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

Latte art foam instead of bath foam – that's the goal of the NanoFoamer Pro 2. After all, it makes creamy cappuccino possible for everyone who doesn't have a steam wand on their espresso machine, and it also decorates mochas with hearts and tulips. We put the NanoFoamer Pro 2 from Subminimal 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 little frothing pitcher with heater.

Highlights at a glance

✔️ 3 different settings for foam thickness and temperature

✔️ Ideal for alternative milk types (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 dismissively call it "construction foam" when too much air is whipped into the milk. This is something many automatic steamers in some commercial fully automatic coffee machines still do today.

This allows you to pile up bath foam-like mountains, but you can't pour creamy latte art. The idea behind the NanoFoamer is: both should be possible here. Besides the frothing process, the foamer also heats the milk.

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 drinks.

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

So much for the theory. And actually, in practice, we're giving these tasks two thumbs up. Thin and thick foam work out, depending on the goal, milk, and setting.

Foaming recipes for different milk types and quantities

The NanoFoamer Pro 2 offers different inserts (Slow, Medium, Fast) and levels (1-5) for foam production. Additionally, you should note for all recipes that the foamer 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 delicious.

General Tips & Tricks

Temperature development:

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

Cold variant:

• Works well with 130g and slow insert
• Foam time: approximately 1:25 minutes
• Produces good latte art foam

Troubleshooting:

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

Best results for cow's milk: bio-pasteurized

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

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

For medium drinks (180g milk)

Optimal setting:

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

For large drinks (220-250g milk)

Optimal setting:

• Quantity: 220-250g milk
• Insert: 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
• Insert: Fast
• Level: 3
• Expected time: 1:25 minutes
• Temperature: 59.5°C (stop when beeping)
• Special feature: Produces the best foam with fast insert!

Medium portions (180g)

Optimal setting:

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

Large portions (220g)

Best setting:

• Quantity: 220g oat milk
• Insert: 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 insert (black)
• Oat milk achieves best results with fast insert
• Larger milk quantities require higher levels
• Optimal temperature is between 59-61°C
• Foam time varies between 1:25 and 3:00 minutes depending on quantity

Does it also foam oat milk and alternative milk?

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

Gutsch milk foam recipe

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

User-friendliness in focus

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

• 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 to achieve anywhere.

Cleaning and care

An important aspect for the device's longevity is proper care. You should clean the NanoFoamer thoroughly after each use.

• No dishwasher cleaning
• Regular manual cleaning after each use
• Careful maintenance of foaming components