One of the tricks to getting little kids to eat healthy food is to create little tricks that incentivize the kids and their developing brains to think that the healthier food is a good option. And what are we, really, if not overgrown little kids? Making food and drinks at home, rather than buying them out, is the eating your vegetables of adulthood. Given that you're already eating actual vegetables, too.

Trick yourself into thinking your home coffee is as good as cafe coffee by investing in a milk frother. Frothed milk is certainly not a necessity for making good coffee. But if you've already got the basics, like a good coffee machine, a solid coffee grinder, and something to drink the coffee out of, a milk frother is a fun addition to have around.

You can choose based on your budget or frequency of use. It's an internet-wide complaint that milk frothers don't tend to last that long, and, unfortunately, the pricier ones do tend to last longer. If you're not sure, start cheap and build from there. You can go with something handheld, automatic, or manual. Some you'll control the amount of foam made; others have presets that do the deciding for you.

They all work essentially the same, by aerating the milk to make varying degrees of bubbles. Milks with higher fat content make a silkier froth; lower fat milks make for airier frothers. If you have an espresso machine, you can make a cappucinno or latte, or you can top your regular coffee (or matcha) with foam for a cafe au lait. Here, 10 options to get you through some upgraded mornings.

Nespresso

nespresso.com

$119.00

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People love their Nespressos, and the Aeroccino matches the performance and aesthetic of most machines. It has four settings: a thick foam, a thinner foam, cold foam, and warming.

Bizewo

amazon.com

$49.99

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For a cheaper appliance that has those same four capabilities, this one from Amazon is not a bad choice. It froths in 1-2 minutes but it generally works better with dairy milks. You do have to be careful with cleaning the mug, which can't get wet on the bottom.

Zwilling

zwilling.com

$99.99

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This Zwilling machine is designed for seamless use with one button, two switches, and a handle for easy pouring. It has a 6.75-ounce capacity for hot milk and 13.5-ounce capacity for cold milk, with two attachments—one for stirring and one for frothing. It runs on a four-minute cycle.

Spinn

williams-sonoma.com

$100.00

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This futuristic-looking frother from Spinn has three settings to choose from: Heat and froth, heat only, or froth only. It does its work in just under 2 minutes.

SMEG

williams-sonoma.com

$199.95

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Like all of Smeg's '50s, retro-looking appliances, the milk frother is both beautiful and expensive. For an indulgent upgrade you can keep on you counter, though, this is a good choice. It makes light and thick foam for warm and cold drinks. It has anti-slip feet, too, to minimize spillage.

Gefu

food52.com

$51.95

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The biggest complaint about milk frothers is that they don't last very long. (I can attest. I've had three in the past year.) But that's mostly due to the automatic function. You won't have that problem here, with a manual milk frother. Add milk (hot or cold), put on the lid, and pump to your desire.

Breville

crateandbarrel.com

$159.95

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For coffee extraordinaires and control freaks, Breville's milk frother has the most amount of options for you to play with. You can control the temperature of your foam, which most other models don't let you do. Plus, the top half comes out, making it significantly easier to clean than some other options.

Bodum

crateandbarrel.com

$15.00

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For a cheap starter option, go with the Bodum handheld frother. It takes more work because you're actually holding the device, but it's inexpensive and doesn't take up much room. The results will vary widely depending on your skills.

Capresso

bloomingdales.com

$59.99

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This Capresso forther has cold, medium, and hot settings. There's a 12-ounce capacity for heating and 8-ounce capacity for frothing. There's also a 1-year warranty, which, given the nature of these systems, is not a detail to overlook.

Subminimal

amazon.com

$39.00

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For an upgrade to a handheld, this NanoFoamer makes a wider range of microfoams: superfine, fine, and regular. It's also waterproof, which is huge for easy cleaning and a longer life.