Which frothers the manufacturers allow chai, cocoa and chocolate in, and where matcha belongs instead.
Part of our milk frother guide for latte art. This page was researched from manufacturer manuals, product pages and published documentation; we have not run hands-on trials.
Every jug frother heats and foams milk, so the real difference for chai, matcha and hot chocolate is whether the manufacturer permits powders, concentrates and chocolate inside the jug. The Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 booklet lists chai tea, cocoa powder and chocolate flakes as suitable ingredients. The Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker manual lists chocolate, flavoured powders, syrup and sugar. The Nespresso Aeroccino 4 manual forbids syrup, sugar, chocolate powder and other additives in the jug because they may damage its coating.
Matcha is the exception across all three jug frothers: none of those manuals lists matcha as an ingredient, so matcha lattes work best with the powder whisked in the cup.
| Frother | Chai | Hot chocolate | Matcha | Manual detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 | Listed (chai tea) | Listed (cocoa, drinking chocolate, flakes) | Not listed | Measuring cap; COLD STIR runs 60 seconds; CAPP/LATTE MAX 500 ml |
| Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker | Not listed | Listed (chocolate, flakes, flavoured powders) | Not listed | MIN mark (100 ml) is the maximum fill for froth recipes; MAX (250 ml) is the fill for hot milk without froth |
| Nespresso Aeroccino 4 | Milk only | Milk only; no chocolate powder in jug | Milk only | Four functions: cold froth, hot milk, airy and dense hot froth |
| Electric handheld whisk (e.g. Jade Leaf Matcha) | Works in any mug | Works in any mug | Marketed to whisk matcha | No heating; warm the milk separately |
The Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 is the most ingredient-friendly jug in this comparison. Breville's product page says the measuring cap is for adding ingredients once mixing has started for hot chocolate, cocoa powder and chai tea. The BMF600 booklet tells you to let the frother run for a few seconds first, then add ingredients slowly and in small amounts, because adding them too quickly can dislodge or stall the frothing disc. Its COLD STIR setting stirs instant drinking powders or syrups into milk without heat, for iced chocolate.
The Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker accepts chocolate directly: its manual names chocolate, chocolate flakes, honey, syrup, flavoured powders and sugar as suitable ingredients and says to add chocolate squares directly to the device. The Barista jug is small, where the MIN mark (100 ml) is the maximum fill for a froth recipe and the MAX mark (250 ml) is the fill for hot milk without froth, so it suits one drink at a time.
The Nespresso Aeroccino 4 can still serve chai, matcha and hot chocolate drinkers, but only as a milk heater and foamer. The Aeroccino 4 manual says additives should not go in the jug and also advises against flavoured or powdered reconstituted milks. Mix the chai concentrate, cocoa or matcha in the cup, then pour the Aeroccino's hot froth on top.
The Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 is the best documented milk frother for a chai latte, because Breville lists chai tea among its suitable ingredients on the Milk Cafe product page and the BMF600 booklet describes a chai latte as three-quarters heated and foamed milk flavoured with spiced tea concentrate. Adding the concentrate through the measuring cap mid-cycle heats and foams the chai in one jug.
With a milk-only frother such as the Nespresso Aeroccino 4, pour chai concentrate into the mug first and top it with hot froth; the result is the same drink with one extra step. Not sure whether the concentrate goes in before or after the milk? See when to add chai concentrate to a milk frother.
For hot chocolate made in the jug, the Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker and the Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 are the two frothers whose manuals approve chocolate. The Barista manual says the Barista takes chocolate squares or flakes directly and suits a single cup. The BMF600 booklet says the Milk Cafe takes cocoa powder, drinking chocolate and chocolate flakes through its measuring cap and holds more milk.
If you already own an Aeroccino 4, keep the cocoa in the cup; the Aeroccino 4 manual warns that chocolate powder in the jug may damage the coating. Before tipping anything into the jug, check whether your chocolate is cocoa powder, drinking chocolate or solid pieces, because frother manuals treat each differently; see can you put chocolate in a milk frother. For a coffee-and-chocolate drink, see how to make a mocha without a steam wand.
No jug frother in this comparison lists matcha as an approved ingredient, so the best setup for a matcha latte pairs a milk frother with matcha prepared in the cup. Whisk the matcha with a small amount of water until smooth, then pour frothed milk from any jug frother over it.
A handheld electric whisk is the tool matcha brands sell for this job: the Jade Leaf Matcha electric frother manual describes it as designed to whisk matcha and froth milk. Handheld whisks do not heat milk, so warm it separately; our guide to frothing milk without a steam wand covers that step. If matcha still comes out lumpy, follow the step-by-step fix for matcha clumps in a milk frother, which covers sifting and the paste method.
Chai, cocoa and chocolate drinks foam less than plain milk. Breville's BMF600 booklet states that thick syrups, heavy powders and large flakes can significantly reduce the amount of foam, and calls this normal. Use the latte disc or a dense-froth setting and expect a creamier, lower cap rather than cappuccino-height foam. Plant milks vary too; see non-dairy milk steaming.
Sugar and chocolate residue make cleaning more important after flavoured drinks. The BMF600 booklet says the BMF600 jug, lid, measuring cap and discs can go on the dishwasher's top shelf, though hand-washing the discs extends their life. The Aeroccino 4 manual and the Barista manual say the Aeroccino 4 and Barista jugs are dishwasher safe only up to 70°C (158°F). Clean the jug directly after each use in every case.
The Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 is the clearest fit because its instruction booklet lists chai tea as a suitable ingredient and includes a measuring cap for adding ingredients while the frother is running.
No. The Nespresso Aeroccino 4 manual says syrup, sugar, chocolate powder or other additives should not be added directly to the Aeroccino because they may damage the coating. Froth plain milk and mix the chocolate in the cup.
The Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker manual lists chocolate, chocolate flakes, flavoured powders, syrup and sugar as suitable ingredients, and the Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 booklet lists cocoa powder, drinking chocolate and chocolate flakes.
Neither the Breville Milk Cafe BMF600 booklet nor the Nespresso Barista Recipe Maker manual lists matcha as an ingredient. The safe method is to whisk matcha with a little water in the cup and pour frothed milk over it.
Breville's BMF600 booklet explains that dense ingredients such as thick syrups, heavy powders and large flakes can significantly reduce the amount of foam, and describes this as normal.
Frother types compared for pourable microfoam at home.
Heating and frothing methods for handheld and manual frothers.
Machines that handle milk for you.