these appliances as per their taste and pocket.

Key Takeaways

1. A French press is a manual coffee brewing device that uses immersion and pressure to extract coffee, while a milk frother creates foam for espresso-based drinks.
2. French presses are used for brewing coffee, while milk frothers are specifically designed for frothing milk.
3. Using a French press requires coarser coffee grounds and a longer steeping time, whereas a milk frother requires heated milk to create foam.

French Press vs Milk Frother

A French press is a type of coffee maker. It uses a plunger to extract the coffee. French press coffee has a richer taste. A milk frother refers to a device used to froth or foam milk. It is commonly used to make cappuccinos, lattes, and other coffee drinks that require milk foam.

A french press had flooded the markets in the late nineteenth century in Italy. It had been patented by two Italian men in 1929. This device was made accidentally when a French man forgot to add coffee to the pot while boiling water.

So when he later added the coffee, he brewed it with a stick to mix well. It is how the trend of brewed coffee started.

A milk frother has been in the market since the early twentieth century. It was first installed in an espresso machine, where it heated and frothed milk (silky and creamy texture).

It is a handy blender and is sleek. It has a frothing device at the tip, which is either powered by a battery or electricity.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	French Press	Milk Frother
Purpose	A French press brews the coffee well.	A milk frother makes the foamy layer on the top of milk.
Invented In	A French press came into the market in the nineteenth century.	A milk frother came into the market in espresso machine in the 1920s.
Operated	A French press is operated manually.	A milk frother is operated either with a battery or with electricity.
Froth Formed	It needs a lot of physical effort to make froth while brewing coffee with the French press.	A milk frother can form froth milk in no time.
Appearance	A French press appears like a jug with a lid, and it consists of a metal plunger.	A milk frother looks like a sleek handy blender with rotating blades at the tip.

What is French Press?

A French press has many names, such as French pot, coffee press, and coffee plunger. The name varies from country to country. It is a kitchen appliance for brewing coffee. The story behind the invention of the french press is very intriguing.

One day, a French man forgot to put the coffee beans in boiling water. So, to mix the coffee in the water, he brought a metal screen to press the coffee beans in the water with a stick.

The coffee turned out to be delicious. It is how the birth of the French press took place in the 19th century.

In the twentieth century, in 1928, an Italian man patented the French press under his name claiming, that he came up with the idea of the French press from the tomato juice separator. He claimed that he installed a filter and a French press in a coffee pot.

This equipment is portable and comes in mug size too. So, travelers can carry this equipment for enjoying the coffee. Brewing coffee in a hand-operated device is not a difficult task.

One needs to put coffee (coarsely ground) in the empty equipment and then add hot water into the pot to brew it. Moreover, one can brew coarse ground coffee in cold water also. The quantity of the coffee varies according to the taste.

What is Milk Frother?

Earlier, many people enjoyed their coffee which is brewed in the water. Some added sugar as per their taste. However, Europeans started straining coffee in the late seventeenth century. In a few years, people began adding milk to their coffee.

They started imitating the Viennese coffee, which consisted of creamy milk. It is how cappuccino came out into the market. The cappuccino coffee consists of creamy milk or frothy milk.

A milk frother was built into the espresso machine to generate creamy, frothy coffee (makes cappuccino and latte). The process of frothing coffee is aerating (adding air) the milk. It forms the dense and creamy layer on the top.

This kitchen appliance is handy and portable. It is operated by putting batteries or supplying power. It is simple to use. The blade on the device’s tip generates bubbles and aids in the formation of the milk froth.

The milk frother can also froth the smaller quantities of milk very well. While frothing the milk, it does not change the nutritional properties of milk. It only enhances the flavor of the milk and coffee.

People are not advised to use French presses for frothing coffee as one will have to exert extra effort, yet the coffee will not be as good.

Main Differences Between French Press and Milk Frother

1. A French press is for brewing the coffee for better taste. On the other hand, a milk frother is for frothing the milk for coffee.
2. A French press was invented accidentally and looks like a tomato juicer separate. On the other side, a milk frother has been invented for frothing the milk to enjoy cappuccino and latte.
3. The milk cannot be frothed using a French press. However, a milk frother can frother even a small quantity of milk.
4. A French press is a hand-operated brewing device. On the other hand, a milk frother is operated on either battery cells or electricity.
5. A French press has been known in the market since the nineteenth century. However, a milk frother is an invention of the twentieth century.

References

1. https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/mechanicaldesign/article-abstract/136/9/091004/376027
2. https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/mechanicaldesign/article-abstract/140/5/052001/384124