NanoFoamer Pro 2 Test: Milk Foam WITHOUT an Espresso Machine?

Latte Art foam instead of bathtub foam – that's the goal of the NanoFoamer Pro 2. Because it enables creamy cappuccino for everyone who doesn't have a steam wand on their espresso machine, and also decorates the moka with hearts and tulips. We put Subminimal's NanoFoamer Pro 2 through a professional test and share our experiences in this video review. And one thing upfront: our barista trainer Michel Indelicato was thrilled with the compact milk frother with heater.

Highlights at a glance

✔️ 3 different settings for foam thickness and temperature

✔️ Ideal for alternative milk varieties (soy, oat, etc.)

✔️ Easy to use, somewhat more complicated cleaning

✔️ Compact design for home or on the go

How does the NanoFoamer Pro 2 work?

The NanoFoamer Pro 2 differs fundamentally from conventional milk frothers because it produces fine-pored latte art foam instead of airy "construction foam". Professional baristas often derisively call it "construction foam" when too much air is pulled into the milk. This is something many auto-steamers in some fully automatic espresso machines in gastronomy still do today.

This allows you to pile up bathtub foam-like mountains, but not to pour creamy latte art. The idea of the NanoFoamer is: both should be possible here. In addition to the frothing process, the milk is heated in the foamer.

As a standalone device, it offers precise control over foam consistency and temperature – two crucial factors for perfect latte art. With three different setting options, coffee enthusiasts, home baristas and beginners can create the ideal foam texture for their favorite coffee specialties.

• Rubber wings in black (slow, cow's milk), green (fast, milk alternatives), and blue (medium, milk alternatives), which are magnetically attached to the jug.
• Frothing mode acceleration 1 - 5 + 0 for cold milk
• Depth of the frother

So much for the theory. And indeed. In practice, we check off these tasks with two checkmarks. Thin and thick foam succeed depending on the goal, milk and setting.

Frothing recipes for different milk varieties and quantities

The NanoFoamer Pro 2 offers different attachments (Slow, Medium, Fast) and levels (1-5) for foam production. Additionally, with all recipes you should especially note that the frother beeps at around 59 degrees. We use this to stop it shortly after. For most milk varieties and cappuccinos, temperatures between 58 and 63 degrees Celsius are very delicious.

General tips & tricks

Temperature development:

• With cow's milk: Temperature increase of approx. 0.3-0.4°C per second after beeping
• With larger quantities: Slower increase (0.2-0.3°C per second) after beeping

Cold variant:

• Works well with 130g and slow attachment
• Frothing time: approx. 1:25 minutes
• Produces good latte art foam

Troubleshooting:

• Too liquid foam: Increase level or change attachment
• Too thick foam: Reduce level
• With oat milk: Prefer fast attachment

Best results for cow's milk: Organic pasteurized

For small drinks (130g milk), optimal setting for latte art:

• Quantity: 130g milk
• Attachment: Slow
• Level: 2
• Expected frothing time: approx. 2 minutes
• Target temperature: 61°C (approx. 3 seconds wait after beeping)
• Result: Perfect consistency for latte art

For medium drinks (180g milk)

Optimal setting:

• Quantity: 180g milk
• Attachment: Slow
• Level: 3
• Expected time: approx. 2:10 minutes
• Target temperature: 60°C (approx. 2 seconds after beeping)
• Result: Ideal texture for latte art

For large drinks (220-250g milk)

Optimal setting:

• Quantity: 220-250g milk
• Attachment: Slow
• Level: 4
• Expected time: 2:50-3:00 minutes
• Target temperature: 59-59.5°C (stop when beeping)
• Result: Perfect latte art foam

Special instructions for oat milk

Small portions (130g)

Best setting:

• Quantity: 130g oat milk
• Attachment: Fast
• Level: 3
• Expected time: 1:25 minutes
• Temperature: 59.5°C (stop when beeping)
• Special feature: Produces the best foam with fast attachment!

Medium portions (180g)

Optimal setting:

• Quantity: 180g oat milk
• Attachment: Fast
• Level: 4
• Expected time: 1:55 minutes (stop when beeping)
• Result: Optimal foam quality

Large portions (220g)

Best setting:

• Quantity: 220g oat milk
• Attachment: Fast
• Level: 5
• Expected time: 2:20 minutes
• Temperature: 60°C (stop when beeping)
• Result: Uniform, stable foam

Summary of key findings:

• Cow's milk works best with slow attachment (black)
• Oat milk achieves best results with fast attachment
• Larger milk quantities require higher levels
• Optimal temperature is between 59-61°C
• Frothing time varies between 1:25 and 3:00 minutes depending on quantity

Does it also froth oat milk and alternative milks?

Particularly impressive is the device's performance when processing alternative milk. Many home baristas struggle when frothing oat milk and the like. With some experimentation, you can find the right recipe for every oat milk consistency. Important: every milk is somewhat different, so a recipe needs to be developed for each one. Also, the requirement for foam density varies. For Swiss organic oat milk Gutsch, we used the following settings:

Gutsch milk foam recipe

• Gutsch oat milk 130g
• Room temperature
• Fast attachment
• Level 3
• 1:25 frothing time; stop at first beep at 59.5°C.
• Absolutely top foam!!!

User-friendliness in focus

The handling of the device seems intuitive and simple to us.

• Temperature setting
• Easy foam consistency regulation
• Quick and effective cleaning, although unfortunately not dishwasher safe
• Perfect for on the go

Thanks to its compact size and independence from an espresso machine, the NanoFoamer Pro 2 is also ideal for mobile use. Whether in the office or while traveling – professional latte art becomes relatively easy everywhere.

Cleaning and maintenance

An important aspect for the longevity of the device is proper care. You should clean the NanoFoamer carefully after each use.

• Not dishwasher safe
• Regular manual cleaning after each use
• Careful maintenance of frothing components