IKEA Produkt Milk Frother Review: Can Cheap be Any Good? (with Photos)

by Nigel Ong

Sometimes, the inner barista in us just wants to steam some milk and pour our own cup of Latte, Cappuccino, or Cortado. However, it may be expensive to purchase an espresso machine, especially those with milk steamers.

What about a much cheaper solution instead? Please pick up a milk frother such as IKEA Produkt, and then froth your warm milk with it. Unlike espresso machines that cost hundreds, the Produkt costs a measly… $7. That’s pocket spare change for many of us.

I have been using one on and off for the past 2 years, and I thought I would share my experience using the frother. I’ll talk about why I like it, why I don’t like the IKEA Produkt, and who should get it.

How Does The IKEA Produkt Frother Work?

The IKEA Produkt is part of the IKEA series of coffee gadgets, such as the Upphetta French press or the Overst pour-over dripper. You can pick it up for as cheap as $7, possibly even lower if second-handed. 

IKEA Produkt can be broken down into two parts. You have the handle and also the frothing mechanism. 

The handle contains the operation switch and battery compartment. The vibrating motor is also inside the handle assembly. You hold on to your frother by grabbing the handle. 

The handle is made of plastic, which can feel pretty cheap and rough. But hey, this is a $7 frother, don’t expect too much, will ya?

The frothing mechanism connects to the handle via a slim steel stick. The slim steel stick runs towards the end and then curls up to form a circle. The circle contains a roll of wires, similar to the rings around a French press plunger. 

Start by warming up your milk. The IKEA Produkt only foams but does not warm up your milk. You can use a stove, but I prefer using the microwave. It is faster, and you do not need to clean anything.

While the milk warms up inside the microwave,  load 2 AA dry cell batteries into the handle to operate the frother. The batteries are secured inside the handle with a slide-in lid.

When you turn on the frother, the motor inside the handle runs, which causes the frothing mechanism to move in a circle at a rapid speed. The vibrations can be quite intense, so be ready for it!

If you have the frother mechanism inside your milk, it will create a vortex that causes the milk to spin around and form foams. 

In most cases, you try to keep the frothing mechanism about 1cm (about 0.39 inches) away from the bottom of your milk container. This ensures smooth operation and for the milk to form tiny, smooth, velvety foams.

Once the milk is well and ready, it should look just like how after it was steamed, foamy, velvety, and thick. Here is a picture comparing the same volume of fresh milk before and after frothing:

Taste-wise, frothed warm milk does taste slightly sweeter. This is because the added heat increased the sweetness of the lactose inside the milk. 

On top of that, I also like the airiness of frothed milk. Foamed-up milk has bubbles, which gives my tongue something to play with. To me, these bubbles make the milk and coffee less boring to the palate.

I also do not think warm frothed milk tastes much different from steamed milk. To me at least, the only difference is in the process. The results are the same really.

What Are The Pros Of IKEA Produkt?

The IKEA Produkt milk frother is simple and basic, and I found it useful in many ways:

Affordable

For $7, this is a very affordable milk frother you can pick up with a spare change. I cannot imagine if there are any other better solutions in this price range. 

This is better than manually frothing up your milk using a whisker or wire stirrer. With such little money, you spare yourself the physical labor and get a more consistent result.

Dry Cell Operated

The IKEA Produkt is also dry-cell operated. It takes two AA, 1.5V LR 6 batteries. This means you can put in the batteries, use them until it is out of juice, and get a new one. 

This is better than having built-in batteries that you need to charge through USB etc. If you run out of power, you must plug the frother to charge it and wait. That’s precious time wasted, especially if you are in a rush in the morning.

Very Easy Operation & Maintenance

IKEA Produkt is very easy to operate. Place the frother about 1 cm from the bottom of your warm milk container, and pull the tab to the ‘On’ position. The frother then operates vigorously, spinning your milk into a vortex.

Maintenance is also super easy. You only need to rinse the frothing mechanism to clean it, and that’s it. The price is so low anyway; if the machine stops operating for some reason, just discard it and get a new one instead.

What Are The Cons Of IKEA Produkt?

As much as I enjoy using the IKEA Produkt, I do find issues with it. I think all are related to its low price – IKEA just cannot pack too many features into a simple $7 frother. Still, I would not mind paying slightly more for some of these problems to disappear.

No Heating

The IKEA Produkt is a frother, and frothing is all it does. The issue is that you do not add cold milk to your coffee. You need to warm it up first. 

This is easy with a milk steamer. The hot air will warm the milk up and froth it up at the same time. But not the IKEA Produkt. 

You will need to have a way to warm your milk before you froth it. I usually use a microwave, and a stove may work well too. It is a small hassle, as you need to perform additional steps to prepare your milk. Still, this cannot be very pleasant to you.

No Intensity Adjustment

The IKEA Produkt works in a super simple way. On or off. 100% or 0%. There is nothing in between. This means the frothing mechanism only vibrates at a pretty intense rate, and you cannot adjust it.

This may not be an issue if you are just frothing your milk. However, if you are just frothing a small amount of milk, you may end up splashing your milk all over the kitchen top. 

You may also end up splashing the milk if you forget to turn off the frother before you lift it out from the milk itself. 

It would be nice if the IKEA Produkt came with adjustment, so you can at least slow the frother down to 50% intensity.

Poor Finish

This is a $7 frother, and it may not be fair to expect a lot in build quality and finish. But then again, I believe IKEA could do better. 

The moldings do leave marks on the plastic parts. The plastic itself feels hard and cheap. The switches feel rough, and you worry your skin may get caught. 

I would gladly pay a little bit more to get a better build and finish, but I suppose IKEA prefers to keep the price low and sacrifice this part instead.

Who Are IKEA Produkt Milk Frother For?

There is one thing nobody can deny, IKEA Produkt is incredibly cheap. As a result, I think it can be a great thing for some people. 

I think IKEA Produkt is best for people who want to indulge in the fun of occasionally frothing their milk. This is because it is cheap enough, you can use it once in a while.

 If you get an espresso machine with a milk steamer, for example, you will need to use it every day to make it worth your money.

This frother is also a good way to start making cappuccinos or lattes at home. If you find yourself using it increasingly, you can justify upgrading to a proper espresso machine with a milk steamer. 

If you do not enjoy the experience, it’s a cheap $7 frother. You can always just let it sit in the drawer or give it to someone else.Any chance you will find this review helpful? If yes, why not check my other reviews of IKEA coffee gadgets, such as the IKEA Overst Pour Over Filter. I also reviewed how I used the IKEA Riklig Teapot to brew coffee.

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