At $8, This IKEA Stainless Milk Frothing Jug Is Perfect For Beginners
by Nigel Ong
If you are interested in experimenting with coffee gear, IKEA is a great place to start. It offers decent equipment while keeping costs low. I have extensively used many of IKEA’s coffee gear and still use many of them.
If you are looking to get a milk steamer jug to start pouring your latte, IKEA also offers its own milk frothing jug, the IKEA Mattlig. At $8, you can get one to try out at the price of a spare change. However, how good is it?
In this post, I will talk about my IKEA Mattlig after having used it for half a year. Here, I share what I like and don’t like about the jug, as well as what I did to make it work better for me.
About IKEA Mattlig
In coffee-making, a milk frothing jug is used to froth up milk without causing it to splash around. Aside from that, it also has a uniquely designed spout to allow easy pouring and making of latte art. Milk frothing jugs can also be used to steam milk using a steamer.
The IKEA Mattlig is IKEA’s take on the milk jug. Unlike the Upphetta French press or the Riklig Pot, the Mattlig only comes in a single size – 500ml, or about 17 fl oz.
In most cases, these jugs are made from food-grade stainless steel. Most baristas prefer steel ones, as it allows them to feel the temperature of the milk by keeping their hands on the jug while steaming. The IKEA Mattlig is made from stainless steel as well.
It is also incredibly cheap. At $8, it is probably one of the more affordable milk frothing jugs you can get. Coming from IKEA, you would know that the Mattlig could be cheap, but it still has good manufacturing standards.
I picked up my own IKEA Mattlig about 6 months ago. The idea then was to try to pour my latte art. I don’t think I have improved much from my initial try, but I have used the jug rather extensively, especially to warm and froth my milk.
What I Like About The IKEA Mattlig
There are many things to like about the IKEA Mattlig. It is cheap and does its job well. Here are some of the things I like about it:
Wide Size
One of the most important things about milk frothing jugs is the width. You basically want the jugs wide, so you can create a beautiful vortex with the milk. This will help to break up large bubbles and form small, silky foams.
IKEA Mattlig excels at this. The bottom part of the milk jug is slightly larger in diameter than the top, helping to create even more width for the milk to spin around. The smaller top side also helps to reduce milk spills.
Comfortable Handle
The IKEA Mattlig has a rather unique handle shape, small at the top and wide at the bottom. This, to me, is a good design.
When I used this on a regular milk steamer, I noticed that the wider bottom handle helped me to rest the jug on my thumb better to stabilize it. It is also helpful during pouring, giving my hands a better grip on the jug.
Great Price
This is a decent milk jug. However, it becomes an excellent option when you look at how much it costs. At $8, you can consider it a spare change, making it perfect for beginners.
You can buy a milk jug and experiment with steaming and pouring your milk at that price. If you like it, you can upgrade and get something more expensive.
What I Don’t Like About The IKEA Mattlig
As much as it is an excellent milk frothing jug for $8, it still has shortcomings. Here are some of the things I do not like about my IKEA Mattlig milk frothing jug:
No Measurement Lines
One of my biggest pains when using the IKEA Mattlig is the lack of measurement lines. Higher-quality milk frothing jugs usually have measurement lines inside the jug, telling you how much milk you have poured into the jug.
As a result, I have to first measure the amount of milk elsewhere before pouring them into my IKEA Mattlig. I usually use my digital scale to weigh my milk to do this. This is a small hassle, but still a hassle nonetheless.
If IKEA were to charge an additional $2 to have the measurement lines printed into the milk jugs, I would happily pay for it.
Neither Here Nor There In Size
Another issue I seem to face with the IKEA Mattlig is the size. As a start, it only comes in a single size, 500ml or about 17 fl oz.
Generally, when steaming or frothing milk, you want to ensure there is not too little or too much milk inside the jug. Too little, and there is not enough milk to spin around and make foams. Too much, and you’ll get milk spills.
This is where problems start for me. I usually make a regular, single serving of coffee, which means I do not need a lot of milk. For example, I probably only need around 60ml of milk when I make a double-shot cappuccino.
That’s too little for the jug. As a result, I have to froth more milk than I need to. If I try to make two or three cups of cappuccino, I may need more milk, so the jug may not handle the volume. When I start frothing, it spills out.
I wish IKEA could have made two more sizes for the IKEA Mattlig – one smaller and one larger than the current size.
Spout Shape
Another issue I have with the IKEA Mattlig is the spout shape. When pouring milk, the spout shape is important in shaping the patterns on the crema. Sometimes, you want a sharp spout to pour sharper lines, and so on.
The spout shape on the IKEA Mattlig is fat and round, meaning you can only pour a blob pattern on your latte art and nothing else.
This suggestion may push their manufacturing and supply chain management a little hard, but can IKEA produce milk frothing jugs with different spout shapes? IKEA can also consider interchangeable spout shapes.
How To Use The IKEA Mattlig Best?
After using the IKEA Mattlig for some time, I noticed that I could use it better by making some changes. Here are some ideas and hacks you can try with your own IKEA Mattlig. It is a cheap jug, anyway, so you can always get a new one if things don’t work out.
No Steamer? Pair It With A Milk Frother
The IKEA Mattlig is designed to be used with a milk steaming wand. You are supposed to fill the jug with some milk, slap a steaming wand in it, and steam the milk to make microfoams.
But to think of it, how many of us actually have a steaming wand at home? If you also do not have one at home, consider warming the milk first and then using a frother to froth the milk.
In fact, IKEA has figured this out for you. Aside from this $8 IKEA Mattlig, you can also get a $7 IKEA Produkt Milk Frother. Pair this up, and you’ll have a way to make frothed warm milk at a fraction of the price of a coffee machine.
Stovetop + Water For Warming
Now that we have the milk jug and frother sorted out, how about the warming part? The most straightforward answer would be to warm it using a microwave. However, in case you do not have one around, try this hack instead.
Use a small pot and fill it with hot water. Place the small pot over a cooktop, and heat it. Then place your IKEA Mattlig jug with milk inside into the pot. The heat from the water will transfer into the milk jug and warm the milk.
You can also warm the milk directly on the stovetop, but you want to be careful here, as the heat may be too intense, and the milk jug may become too hot and scald you. In fact, this is not recommended by IKEA.
Sharpen The Spout
There was a period when I was trying to pour the fern shape for my latte art, and I found that the rounded, wide spout shape was impossible to work with. To fix this, I decided to sharpen the spout myself.
I was able to do this by using a needle plier and slowly massaging the spout to be sharper at the end. This allows me to pour out sharper milk lines and create more intricate latte art.
Cheap And Easy Way To Start With Steaming Milk
The IKEA Mattlig is a cheap and easy way to start with milk streaming, frothing, and pouring. You can always get one to experiment; if you don’t like it, it is only $8 wasted. If you like it, you can always upgrade to something more premium. This IKEA Mattlig review is part of my extensive review of IKEA coffee gear. Consider checking out my review on IKEA Upphetta French Press, IKEA Riklig Pot, and IKEA Overst Coffee Pour Over Set.